Fibromyalgia: Links with risk of suicide and infections.
According to researchers, fibromyalgia’s effects extend beyond the discomfort in the muscles and joints.
The risk of suicide, infection, and accidents is reportedly increased in those with chronic condition.
According to some experts, these increased risks may be a result of both the discomfort associated with having fibromyalgia and the propensity of some medical personnel to downplay the seriousness of the condition.
The signs of fibromyalgia, such as body-wide pain and exhaustion, are far better understood than their underlying causes.
A recent study that was released in the journal RMD Open raises the possibility that the effects of fibromyalgia may extend well beyond the everyday discomfort it causes.
Researchers Dr. Yulia Treister-Goltzman and Dr. Roni Peleg of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel found that people with fibromyalgia also have a higher rate of suicide, accidents, and infections than people without chronic condition.
What is fibromyalgia?
An episode of fibromyalgia can be physically and emotionally draining. Lifestyle interventions can aid in symptom management.
If you or a loved one has fibromyalgia, you are well familiar with the difficulties and unknowns that this chronic pain illness may bring. Dealing with flare-ups or brief spikes in symptom severity might be one of the most challenging elements of having fibromyalgia.
A chronic pain syndrome known as fibromyalgia is characterised by widespread musculoskeletal discomfort that has persisted for at least three months. It nearly always combines other severe symptoms including exhaustion and sleep issues in addition to generalized pain.
Fibromyalgia is complicated, and as a result, it’s frequently misunderstood and misdiagnosed. The aetiology is typically unclear, and the symptoms might mimic those of other illnesses such autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.
The fibromyalgia study’s specifics
The researchers examined eight previously released fibromyalgia papers that also described the condition’s detrimental effects.
According to Treister-Goltzman and Peleg’s research, patients with fibromyalgia have a threefold increased risk of suicide, which may be brought on by both the stress of dealing with persistent pain and the frustration of having their condition not treated seriously.
“Studies have shown that medical staff are reluctant to accept fibromyalgia as a medical condition and they face emotional and psychological difficulties interacting with these patients and coping with their disorder,” said the report.
Effects of having fibromyalgia
According to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a fibromyalgia specialist and author of multiple publications on the ailment, “being left crippled, in severe pain, with no energy and severe secondary cognitive dysfunction, as well as an average 32-12-pound weight gain secondary to metabolic changes, devastates people.”
Then, some doctors who are simply too lazy to study the studies and learn about these disorders suggest that the individual is insane rather than ill, leading to the callous denial of disability and health insurance benefits that they paid for and frequently leading to homelessness. Is it really a surprise that people with this illness have greater suicide rates?
According to experts, the weariness, poor sleep, and attention issues linked to fibromyalgia could account for the higher occurrence of accidents among those who have the condition.
According to the study’s authors, one of the primary hypothesizedhypothesis reasons of the illness may be to blame for the 44% greater risk of infections, including pneumonia and septicemia.
“More and more evidence supports immune system involvement and inflammation in fibromyalgia pathophysiology, which can explain the finding of increased mortality from infections,” claimed Treister-Goltzman and Peleg. Physical comorbidities could also be the cause.
The researchers did note, however, that those with fibromyalgia also had a lower risk of dying from cancer than those without the condition.
They pointed out that one reason is that persons with fibromyalgia may experience earlier cancer detection due to their increased involvement with the healthcare system.
Symptoms and signs of a fibromyalgia flare-up
It’s possible for your current symptoms to momentarily get worse when you’re going through a fibromyalgia flare-up. A fibromyalgia flare-up may present with the following signs and symptoms:
- heightened discomfort and tenderness all over your body
- migraines and headaches
- increased weariness despite getting enough rest
- stiffness
- disruptions in sleep
- having trouble focusing or thinking
- memory, reasoning, or concentration issues
- emotional signs like despair or anxiety
- increased sensitivity to stimuli including noise, light, and temperature fluctuations
- sensations of tingling or numbness
- jaw or face ache
- digestive problems, including symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Research into fibromyalgia is crucial.
The findings, according to the researchers, should serve as a warning to the medical community to pay more attention to fibromyalgia and any potential comorbidities.
According to Treister-Goltzman and Peleg, “Fibromyalgia is frequently referred to as an ‘imaginary condition’ with ongoing debates on the legitimacy and clinical usefulness of this diagnosis.” “Our review further demonstrates the need to treat fibromyalgia patients seriously, with a focus on screening for suicidal ideation, preventing accidents, and treating infections.”
Fibromyalgia is characterized by an increased sensitivity to pain, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Infrequently, muscular and joint stiffness, tenderness to touch, numbness or tingling in the arms and legs, memory and concentration troubles, sensitivity to light, noise, odors, and temperature, as well as digestive problems, are additional signs of the illness.
Because fibromyalgia tends to run in families, previous research has suggested that the illness may be connected to the brain’s signaling of pain and may have hereditary roots.
REFERENCES:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-flare-up
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/fibromyalgia-linked-to-heightened-risk-of-suicides-accidents-infections
- https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/news/20230712/fibromyalgia-linked-to-higher-risk-of-death-journal-reports
- https://www.aninews.in/news/science/fibromyalgia-linked-to-heightened-risk-of-death-research20230711170618/
For muscle and joints disease medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?cPath=28