10 Steps to Clarity: Unraveling Fibromyalgia's Causes, Risks, Complications, and Triggers

1. Physical And Emotional Trauma

Physical and emotional trauma can cause the development of fibromyalgia and trigger symptom flares. The mechanism behind this is linked to the affected individual's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Emotional stressors can activate the physiological stress response. This leads to the delivery of sensory input information to the brain. Repeated and excessive stimulation of the functional units of this response in an individual can cause their effector systems to become more sensitive. Greater sensitivity causes alternative or less significant stressors to activate the stress response easily. The combination of the stress response, emotional reactions, physiological responses, and biological reactions that occur and interact with each other due to physical and emotional trauma can cause the development of fibromyalgia. Out of the population of patients with this condition, around half have existing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two-thirds of these individuals developed fibromyalgia after the start of their PTSD. Some individuals may be at an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia due to the failure of certain psychological buffers to work effectively on emotional stress caused by everyday life events. Physical trauma contributes because it causes emotional stress. These mechanisms related to the patient's brain may primarily drive the chain of neurophysiological responses known to cause fibromyalgia.

2. Genetics

Genetics can cause some individuals to be at an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia. The exact mechanisms are not entirely clear. However, variations in numerous genes with small defects are known to increase an individual's risk of developing this condition. The affected genes are known to have roles in how the individual's brain perceives pain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals responsible for sending signals from one nerve cell to the next. Genes involved in the processes of neurotransmitter production and breakdown may contribute. Studies have shown individuals with first-degree relatives like parents or siblings affected by fibromyalgia have a risk for the disease that is eight times higher than the general population. First-degree relatives of individuals with this condition are often affected by irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and other problems involving chronic pain. Due to sharing the same genetically related risk factors, these types of disorders may aggregate in families. Genes identified to have relevance in pain perception include those that control voltage-gated sodium channels, mu-opioid receptors, dopaminergic pathways, and GABAergic pathways.

3. Presence Of Rheumatic Conditions

An individual affected by numerous rheumatic conditions has an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia compared to individuals who are not affected. Between fifteen and thirty percent of individuals with rheumatic or autoimmune disorders also have fibromyalgia. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes severe inflammation in the body and chronic pain. The mechanism is thought to be related to long-term inflammation exposure that leads to the transition between peripheral pain and chronic central pain. Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that shares many symptoms with fibromyalgia. Autoantibodies have been identified in these patients that are directed against certain receptors called NR2A and NR2B units. These receptors are abundant throughout the peripheral and central nervous systems. Identified autoantibodies can produce adverse effects on emotional behavior, cognitive function, and pain processing. Exact mechanisms and definite pathways of how immune system components in individuals with these conditions increase the risk of fibromyalgia are not clear. However, it is known to be associated with a combination of irregular nerve impulses and abnormal antibody activity.

4. Infections

Different types of infections in an individual's body can cause fibromyalgia flare-ups. Some individuals who contract an infection believe it causes this disorder to develop, but the infection has just caused a flare-up of undiagnosed symptoms. In other cases, the bacteria, virus, or other pathogen that caused the infection is never eliminated and hovers around. This can result in continuous low-grade infection in the body. Persistent low-grade infections can activate autoimmune responses that trigger fibromyalgia. Certain infections can leave permanent alterations in an individual's body after the infection is eliminated that can cause this disorder. Viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza viruses, and adenoviruses, can result in permanent changes that trigger the fibromyalgia cascade. Bacterial infections can also trigger this cascade, including those that cause salmonella and listeria. Parasite and yeast infections have also caused this disorder, including candida yeast and giardia infections.

5. Gender And Age

An individual's gender and age can cause them to be at an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia in comparison to others. More than five million Americans over eighteen years old have been diagnosed with this disorder. Of those diagnosed, between eighty and ninety percent are female. Females also have more extensive symptoms than males. On average, females have tenderness or pain at between eleven and eighteen different points, where males typically have around six. While the exact reasons behind the gender imbalance in this condition are not entirely understood, it is known to be associated with a couple of factors. Upon discovering that fibromyalgia peaks when a female is in her reproductive years, hormone fluctuations and differences between genders have been implicated. The higher level of testosterone and endorphins in males can cause them to have a higher threshold of pain than females. The average age of individuals at the time of diagnosis is approximately forty-five years old. The risk for fibromyalgia increases as an individual gets older. The age of diagnosis is not always the age at which the individual experiences the onset of their symptoms. While most experience first symptoms in their middle years, this disorder can happen in an individual of any age.

6. Stress

Stress does not cause individuals to develop fibromyalgia. However, it can and does trigger symptom flare-ups in patients who already have the condition. Specifically, stress can impact an individual's pain perception. It also weakens their body and immune system. Both of these results make individuals more likely to experience fibromyalgia symptoms, including fatigue and chronic pain. Thus, stressful days are often those with the most severe symptoms. Practicing stress management and avoiding stress triggers when possible are both vital to individuals reducing the severity of their fibromyalgia symptoms.

7. Insufficient Exercise

Many patients with this disorder have a concern about exercise making their symptoms worse if they exercise too much or otherwise stress out their muscles. This can be true. In addition, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can also make being physically active difficult. However, insufficient exercise can also trigger a flare-up of symptoms and make them worse overall. Patients with this condition need to be physically active, though they must include exercise carefully. Specifically, they should start low and gradually increase how much they exercise and how intensely they do so over time. Research shows that getting even a small amount of exercise can reduce the severity of a patient's fibromyalgia symptoms when they have a bad day.

8. Anxiety And Depression

Reports indicate that many fibromyalgia patients also deal with anxiety and depression. It appears that this applies to approximately twenty percent of patients with this chronic disorder, making them common complications. Unfortunately, evidence also shows that these conditions can trigger flares of fibromyalgia symptoms and make the symptoms worse overall. This can happen in several ways. For instance, anxiety disorder often involves chronic stress in high amounts. As mentioned, stress is a common trigger for fibromyalgia. Anxiety also increases pain perception, in part due to the anxiety regarding having a flare-up. Depression also significantly increases pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia patients, worsening bad symptom days.

9. Chronic Pain And Disability

Some patients may have a mild form of fibromyalgia. Although this can be the case, patients will still deal with chronic pain. However, when this condition is severe, a common complication is to see both chronic pain and disability. This means that a patient's condition is severe enough to significantly compromise their quality of life on more days than it does not. Patients will often require mobility devices to navigate their life from day to day. A common option for these patients is a cane to steady them when they walk, particularly if they are out of the house. Some patients will need to be on disability benefits due to this condition as well

10. Increased Hospitalizations

Reports indicate that another common complication associated with fibromyalgia is increased hospitalizations among affected individuals. Specifically, patients with this disorder are twice as likely to be hospitalized than those who do not have this condition. In addition to being in the hospital more often, fibromyalgia patients are also more likely to have longer hospital visits compared to the visits of those without this disorder. The increased number of hospitalizations is also common before patients receive an official diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Symptoms are often intense, and visiting the hospital is a common method for individuals to seek out answers to why they are dealing with them.

Navigating Fibromyalgia: Knowledge, Hope, and Action

Fibromyalgia, the 'invisible tormentor' we set out to understand, is undeniably a complex condition, shaped by a diverse array of factors. From its potential roots in physical and emotional trauma, genetic predispositions, and the presence of other rheumatic conditions, to the influence of infections, gender, and age, its origins are clearly multifaceted. We've seen how everyday stressors, insufficient or improper exercise, and the heavy burden of anxiety and depression can act as potent triggers, potentially leading to significant complications like debilitating chronic pain, lasting disability, and an increased likelihood of hospitalizations. However, unraveling these intricate threads—understanding the specific causes, recognizing individual risk factors, and identifying personal triggers—is the most crucial step towards regaining a sense of control. This knowledge transforms the bewildering nature of fibromyalgia into something more manageable. Armed with this understanding, individuals are better equipped to collaborate with healthcare providers, make informed lifestyle choices, and develop personalized strategies to mitigate pain and reduce the frequency and intensity of flare-ups. While the journey with fibromyalgia is undoubtedly challenging, a clear comprehension of its mechanisms offers not just insight, but true empowerment, paving the way for proactive management and a more hopeful outlook on achieving an improved quality of life.