- It is a rheumatic disease that manifests itself with generalized pain, a burning sensation in the skin, chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping and concentration problems.
- One of the difficulties in diagnosing it is that it cannot be detected through laboratory or radiological studies.
- Fibromyalgia patients should be seen by a rheumatology specialist.
The list of diseases and conditions is endless and new ones are identified periodically. But while some are known by most, there are also others that are rarely talked about. In this second category is the fibromyalgia in Mexico because to date most are unaware of what it consists of and its main warning signs.
General view
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that two percent of the population and four percent of patients hospitalized for various reasons suffer from fibromyalgia. It is a rheumatic disease that manifests itself with generalized pain, a burning sensation in the skin, chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping and concentration problems.
With the above in mind, every May 12 marks the World Fibromyalgia Day. In this regard, the specialist assigned to the Subdirectorate of General External Consultation of the National Institute of Psychiatry “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Danelia Mendieta Cabrera, pointed out that between 80 and 90 percent of the cases occur in women between 30 and 50 years old. .
He added that this disease is more disabling than the rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and depression. Everything is due to the physical affectation and the social and family environment of those who suffer from it by not being able to work or carry out daily activities because of the pain.
“Patients say that the discomfort tends to travel, that it does not stay in one place, unlike arthritis, where there is pain in the joints, because they are inflamed and deformed.”
A disease that has no cure
The fibromyalgia It’s not deadly, but it’s not curable either. The discomfort it causes is due to alterations in nerve fibers at the level of calcium channels in neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and serotonin, which are associated with depression. Therefore, it is certain that there are psychiatric alterations.
Patients with fibromyalgia should be seen by a specialist Rheumatology. They also require mental health care because between 60 and 70 percent suffer from depression and anxiety and these are factors that increase pain.
The hospital that trains doctors on fibromyalgia in Mexico
The INPRF offers psychoeducation services in 16 sessions on relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene, nutrition, adherence to pharmacological treatment, which can be indefinite, and other measures to cope with the disease.
To mitigate the pain caused by this condition, the person needs comprehensive treatment that consists of physical therapy, moderate exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, methods to reduce and relieve stress. Also medications, which can be antidepressants, muscle relaxants and pain relievers. Likewise, it is essential to restrict the consumption of red meat, sugars, flour and foods with preservatives.
One of the difficulties in diagnosing it is that it cannot be detected through laboratory studies or radiology. Therefore, there is also no way to prevent it.
From 2005 to date, the “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz” National Institute of Psychiatry has treated more than a thousand patients with fibromyalgia. Since 2014, he has taught face-to-face and virtual courses for health professionals, with the aim of expanding their knowledge of symptoms and providing tools to help patients manage anxiety and depression.
World Fibromyalgia Day was established in 1993 to commemorate the birth of British nurse Florence Nightingale, who was bedridden by this disease.