Tag Archives: chronic fatigue

Female health symptoms you should not ignore

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Busy lives and juggling work and family often mean our own health is the last thing women think about. But if you’ve been ignoring any of these warning signs, now’s the time to get them checked out.

Extreme tiredness

Feeling worn out is a common side effect of modern lifestyles but chronic fatigue could be a sign of many health issues, some of which can be easily resolved.

If your energy levels have been low for more than two weeks you could have a deficiency in your diet, such as iron (causing anaemia), or an imbalance of hormones. Thyroid problems can make you feel tired and can be treated with medication. In some cases constant tiredness can be a symptom of something more serious, such as lung cancer, heart disease, or depression, so don’t keep putting up with it.

Your shape – apple or pear

While it isn’t exactly a symptom, your shape can give you an early indication of potential health problems so it’s a good idea to be aware where you put weight on (even if you don’t want to admit it to anyone else!). If you are apple shaped and put weight on around your tummy then you’re statistically more likely to run into health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer

If your waist is over 32” (80cm) it’s worth keeping an eye out for symptoms of diabetes. Over 35” (88cm) and you’re even more at risk of both diabetes and heart disease.

Being pear-shaped may not seem like a blessing but generally putting weight on your bottom and thighs doesn’t signal as many health worries.


Bleeding between periods

As well as being annoying and alarming, bleeding when it’s not your period can signal a number of health concerns. It’s a symptom of some gynaecological cancers but is also linked to other conditions, many far less serious. These include hormone imbalances, reactions to the pill or other contraceptives, endometriosis, STDs and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Any bleeding between periods or after the menopause needs to be checked out by your doctor. Pain in the area is also a sign something’s not right, so report any pain or bleeding during or after sex to your doctor as well as if you feel constantly bloated or have pelvic pain.

Breast changes

Breast cancer awareness has never been higher but still many women are unaware of changes in their breasts. Get to know how yours fluctuate over the month and keep an eye out for the warning signs – lumps or thickening of the skin around the breast or armpit, discharge from the nipple, puckering or reddening of the skin and changes in shape of both the breast and the nipple. Breast cancer doesn’t always cause pain but any soreness should also be checked out. There are many other causes of these symptoms though so don’t be afraid of going to the doctors to put your mind at ease.

Chest pain

Heart attacks, heart disease and strokes are the biggest killer of women in the UK. And while classic symptoms of a heart attack will have you straight on the phone to 999 (UK) 911 (USA), there are many other signs of heart problems you may ignore and dismiss as something else. These include a heavy feeling on the chest, tightness or crushing and also milder chest pain, which can feel a little like a bad case of indigestion. Two fifths of women, particularly at the younger end of the spectrum, have reported experiencing no chest pain before having a heart attack, which is why it’s vital to get any discomfort checked out in case.

Chronic fatigue syndrome in children

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One in 100 secondary school pupils could be missing classes because of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), say researchers.

A study following 2,855 pupils at three schools, published in the online journal BMJ Open, found 28 missed school with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The researchers said the effect was “potentially devastating”.

A charity said the true figure was likely to be even higher.

The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown and there is no known cure. It is a medical condition rather than just schoolchildren staying up too late. It results in extreme tiredness as well as problems with memory and concentration.

The researchers looked at every pupil between the age of 11 and 16 at three secondary schools in Bath. The 461 pupils who were absent for at least a day a week in a six-week term were investigated further.

Five had already been diagnosed with chronic fatigue and a further 23 cases were identified.

Overall 1% of pupils had chronic fatigue and the illness accounted for more than 6% of pupils who were missing large amounts of school.

Dr Ester Crawley, researcher at the University of Bristol, told the BBC: “The impact of missing school is potentially devastating.”

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Caution is needed when drawing conclusions about all schoolchildren from a study in three schools, but Dr Crawley believes the 1% figure could be too small.

She says the study looked at the pupils who were missing the most school: “Missing one day a week is severe. The total level [of chronic fatigue syndrome] is going to be higher.”

The chief executive of the Association of Young People with ME, Mary-Jane Willows, said the impact of the illness was “horrendous” and that “1% is a phenomenal number. It proves the problem we’re up against.”


But she added: “I would say that it is on the lean side, it is at least 1%, there is a hidden population out there.”

Of the newly diagnosed pupils, 19 chose to have treatment. They were given either cognitive behavioural therapy, which alters the way people think and cope with their symptoms, or graded exercise therapy, a gradual and supervised increase in activity levels.

Twelve of them were back to school full time after six months, six of them had made a full recovery. Another pupil who had been housebound returned to school part-time.

Prof Matthew Hotopf, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, said: “Chronic fatigue syndrome is not uncommon as a cause of recurrent school absence, and therefore something to actively look for.”

He added: “There is everything to play for in terms of outcome for chronic fatigue syndrome in kids. This study demonstrates that about two-thirds had recovered by six months, and that’s a really important message for families and GPs.”