Bacterial Infection And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a long-term illness with various symptoms, the most common of which is extreme tiredness. Some researchers believe that a cause of CFS might be a bacterial infection.
Bacteria are microorganisms that can be harmless, beneficial or harmful to humans. Some types of bacteria can cause infections when they get into the body. Once inside, they can multiply and interfere with the body’s normal functions.
The human immune system is designed to fight off such infections, but sometimes the bacteria can beat the immune system’s responses, causing an infection. In the case of CFS, it is thought that an initial bacterial infection may trigger an immune response that doesn’t switch off, even after the bacteria are destroyed. The immune system keeps reacting as if it’s fighting off an infection, which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue.
Furthermore, some bacteria have the ability to change their form or go dormant to evade the immune system. In this case, the immune system may not be able to completely remove the bacteria. When the bacteria reawaken, the immune system has to spring back into action, which may lead to a chronic, or long-term, cycle of inflammation and fatigue.