Benefit + Awareness Month

What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis?
And what’s the connection to Long Covid?

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (known as ME or ME/CFS)* is a chronic multisystem disease characterized by debilitating exhaustion unrelieved by sleep, and symptoms that worsen after even minor physical or mental activity (known as post-exertional malaise or PEM). First classified as a neurological disease by the WHO, ME affects many body systems, and can cause everything from chronic pain and muscle weakness to cardiac issues, immune problems and cognitive dysfunction.

“Mild” ME typically reduces function by at least 50%, while moderate to severe cases can resemble living with heart failure or end-stage cancer for decades. It has the lowest quality-of-life score of all common diseases, and prior to the pandemic, affected over half a million Canadians and an estimated 17-24 million people worldwide. Despite this, ME is seldom taught in medical schools, and an estimated 90% of patients aren’t even diagnosed. There are no FDA-approved treatments or cures.

Around 80% of ME cases are triggered by viruses, and the number people with ME is increasing exponentially right now due to Covid-19. Conservatively, 10-20% of Covid patients (including adults and children with mild/asymptomatic cases) go on to develop Long Covid or associated conditions. Of those, several preliminary studies suggest that around half develop ME. | learn more

*occasionally referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or SEID

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic illness that affects over half a million Canadians and around 2-5% of people worldwide. Characterized by widespread burning pain and fatigue unrelieved by sleep, it can also cause other debilitating symptoms including brain fog, irregular heartbeat, severe sleep problems and digestive issues.

As with ME, symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary not just from person to person but from day to day, and some patients may even appear superficially healthy. Nevertheless, fibromyalgic pain can be unrelenting, and the UK’s National Health Service ranks it as one of the 20 most painful health conditions.

Fibromyalgia is also associated with impaired joints, fascia and other connective tissues – an issue shared with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder with which it can co-occur. In fact, fibromyalgia can occur alongside several other serious conditions, including ME, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic migraines, and the overlapping symptoms can affect every aspect of a person’s daily life. | learn more