Understanding fibromyalgia

Rheumatic disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, you might have a higher risk of developing fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia often causes widespread pain and fatigue, and it can cause certain parts of the body to be painful to touch — like they’ve been overworked or pulled. The disorder also can affect your sleeping habits, usually limiting the amount of restful sleep you can achieve, and cause depression. Other symptoms, according to WebMD, include:

– Abdominal pain
– Chronic headaches
– Dryness in your mouth, nose and eyes
– Hypersensitivity to cold and/or heat
– Inability to concentrate
– Incontinence
– Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
– Numbness or tingling in your fingers and feet
– Stiffness

To determine if you have fibromyalgia, your doctor must eliminate other possible causes for your symptoms, such as giving you blood tests to discount other conditions that cause pain and fatigue.

These can be anything from over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen to prescription pain-relief products. Pain relievers are used to lessen discomfort and help you sleep better through the night.

These kinds of drugs have actually proven helpful in reducing the pain of those suffering from fibromyalgia.