The second most common question that people who live with fibromyalgia (or any chronic invisible disease for that matter) be asked next to What is fibromyalgia is what is a fibromyalgia enlargement?
If you know someone who lives with this disease, then you have probably heard of them at one time or another that they are experiencing a “surge”. Trying to articulate what you mean by “flare” is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, especially since “flares” look so different to each person.
Surprisingly, trying to explain an outbreak is as difficult as trying to understand an outbreak and that is why many of us who experience the disease avoid discussing our symptoms completely.
However, education, awareness and knowledge are important when we deal with any chronic illness – fibromyalgia or not – and it’s just explaining that we help all people understand the truly ubiquitous nature of chronic invisible disease and help everyone better understand what we live . everyday.
It is only by explaining that we help all people understand the truly omnipresent nature of chronic invisible disease and help everyone better understand what we are living day after day.
In short, “Talking about our illness is the only way to get the support, empathy and understanding we need from caregivers, health professionals, the family and the general public.
That said, the article below (taken from Arthritis.org) provides the easiest and most succinct explanation of the “flames” of fibromyalgia and I hope everyone reading it can understand a little better what we, who live with chronic illness, experience each one. and every day.
What is a Complimentary Fibromyalgia Outbreak Arthritis.org
While a person with fibromyalgia can experience certain symptoms regularly, when symptoms worsen or happen more frequently for a period of time, this is called flare.
“An outbreak is the worsening or exacerbation of the symptoms that already exist,” says Daniel Clauw, MD, professor of anesthesiology, rheumatology and psychiatry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Patients use different timing for what they consider to be an outbreak, but it’s usually several days or weeks of worsening of symptoms. Anything shorter is considered a normal hair removal and a decrease in symptoms that someone with fibromyalgia can expect. “
Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Generalized muscle pain
- Fatigue that makes it difficult to perform daily activities
- Stiffness, especially in the morning or after a long period of inactivity
- Cognitive difficulties, also known as fibro fog, including problems of memory, concentration and organization
- Emotional problems such as anxiety, sadness or depression
- Sleep problems such as taking too much time to fall or sleep, wake up frequently or wake up and still do not feel rested
Although these are common symptoms among people with fibromyalgia, everyone experiences different crises.
“People with fibromyalgia do not all experience flares in the same way,” says Dr. Clauw. “A good way to explain this is that every person with fibromyalgia has their Achilles heel – their ‘thing’ that really causes them problems. When fibromyalgia gets worse, this particular thing gets bad. “
The predominant symptoms of a person during an outbreak may change over time.
Triggers for fibromyalgia flares
One of the best ways to avoid an outbreak is to determine what might be causing it in the first place. These causes are called triggers. Like the symptoms, the triggers for fibromyalgia vary from person to person, but may include:
- Physical or psychological stress
- Temperature and climate change
- Hormonal changes
- Traveling and / or changes in the schedule
- Changes in treatment
- Diet
- Sleep bad
“We know that any type of stress – not just psychological, but also physical, immune or anything that disrupts the body’s normal routine – can trigger an outbreak,” says Clauw. “Anything from a car accident to surgery or another type of stressful life event can cause a worsening of the symptoms. Bursts can also be caused by behavioral triggers such as not sleeping well, abruptly interrupting exercise or exaggerating activity. “
Some flames are inevitable and certain triggers are beyond your control. You can try to identify what aggravates your fibromyalgia symptoms by keeping track of your activities, what you eat, how you sleep and how all these factors influence your symptoms. After registering these factors for several weeks, you may see a pattern. This will help you know how to better manage the inputs that can trigger a flare.
