If you are unable to work because of Chronic Fatigue you may be able to make a TPD claim for a lump sum from the Total & Permanent Disablement insurance contained within your superannuation fund. There is no necessity for you to have been involved in an accident or to have suffered a work-related injury to make a TPD claim. If you suffer from total and permanent disability, you may be able to make a TPD claim in addition to receiving your super early as a result of your condition. Our TPD claim solicitors can advise you in detail as to the requirements of a successful submission, they will prepare all relevant paperwork and will obtain full supporting documentation. Our TPD lawyers will give you advice on the likely success of your claim to a super fund, without further obligation. It costs nothing to use our advice service.

Our TPD claim solicitors use a risk free no win no fee arrangement.

We have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Darwin.

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic fatigue Syndrome is a disorder which is very debilitating to a person. There is no explanation to this syndrome and there is no underlying medical condition to explain why these people have long lasting and severe fatigue. It is characterized by extreme tiredness which doesn’t go away with adequate rest. Fatigue can get worsen with physical or even mental activity. But resting afterwards does not resolve the tiredness.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is also known as SEID (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) or ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).

Chronic Fatigue syndrome may be triggered by many factors; however the exact cause is unknown. There are many theories by experts trying to explain the causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, out of which probable causes are viral infections, psychological stress etc. No underlying medical condition can explain this syndrome.

There is no single investigation to diagnose Chronic Fatigue syndrome. Several investigations are carried out to exclude other medical conditions which give out similar symptoms. So diagnosis is confirmed by ruling out. As there is no cure, treatment is mainly aimed at symptom relief.

 

What are the potential triggers for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Although there is no proper cause identified, experts believe that certain things can act as potential triggers to develop symptoms. They are;

• Viral infections – possible viruses are Epstein Bar virus (EBV), Human Herpes Virus 6, Mouse Leukemia Virus infections can trigger symptoms, although it is not proven yet. However all people who get infected by these viruses do not develop Chronic Fatigue.
• Hypersensitivity to exercise and physical activity – people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome develop symptoms even with minimal amount of physical activity.
• Immune system dysfunctions – Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may have impairment of their immune system, although this link is still unclear.
• Imbalance of hormones – It is found that patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may have abnormal blood levels of certain hormones produced by their pituitary glands, adrenal glands or hypothalamus. The link and significance of these changes are not proven yet.

Some factors are considered as a risk for developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

• Age – Chronic fatigue Syndrome affects people in their 40 – 50 year age group, although it can start at any age.
• Sex – Women are commonly more affected than men. The reason is unclear, although women might be complaining more about their symptoms to their doctors than men
• Stress – People who are poor in their stress management skills may be more affected than others who manage their stress well.

What are the symptoms and signs of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic Fatigue syndrome has several signs and symptoms such as,

• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle and joint pains which is unexplained
• Poor sleep/ sleep disturbances – they do not wake up fresh after sleep
• Severe exhaustion which lasts more than a day after exercise (physical activity or even mental exercise like solving puzzles)
• Headache
• Loss of memory and concentration, poor attention span
• Sore throat
• Sometimes lymph nodes can enlarge in the neck and axilla (arm pits)

What can be the possible complications of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

When you have extreme fatigue which is long lasting, it may be quite distressing and debilitating.

• Depression and anxiety disorders can occur leading to mood changes, feeling of sadness, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances etc.
• Problems with continuing your job, repeated work absences due to fatigue
• Social isolation and relationship problems can arise
• Life style changes – When you are in extreme tiredness you may not be able to do what you did before like going on vacations, mountain climbing, skiing etc.

 

When should you seek help from your doctor?

• If the fatigue you feel is difficult to tolerate and it worries you
• If the symptoms are extreme and it affects your day to day activities
• If your fatigue is chronic and long lasting

 

How do you diagnose Chronic fatigue Syndrome?

Diagnosis is made by ruling out conditions which gives similar symptoms. There is no single test to confirm it.

1. Patients with depression and other psychiatric disorders can get similar symptoms
2. Patients with Hypothyroidism (low thyroxin levels in the blood) can have chronic fatigue
3. Fibromyalgia – these patients experience chronic pain and exhaustion which is long lasting
4. Lyme disease – this is an infection by a bacteria which occurs after a certain tick bite, can give rise to similar symptoms
5. Sometimes patients will have post infectious fatigue such as after an infection with Chicken gunya virus, pain and fatigue can last for about a year.
6. Heart, lung, kidney and liver impairments – If you have organ disorders in your body you will feel fatigue
7. Chronic illnesses like immunity disorders, uncontrolled diabetes can also give rise to chronic fatigue

Doing certain laboratory tests to exclude these conditions can help to make a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. However there can be a delay of starting treatment because investigations may take some time to complete.

How do you manage patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Unfortunately Chronic fatigue Syndrome cannot be cured. Treatment should focus on relieving symptoms.

• Use of medications –

Pain relief can be achieved with variety of pain medications such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil), Tramadol depending on the severity of your pain.

Treatment of depression with anti-depressants relieves pain as well as fatigue and improves sleep. As patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are usually depressed, starting a low dose anti-depressant early can control symptoms better.

 

• Gentle exercises / Graded physical activity –

Getting help from a physiotherapist helps to assess what level of exercises are ideal for you. You should gradually do stretching exercises and work on improving your range of motion. First start with few minutes per day and gradually increase the duration of exercise. With the help of your physiotherapist you can also increase the intensity of exercise with time. This can gradually reduce your hypersensitivity to exercise.

 

• Cognitive behavior therapy –

Understand your limitations, concentrate on what you can do and gradually improve on other activities. Take control of your self will improve your self-esteem.

 

• Counseling –

Regular counseling sessions and emotional support will help you cope with symptoms better.

 

• Joining support groups –

When you meet up with people who face similar challenges, knowing their stories and how they cope will help you to cope better. However if talking about your problems with others worsens your stress, this option is not for you.

 

• Eat a balanced healthy and a nutritional diet

 

• Discuss your concerns with your doctor and get help

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