Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: CFS seems to involve interactions between the immune and central nervous systems, interactions about which scientists know relatively little. Scientists' concerted efforts to penetrate the complex nervous system and immune system events in CFS have created a challenging new concept of the pathology of this and other illnesses. ¹

Triggers list for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The list of triggers mentioned in source as possible causal factors for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome includes:

Cause details for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: While no one knows what causes CFS, for more than a century, doctors have reported seeing illnesses similar to it. In the l860s, Dr. George Beard named the syndrome neurasthenia because he thought it was a nervous disorder with weakness and fatigue. Since then, health experts have suggested other explanations for this baffling illness.

Iron-poor blood (anemia)
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Environmental allergy
A body wide yeast infection (candidiasis)

In the mid-1980s, the illness became labeled "chronic EBV" when laboratory clues led scientists to wonder whether the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) might be causing this group of symptoms. New evidence soon cast doubt on the theory that EBV could be the only thing causing CFS. High levels of EBV antibodies (disease-fighting proteins) have now been found in some healthy people as well as in some people with CFS. Likewise, some people who don’t have EBV antibodies, and who thus have never been infected with the virus, can show CFS symptoms.¹

Underlying condition causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The list of possible underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) mentioned in various sources as possible causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome includes:

Viral infection - CFS may arise as a delayed reaction to a virus.
Mononucleosis - CFS may arise after mononucleosis infection.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a complication: Other conditions that might have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a complication might be potential underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The list of conditions listing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a complication in our database includes:

Mononucleosis

Related information for causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Further relevant information on causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be found in the risk factors for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID

Last revision: May 26, 2003

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