Introduction
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition in which the patient’s CNS processes pain signals abnormally leading to heightened pain response. The condition also presents several other symptoms and no clear causes are found yet. Did you know that fibromyalgia is associated with Covid-19 disease? Let us explore the condition and its connection with Covid-19 in this article.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
- Chronic pain, muscle ache, headache
- A localized pain in the shoulder, neck, or lower back
- Fatigue and limb weakness
- Tingling in the extremities, muscle tremors, and restless legs syndrome
- Chest pain and abdominal pain
- Nausea and problems in urinating
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Dizziness
- Memory problems
- Skin disorders.
What are the Causes of Fibromyalgia?
No specific cause of fibromyalgia is decoded yet, however, research suggests that the central nervous system sensitizes pain mechanisms and associated nerve cells. Psychological stress and illness can interfere with inflammatory pathways and opioid, neurotrophic, and neurotransmitter factors. These changes also affect an individual’s mood and pain response. Fibromyalgia and major depressive disorder are closely linked.
Some other triggers that are associated with fibromyalgia are:
Genetic – Polymorphism in the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and catecholaminergic gene system.
Psychological Factors – The condition is linked with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and stress.
Lifestyle – Poor lifestyle choices like eating unhealthy food, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and inadequate sleep.
Disease-Related Fibromyalgia – This condition can also be a secondary outcome of a primary disease or condition like systemic lupus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, and Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).
Risk Factors – Some risk factors include premature birth, female sex, infectious illnesses, iron deficiency, small-fiber polyneuropathy.
Diagnosis
Again, no single or particular test exists to correctly diagnose this. Instead, various tests and criteria are used to rule out other medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, hyperthyroidism, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis C, etc.
Some of the multidimensional assessments that are globally prescribed and accepted are:
- Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire
- Widespread Pain Index
- Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
- Multiple Ability Self-Report Questionnaire
- Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory
- Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale.
Treatment and Management
Medications
Antidepressants: SNRIs like duloxetine and milnacipran, TCAs like amitriptyline, MAOIs like pirlindole, and moclobemide.
Anticonvulsants: Gabapentin and pregabalin.
Other medications: Dopamine agonists, 5HT3 antagonists, muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine and carisoprodol.
Management
Healthcare experts suggest various therapies to manage fibromyalgia symptoms. Scientific studies recommend aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises to reduce pain.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help patients with stress and psychological related factors. CBT, when combined with mind-body interventions like yoga, helps patients manage pain and depression symptoms.
How is Fibromyalgia Related to Covid-19?
The patients have frequently prescribed steroid medications, NSAIDs, and DMARDs which can suppress the immune system and increase their chances of getting infected with Covid-19. It is to be noted that having fibromyalgia doesn’t increase the chances of Covid-19.
Covid-19 and fibromyalgia have similar symptoms like muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, and chest pain. Fibromyalgia patients should look for characteristic Covid-19 symptoms like loss of taste, fever, cough, and cold to differentiate between the two conditions.
Fibromyalgia patients are advised to regularly wash their hands, wear a mask outdoors, exercise regularly, adopt a healthy diet & lifestyle, and practice relaxation techniques like yoga to better manage stress.
We hope that this article helps you, Thank you for reading!