Symptoms of severe fibromyalgia

According to the EPISER study of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology, it is estimated that 2.4% of the Spanish population suffers from fibromyalgia. Of this percentage, between 20-30% have severe pain which severely affects his life.

If we go to its definition, we can say that Fibromyalgia is a medical condition characterized by musculoskeletal pain generalized that appears or intensifies when pressing specific points of the patient’s morphology.

Although it affects both sexes, it predominates in women. Approximately, for every man there are 9 women with the disease, and it usually appears between 30 and 35 years of age. In addition to sex, other risk factors are: family history of chronic pain, suffering or having suffered from rheumatic diseases, trauma or infectious diseases. Along with these symptoms, having been exposed to high psychosocial stress is another risk factor.

What do people with fibromyalgia feel?

As its name indicates (fibro-, fibers; –mine-, muscles; –algia, pain), the main symptom is pain. Often, patients with this condition express that “everything hurts,” and it produces an unpleasant and generalized sensation throughout the body.

This pain, furthermore, appears progressively and is usually stable in the areas in which it appears: elbows, hands, knees, neck, hips, to name a few.

Apparently, the intensity of the pain varies with climatic changes and oscillates over time, being more intense in the morning and evening. However, according to the National Library of Medicine, In addition to pain, other symptoms of fibromyalgia are as follows::

Fatigue. 80-90% say that they feel very tired, requiring a lot of physical or mental effort to carry out any activity.Body stiffness. Especially when getting up in the morning, 77% also say they feel general stiffness in their body.Sleep disorders. 70-80% also report sleep disturbances which, according to some studies, are related to fatigue and predict pain the next day.Paresthesia. 63% of people who suffer from fibromyalgia report tingling sensations, especially in the hands.Psychological alterations. Around 25% present anxious or depressive symptoms, mostly due to the pain they suffer.Fibrofog or cognitive alterations. Many patients also experience a decrease in mental clarity and concentration, memory, and verbal expression.

Types of fibromyalgia

Since It was recognized in 1992 as a disease According to the World Health Organization, there have been several attempts to classify the different types of fibromyalgia. many of them have been based mainly on psychopathological differences among patients.

Recently, a study has been carried out that has allowed them to be classified taking into account the diseases that cause fibromyalgia, based on all previous literature on the matter.

According to this classification, there are four types:

Idiopathic (type I). This group presents a high level of pain, but a normal psychopathological and cognitive profile. Furthermore, there is no other disease related to the symptoms nor does it significantly affect the life of those who suffer from it.Moderate or associated with a chronic disease (type II). ANDIn this case, it is related to a systemic disease or regional pain syndrome. Although it has some limitations, with appropriate treatment and leading a healthy life, quality of life is not affected.Severe and secondary to a psychiatric illness (type III). Is he more serious typeand the appearance of fibromyalgia is associated with a previous psychiatric pathology.Simulated. The person believes that they have fibromyalgia, consciously or unconsciously, and may even develop it.

Severe fibromyalgia

As already indicated, severe fibromyalgia is that which appears related to a previous psychiatric illness. It is the most serious type, since it can prevent carry out your personal or work life normally. In fact, in serious cases it is possible to obtain Absolute Permanent Disability (IPA).

Apart from the general symptoms, Among the symptoms of severe fibromyalgia is a great psychological imbalance. Patients show alterations in the psychosocial domain (high values ​​of depression and anxiety) and dissociation in cognitive-behavioral aspects (high degree of catastrophizing and low self-control of pain).

In this case, it is recommended that the approach to severe fibromyalgia be mainly through Mental Health units.

Characteristics and symptoms of severe fibromyalgia

Common psychological characteristics include: scarce resources to face stress, demanding profile in the face of difficulties, reserved personality, inhibition of anger, rumination, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, among others.

On the other hand, They tend to show more avoidant personality traits, dependent, obsessive, paranoid, and borderline than the general population. However, contrary to popular opinion, they present fewer histrionic and narcissistic traits.

However, the different types of fibromyalgia are a way of conceptualizing the disease. Generally, They will show symptoms that correspond to different types. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a good differential diagnosis in order to choose the best treatment.

You might be interested…