My paIn Was so se I couldn’t hold a
As BBC broadcaster Kirsty Young battles fibromyalgia, novelist and mum-of-two CLAIRE ALLAN, 42, tells how she developed the debilitating condition in 2016, just before her 40th birthday
BREAK: Radio 4’s Kirsty Young
What is Fibromyalgia aND hoW is it trEatED? thE ExpErt’s viEW
PEOPLE with fibromyalgia have pain and tenderness all over their body. Other symptoms can include extreme tiredness and disturbed sleep and many say they can’t think clearly or remember things properly. It can affect anyone, including children, but is seven times more common in women, especially those aged between 30-50. The cause isn’t known but experts believe there may be abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system (including the brain, spinal cord and nerves) processes pain messages.
In many sufferers the condition appears to be triggered by a physical or emotionally stressful event such as a bereavement, injury or illness. In some women, giving birth seems to be a trigger. There may also be a genetic link, with some people inheriting genes that make them more likely to develop the condition.
It’s usually diagnosed when other possible causes of pain, such as arthritis or some neurological disorders, have been ruled out, and when pain occurs in at least six different areas of the body and symptoms have been present for at least three months.
There is currently no cure and treatment aims to ease symptoms and improve quality of life.