Thursday February 9, 2012
Fibromyalgia affects everything, from your hair to your toenails. And if you're thinking, "Hey, I wonder if my hair problems are related to fibromyalgia," there's a good chance they are.
The biggie is that we're prone to hair loss - which, fortunately, is temporary. For most of us, the hair falls out more when we're going through flares or periods of high stress. It does grow back, which is good, but often leaves us with wispy baby hairs that make it look messy when we pull it back. You might also lose enough that it's noticeably thinner.
But I started thinking about other types of hair problems when I came across this recent comment from a reader:
"I keep my long hair braided or in a soft bun, because my hair moving around causes pain. Can't pull it in a pony tail, for the same reason." -Robbie
I'm sure this issue isn't hers alone. I know fibromyalgia has been a big influence on my hairstyle at times.
The picture of me on this page (which is badly in need of updating) shows what I call my "too sick to do my hair" hairstyle. As my functionality improved, I changed it to something that takes a little work, but not much. And still, I have a wide selection of hats for days when I'm just not up to styling it. I have a huge problem in the summer, because my forehead sweats excessively when I'm warm (another fibromyalgia symptom) and undoes my do in a hurry.
I've read dozens of comments from people who say they can't hold their arms up long enough to style their hair, which is a common complaint in chronic fatigue syndrome, as well.
Barrettes, head bands, clips, etc. often just look too painful to even consider putting on my head. And then there's the styling products - a horror for anyone with fragrance or chemical sensitivities!
It may seem like a hairstyle is inconsequential when you've got a few dozen symptoms to contend with, and really, it's way down on the list of my concerns. However, not being able to style your hair like you want can have a big impact on your self-esteem. It can also be a reminder of all that you've lost to illness.
What has fibromyalgia meant for your hair style? Has pain, energy or hair loss been the bigger factor? What emotional impact has it had on you? Leave your comments below!
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Wednesday February 8, 2012
You're going to like this.
A few days ago, a German researcher told the 6th World Congress of the World Institute of Pain that, according to his latest study, the cognitive dysfunction (fibro fog) of fibromyalgia is primarily related to one single factor.
That factor is not depression. It is not anxiety. It is not even unrefreshing sleep.
That factor is: Pain.
And get this - his research team hypothesized that the fibromyalgia participants who were on opiates (narcotics) would demonstrate more cognitive impairment than those who weren't. It's only logical, right?
Apparently not. The fibromites on opiates actually had better cognitive function. Why? Because they had less pain.
That's pretty darned significant to me! When you take a drug that makes most people all kinds of loopy and causes obvious impairment, then scientifically demonstrate that our pain is actually harder for the brain to deal with, it says volumes.
And it's not that depression, anxiety and sleep disorders don't cause cognitive problems. It's well established that they do. But this researcher, Stefan Duschek, PhD, says that in us, pain is the only thing that determines how significant fibro fog is. I really like this guy.
I hope the doctors who want to chalk up fibro fog (and other symptoms) to "just depression" will take note of what Duschek is saying: lower our pain, increase our cognitive function.
As to why our particular form of pain is so hard on the brain, Duschek told Medscape Medical News:
"Pain is an attention-demanding condition; one may suppose that *central nociceptive activity detracts from cognition by requiring enhanced neural processing resources."
It's like the brain is a computer and our unique pain is a program that takes an overwhelming amount of processing power, so everything else slows down and things start to glitch.
This is a massive affirmation of what fibromites have known for decades and what far too many doctors have continued to deny. To borrow a phrase, it's the pain, stupid.
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Tuesday February 7, 2012
We all know smoking is bad for us. But did you know smoking may exacerbate symptoms of fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?
We have a handful of recent studies showing smoking makes FMS symptoms more severe:
- One from the Mayo Clinic showed higher pain intensity, fewer good days, and more missed work;
- A Turkish study linked cigarettes to more severe FMS symptoms as well as more anxiety and depression;
- And Korean researchers found more tender points and depression.
An older Scandinavian study showed significantly more pain and numbness, more severe symptoms overall, and more functional problems in smokers with FMS. (However, this study did not show a difference in tender-point count.)
In ME/CFS, the effect of smoking hasn't been scientifically measured. In both conditions, though, the role of oxidative stress is getting more and more of researchers' attention and evidence is mounting that it plays a key role, and possibly a causative one. (For a look at the latest research and what oxidative stress is, see: Oxidative Stress in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.)
In a nutshell, oxidative stress is caused by an excess of free radicals, which damage your health. Smoking is known to introduce a huge amount of free radicals to your system (as is second-hand smoke.) It also depletes antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals. That means cigarette smoke puts you at high risk for oxidative stress. If oxidative stress is a partial cause of FMS and ME/CFS, it's not a stretch to say that smoking could be a major contributor to the development and severity of them.
So the bottom line is that you have more reason to stop smoking - or avoid second-hand smoke - than you thought. Does that make it any easier to quit? Hopefully it'll up your motivation, but even then, it's still an incredibly difficult thing to break that addiction. Here are resources that can help, from About.com's Smoking Cessation Guide Terry Martin:
For information on fighting oxidative stress, see: Antioxidants for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Do you smoke? Have you quit smoking? What impact did it have on your symptoms? How did you do it? Leave your comments below!
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Friday February 3, 2012
One theory of fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is that oxidative stress plays a key role and possibly a causative one as well. Evidence in support of this theory is growing - I recently reported on the latest study of oxidative stress in ME/CFS. (You can read that, along with an explanation of what oxidative stress is and how antioxidants help, here: Oxidative Stress in ME/CFS.)
You've probably heard a lot of hype about antioxidants and how they're essential for staving off myriad diseases. While some of the information in the popular media is over blown, there is solid evidence behind the benefits of antioxidants at countering oxidative stress, which can trigger illness - possibly including heart disease and cancer.
So how do you get more antioxidants? Food and supplements are the main ways.
Antioxidant-Rich Foods
According to a USDA study, several of the best common-place antioxidant-rich foods are beans and berries. My About.com colleague Cathy Wong, Guide to Alternative Medicine, has a list of the USDA's 20 top foods: Best Food Sources of Antioxidants.
Several of the foods profiled in my Food of the Week series contain antioxidants, including:
A lot of products in the grocery store are labeled as containing antioxidants, but the best sources are generally the natural ones - which are often less expensive and better for you over all.
Antioxidant Supplements
You have a lot of choices when it comes to antioxidant supplements, including:
Along with increasing antioxidant intake, you can combat oxidative stress by avoiding things that cause free radicals in your body. For more, see: Smoking, Oxidative Stress, FMS & ME/CFS.
Have your symptoms improved due to antioxidants? Which kind(s) did you use? What was the effect? Leave your comments below!
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