Living with fibromyalgia can be challenging since it tends to affect our functionality in daily life. However, it doesn’t mean that any condition that is debilitating will have a poor prognosis and result in a short life span.
So, we can easily say that fibromyalgia doesn’t shorten life expectancy. However, you need to adapt to changes so that it doesn’t influence your life negatively.
Fibromyalgia – A Syndrome
The symptoms of fibromyalgia vary from one individual to another, and besides fatigue symptoms and pain, there is a profound inability to have a good night’s sleep, with the patient waking up stiff and tired.
They might also feel they lag more in a few cognitive functions than their healthy counterparts. For example, they might be feeling dizzy and clumsy, and they may need a lack of concentration.
Patients might be sensitive to the different changes in the weather, noise, and even bright light. Some symptoms may come with a different course of intensity and may come or go with time.
Patients with fibromyalgia might be feeling different periods of flare-ups followed by different periods in which the symptoms are minimal. However, it is not likely that these symptoms will go away altogether forever. However, it is safe to conclude that the condition is not at all threatening to life and doesn’t result in a shortening of life span. With adequate management, one can live a quite stable life with a better prognosis.
How to Improve Prognosis?
To improve the life quality of a patient with fibromyalgia, there are certain points that must be considered:
Patient with fibromyalgia needs to be helped in order to realize that they need to bring changes in their lifestyle and adapt to the condition in a way that benefits them. Having impractical expectations of living a life like before getting fibromyalgia would only result in stress.
The patient needs to be well-educated about their condition so they know what those things would help them in protecting against the symptoms and what are the things they need to avoid are. For example, the patient will need to stay away from over-stressful work and over-stimulating environments.
The patient also needs to consider that the muscular system is the one that gets the most affected in this condition. So, programs such as aerobics, exercises, and stretching play an important role in minimizing symptoms related to muscular health, including stiffness and muscle pain.
The patient also needs to consider that fibromyalgia tends to bring some permanent changes in the relationship. By realizing this, the person is better able to cope with this reality, and they protect themselves from getting anxiety or depression as a result. It is important to recognize that the friends and the family of a patient understand well the specific requirements and the limitations of someone having fibromyalgia.
What Will Be the Diagnostic Approach?
Unfortunately, there are no set criteria that help a healthcare professional easily mark the presence of the condition in a patient with a possible answer. On the other hand, there are always some signs that are reportedly pretty common in patients with fibromyalgia. Realizing this commonality, the doctors have defined set criteria for evaluating the condition and coming up with a possible diagnosis.
Some of the possible symptoms include stiffness in the muscles having pain in different parts of the body.
Moreover, some patients complain of having tender points in their bodies. Pressure on such points results in the onset of pain in the patients. However, it is no more a relevant point of diagnosis, and other factors are now being considered in more depth.
Final Word
Although it is quite challenging to live with the condition, hope is still there as the diagnosis calls for a good change in lifestyle. With adequate knowledge about the condition and support, a patient having fibromyalgia is able to live a happy life with no fear of shortened life span.
Since this condition doesn’t negatively impact any important organ in the body, a person having this condition shouldn’t have to worry about any life expectancy problem. Just adapt to healthy changes in life, and you will be able to live a normal and healthy life. Visit healthyline outlet for more info.
