Lower than Average Brain Oxygen Levels – While most individuals experience increased brain oxygen during and after exercising, CFS may, in fact, experience oxygen decreases. Instead of feeling that “runner’s high,” the person with CFS will just feel exhausted as heck even after mild exertion.
Altered Blood Flow to Muscles – Exercise should increase blood flow, but some tests suggest that CFS have sluggish blood push when exercising. Again, this leaves a patient feeling totally wiped out rather than refreshed after taking a walk or vacuuming the house.
Poor Recovery Times – While most people feel back to normal within a few hours after high levels of exertion, those with CFS may need a day or two or even more to bounce back from even mild physical activities. A trip to the grocery store may mean almost total bed rest the next day. A vacation can set the CFS patient back for a week or more.
Sensitivities – Though many people are sensitive to or bothered to chemicals, fumes, and drugs, CFS tend to have more extreme reactions. Temperatures variations also tend to worsen CFS fatigue and other symptoms.
Reactions to Certain Foods – Many CFS patients react negatively to the consumption of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners (especially Nutrasweet) and tobacco as well as diary and wheat products.
Unusual MRI Results – Some CFS patients test for swelling in the brain or nerve cell destruction though this is not true for the majority of sufferers.
Abnormal Blood Test Results – High levels of CD4 T white blood cells or active forms of EBV or HHV-6 may also be detected in suffers of CFS.
It’s important to note that none of the patterns noted by researchers have been proven to indicate CFS. While some suffers may reflect some of these problems, others do not. These are just some problems that may be experienced by those individuals stricken with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.