The term chronic fatigue syndrome refers to a collection of illhealth symptoms (not just one or two), the most identifiable of which are fatigue and flu-like aches and pains. An official definition of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was first published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1994. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have since published official symptoms of CFS, too. Although many physicians feel the following list of symptoms is limiting and requires some expansion for accuracy, as of this writing, the official defining symptoms of CFS have two parts:

First, there is an unexplained fatigue that is “new.” In other words, you’ve previously felt fine and have only noticed in the last six months or so that you’re always fatigued, no matter how much rest you get. The fatigue is also debilitating for you; you’re not as productive at work, and it interferes with normal activities that may be social, personal, or academic. You’ve also noticed poor memory or concentration, which affects your activities and performance, too.

In addition to this fatigue, a person with CFS has had four or more of the following conditions for a period of at least six months:

• Sore throat

• Mild or low-grade fever

• Tenderness in the neck and underarm area (where you have lymph nodes, which may be swollen, causing tenderness)

• Muscle pain (called myalgia)

• Pain along the nerve of a joint, without redness or Swelling

• A new kind of headache, one you’ve never suffered from before

• Sleep that leaves you unrefreshed (a sign of insufficient amounts of non-REM sleep)

• Fatigue, weakness, and general unwellness for a good twenty-four hours after you’ve had even moderate exercise

If none of the above symptoms is responsible for your condition, you may be suffering from CFS. You also could be diagnosed with a frustrating label: idiopathic fatigue, which means that your fatigue is of unknown origin. This is not very helpful, and if your symptoms persist, you should find out why you don’t meet CFS criteria.