Considered to be one of the most common chronic pain conditions in the world, fibromyalgia affects between 2% and 5% of the global population and approximately 3% of South Africans. Fibromyalgia is characterized by extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, whole body pain and other symptoms. Though the causes of fibromyalgia are still a mystery, research has identified several risk factors that typically cooccur with the condition.
Some people are more prone to developing fibromyalgia than others. Those individuals typically have one or more of the following risk factors.
Though fibromyalgia affects both men and women, it does not affect both genders equally. Per the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in America, fibromyalgia is eight to nine times more likely affect women than it is men. Scientists suspect this is in large part because of how women experience pain and in large part because of the presence of the hormone oestrogen, which makes individuals more sensitive to pain. In fact, women who live with fibromyalgia often experience fluctuations in pain levels, which ebb and flow with the levels of oestrogen in their bodies.
Research also indicates that menopause, which triggers a reduction in the hormone oestrogen, also increases a woman’s risk for fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia tends to run in families. If a loved one of close descent has the condition, you are more likely to develop than, say, a friend who has no known family history. Additionally, genes that make you feel anxious or depressed are also often passed on. Such genes also make you more sensitive to pain.
Fibromyalgia typically sets in in early adulthood. Most people who are diagnosed are between the ages of 20 and 50, though it can develop at any age.
The onset of fibromyalgia can be triggered by a traumatic physical or emotional event, such as a car accident or prolonged psychological distress. For instance, many people with PTSD also live with fibromyalgia.
Though researchers have identified a connection between sleep disorders and fibromyalgia, they are still unsure of which comes first. However, they do know that rates of fibromyalgia are higher in people with sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome, than those without.
Fibromyalgia, depression and other emotional disorders often go hand-in-hand. This is likely because mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, stem from the same chemical imbalances associated with fibromyalgia. Moreover, the stress of living with chronic pain can worsen depression and vice versa — depression can worsen pain.
If you live with other rheumatic disorders that affect the muscles, bones or joints, you may have an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia. Some such disorders include the following:
Though fibromyalgia can affect just about any person of any gender or age, it is most common among women between the ages of 20 and 50 and who have a genetic predisposition for it. Persons who live with depression, other rheumatic disorders and sleep disturbances also have an increased risk for developing the condition.