Over het boek:
Health, energy and vitality are the holy grails of the twenty first century. We hear endlessly about how best to maximise health and wellbeing, but what if those things are elusive for some because they have an illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or, as it is also known, ME.
More than 20,000 New Zealanders are afflicted with CFS/ME and potentially many more go undiagnosed; either through ignorance or prejudice. Seemingly a relatively new illness, CFS/ME has actually been around since ancient times and was first recognised by a Babylonian philosopher as early as the eighteenth century BC. However, until quite recently CFS/ME had no fixed label, so it is hardly surprising that the illness was mired in misunderstanding and perceived as a ‘cop out’ illness.
However, thanks to research and better diagnostics, we now know that CFS/ME is usually triggered by infection, that the average age of onset is 18 to 35 and that 85 percent of sufferers experienced physical or emotional stress prior to diagnosis. CFS/ME is a complex disease with many symptoms, the main ones being severe fatigue, muscle pain, brain fog and inability to exercise. Those who contract it are frequently busy, active, high-achievers; many top sportspeople have succumbed to the illness.
Dr Rosamund Vallings has been working with patients suffering with CFS/ME for more than 40 years, having first encountered it in the UK when she was a junior doctor. She has since made it her life’s work and is not only a pioneer in the field but an internationally recognised expert. Her book is a distillation of her vast experience as a doctor diagnosing and treating the condition and is the only up-to-the-minute, comprehensive overview of the diagnosis, treatment and management of CFS/ME. Significantly, it also includes the latest diagnostic guidelines for CFS/ME, which have just been published (June 2012).
Vallings’ book is an invaluable resource for CFS/ME patients, their family, friends and colleagues, and health professionals. Vallings takes the reader on a journey from diagnosis to the impact of CFS/ME on the body, and how best to manage and live with the illness, including: stress and pain management, taking exercise, optimising sleep and nutrition, medication and alternative therapies, and coping with depression. Her wisdom and experience offer comfort and hope, and her insights make a significant contribution to the on-going conversation around CFS/ME.
Dr Rosamund Vallings is a leading specialist in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS/ME and has been helping those with this condition for more than 40 years. In 2008, she was awarded Membership of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She lives in Clevedon with her husband.
Inhoudsopgave
Foreword by Professor Warren P. Tate, FRSNZ, CNZM
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Part One
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME?
1 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME: What’s in a Name?
2 Symptoms, Diagnosis and Initial Management 26
Part Two
The Body and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
3 The Immune System
4 The Blood
5 The Musculoskeletal System
6 The Brain
7 The Eye
8 The Endocrine System
9 The Circulatory System
10 The Respiratory System
11 The Ear, Nose and Throat
12 The Mouth and Teeth
13 The Gastrointestinal Tract
14 The Liver
15 The Kidneys and Urinary Tract
16 The Skin, Hair and Nails
17 The Reproductive System
Part Three
Managing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
18 Stress Management
19 Exercise
20 Nutrition
21 Pain
22 Headaches
23 Sleep
24 Depression
25 Medication
26 Alternative Therapies
27 Managing Relapses
Part Four
Stages of Life and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
28 Young People with CFS/ME
29 CFS/ME and Starting a Family
30 Ageing with CFS/ME
Part Five
Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
31 When No One Believes You Are Ill
32 The Doctor–Patient Relationship
33 Surgery and CFS/ME
34 Friends and Family
35 Your Surroundings and the Environment
36 Employment and Work
37 Money Matters
38 Holidays and Travel
39 Dealing with Special Occasions
40 Getting the Balance Right
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1
International Consensus Criteria
Appendix 2
CFS/ME Contacts around the World
Suggested Reading
Index
Bestellen via email: of schriftelijk: Calico Publishing Ltd, PO Box 29039, Greenwoods Corner, Auckland 1347, New Zealand.
