ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a debilitating chronic condition that affects over 400,000 people in the UK. It impacts various parts of the body, and patients may experience a wide range of symptoms.
The key symptoms required to suspect ME/CFS include:
- Debilitating fatigue that is worsened by activity, is not caused by excessive cognitive, physical, emotional or social exertion, and is not significantly relieved by rest.
- Post-exertional malaise after activity is characterised by the worsening of symptoms:
- Unrefreshing sleep or sleep disturbance (or both), which may include:
- feeling exhausted, feeling flu-like and stiff on waking
- broken or shallow sleep, altered sleep pattern or hypersomnia.
- Cognitive difficulties (sometimes described as ‘brain fog'), which may include problems finding words or numbers, difficulty in speaking, slowed responsiveness, short-term memory problems, and difficulty concentrating or multitasking.
(NICE 2021)
People may also experience eye issues, amongst many other symptoms, such as:
- Visual stress: Distortions in how things look. – Eye movement problems: Difficulty tracking objects affecting reading.
- Common problems reported by people with ME/CFS include: –
- Sensitivity to bright light – Tiredness or headaches after reading – Pain or dryness in the eyes – Difficulty following lines of text.
These challenges can significantly impact daily activities and overall well-being.
Therefore, H4ME has released a more accessible Annual Report for individuals who may experience these symptoms. The report is concise and features less text.
Additionally, it is available as a slideshow to minimise the need to click through each page.