Exhausted All the Time? Could You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Fatigue in and of itself can manifest in a number of ways and can have dozens of various causes. If you feel fatigued and exhausted all the time, you need to determine if you’re experiencing “normal” fatigue (fatigue unrelated to an illness) or if you’re suffering from a more serious medical disorder called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Before you can begin following any health program to fight your fatigue, you first need to determine how serious your fatigue really is. Use our self-assessments to truly gauge the severity of your fatigue:
Assessment #1: Fatigue Severity Scale
The Fatigue Severity Scale is a self-administered test to measure your severity of fatigue symptoms. A score of 36 or more suggests that you are suffering from fatigue that needs further evaluation by a healthcare provider and may, in fact, be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Complete the following self-assessment. A low value (1) indicates strong disagreement with the statement; a high value (7) indicates strong agreement with the statement. Select a number for every question; then, tally your results to calculate your fatigue score.
On a scale from 1 to 7, during the past week I have felt: |
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| 1. | My motivation is lower when I am fatigued. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2. | Exercise brings on my fatigue. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 3. | I am easily fatigued. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 4. | Fatigue interferes with my physical functioning. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 5. | Fatigue causes frequent problems for me. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 6. | My fatigue prevents sustained physical functioning. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 7. | Fatigue interferes with my ability to carry out my daily responsibilities. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8. | Fatigue is among my three most disabling symptoms. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 9. | Fatigue interferes with my work, family or social life. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Fatigue Score: ________
Assessment #2: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Questionnaire
In addition to the Fatigue Severity Scale, use the following questionnaire to evaluate if your fatigue could be related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If you answer true to four or more of these symptoms, you are considered high risk for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and should consider making an appointment with an integrative physician.
Answer each question as true or false. |
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| 1. | I have difficulty staying awake during the day and feel exhausted all the time. | T | F |
| 2. | I have difficulty staying awake while driving. | T | F |
| 3. | I have frequent mood changes related to feeling tired (i.e. depression, anxiety, irritability). | T | F |
| 4. | I frequently experience loss of memory or have difficulty concentrating. | T | F |
| 5. | I often have muscle pains. | T | F |
| 6. | I often have joint pain with no redness or swelling of my joints. | T | F |
| 7. | I experience frequent headaches. | T | F |
| 8. | I have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. | T | F |
| 9. | I often have a sore throat. | T | F |
| 10. | My lymph nodes in my neck or under my arms are frequently sore. | T | F |
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