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Are There Many Cases of Fibromyalgia in
Children?
A few years ago the common belief was that fibromyalgia does
not affect children. However, this statement has been revised
after studies showed that one in every six people affected by
this debilitating disease is less than 18 years of age.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is an affliction that is characterized by acute
and overwhelming pain all over the body in general and in about
10 to 20 spots on the body in particular. The causes for this
ailment are not yet confirmed by medical science though
indications are pointing to acute stress and sleeping problems
to be some of the important triggers.
Fibromyalgia in children is more difficult to diagnose because
adults do not take the complaints of children very seriously.
Come to think of it, the children themselves do not take pain
as a serious symptom unless it crosses the endurance threshold.
When it does so and the child is desperate about the pain, the
problem is referred to the doctor.
Fibromyalgia in children occurs roughly when the child reaches
puberty, when he is around13 to15 years old. This is a
difficult time which brings along many changes in the bodies
and minds of the children for which fibromyalgia in children is
so difficult to diagnose in initial stages. All the symptoms of
the disease, i.e. muscular pain, lack of sleep, lack of
concentration, etc are attributed to the difficult age they are
passing through and hence ignored.
Quantification of Pain in Fibromyalgia in Children
When you say any part of the body is hurting, as an adult you
are able to correctly quantify the pain and know exactly
whether such pain is expected as an outcome from the activities
you have performed in the recent past or not. In case it is not
and you are not suffering from flu or something similar, you
would sit up and wonder where this pain could be originating
from.
However, it is not so clear with fibromyalgia in children.
Children, even when they are older at 15 or16 are unable to
correctly quantify the pain they feel because they are
constantly underplaying their discomfort as well as physical
and mental pain. This is part of growing up. This is why though
fibromyalgia is very common in children it took so long to
uncover.
Time for Some Good News
You need to be careful the next time your daughter or son
complains about body and muscle ache. Watch them closely and
check whether their sleeping patterns changed and whether they
are finding difficult to compute data mentally. These are sure
fire symptoms that point to fibromyalgia. The good news here is
that this ailment in children can be fully reversed unlike that
which plagues adults. Early diagnosis and treatment would be
able to completely cure fibromyalgia in children.
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