Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome has straight forward diagnosis criteria that must be met for a diagnosis of chronic fatigue.

Are you curious if you have chronic fatigue syndrom?  Take this 5-minute online test for chronic fatigue syndrome by clicking the button below.

5-minute chronic fatigue syndrome test

In order to be diagnosed with CFS a patient must satisfy the following three criteria:

1. Severe chronic fatigue must have lasted at least six months with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnoses
2. The fatigue experienced significantly interferes with work and other day-to-day activities
3. The individual has 4 or more of the following 8 symptoms concurrently:
   • muscle pain
   • sore throat
   • unrefreshing sleep
   • tender lymph nodes
   • headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
   • post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours
   • substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration
   • multi-joint pain without swelling or redness

Additionally, the symptoms above must have persisted or recurred for six or more consecutive months and must not have predated the fatigue.