Sometimes a person can live with a disease and not be aware of the fact until someone points it out or until they consult a doctor on the matter. Not everyone has the same amount of medical knowledge and this is not a rare thing to happen.

Especially if it is a chronic disease like fibromyalgia and the pain and discomfort last over months and months so you have trouble even describing the pain to others.

And when you live with something on a daily basis you can forget that it is not a normal thing, and you can get used to it without noticing too much.

So in case you have not been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but you think that you may have it, here are the symptoms of it so that you can see for yourself before you go to your doctor.

Most common symptoms of fibromyalgia:

• Trouble sleeping
• Strong headaches
• Numbness it the limbs
• Cognitive and language problems
• Sensitivity to loud sounds
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Chronic muscle pain
• Decreased energy and fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trouble doing exercises

So these are some of the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia in patients, and let’s look at them individually for better understanding of this illness.

Insomnia and trouble sleeping – this is not a problem just in the sense that you have trouble falling asleep, it’s that no matter how much sleep you get you still feel tired and exhausted.

This is probably due to the fact that patients who suffer from fibromyalgia have dysfunctional deep-sleep non-REM cycles and that is the reason that they feel tired even though they slept for hours and hours.

Not all phases of sleeping are the same and each has a different function. During the deep-sleep phase of the sleeping cycle the body regrows tissue and builds bone and muscle and the immune system gets strengthened.

And if this particular phase of sleeping is not happening correctly you can imagine what the consequences to one’s energy level would be.

So people who suffer from fibromyalgia have the problem of feeling fatigued during the whole day, so sometimes they feel tired in the morning, tired in the afternoon.

Sometimes they take naps during the day so that they can get through the day successfully. If you are constantly feeling exhausted and you don’t know why this is happening, it may be due to fibromyalgia.

Strong headaches and migraines – Many patients who suffer from fibromyalgia have chronic headaches and migraines.

Doctor are not yet sure why this is the case, as the cause of fibromyalgia is yet to be found. These kinds of headaches can even cause dizziness and jaw tension.

But these are not your common headaches that go away after half an hour, these are chronic and last much longer.

Migraine headaches are caused by contraction in the blood vessels and they are more severe than regular ones.

Many patients who suffer from fibromyalgia say that they got much better after they had treatment for the migraines.

Chronic muscle pain – this is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia that are the easiest to recognise. It is a deep muscular aching that can happen anywhere in the body.

People describe this particular symptom in different ways; some say it feels like burning within the muscles, some say it’s throbbing, some say it’s like stabbing.

But one thing is common – the pain is constant and it is in the muscles. In some people the muscle groups that they use more are the ones that hurt more.

Mostly this means pain in the area of the head, the neck, the shoulders are the lower back. There are certain tender point on the body and if they are being pressed pain shuts up all over.

Cognitive problems – this is also one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia and it is the one that can make your daily life really difficult at certain points.

Some patients describe this particular symptom as “brain fog” or fibro fog”. They have difficulty to concentrate and to remember new information. Also, some patients have trouble remembering certain words or names. They say it’s like all of a sudden they simply cannot remember.

This may be due to stress and it varies from time to time from severe to mild. People can get easily distracted or have trouble with their short-memory and it get difficult for them to even go through a simple conversation sometimes.

Depression – People who suffer from this illness often find themselves that they would rather withdraw from social situations and spend time alone.

They feel that since they cannot participate in all the activities that they used to that they may be letting friends and family down. And let us not forget that humans are social beings and they need other people to stay healthy and happy.

Irritable bowel syndrome – patients have abdominal pain that is relieved by bowel movement, meaning regular diarrhea or constipation. This can also be due to medication, but be sure to check with your doctor to be sure.

Sensitivity to loud sounds and any other environmental stimulation, like bright light, smells and so forth. It makes patients very anxious and agitated and sometimes there is no other way out of this than to go to a dark, quiet room for a couple of hours. Any loud noise can be distracting and people find it hard to concentrate on even simple tasks throughout the day.

So now, that you can see an overview of some of the most common symptoms of this disease and you have a better picture you can check with yourself if you have it or not.

Contact your doctor if you have some of the symptoms mentioned above and give yourself a chance to get well and healthier.