Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndome

There has been much debate among chronic fatigue syndome experts about a standard way to define chronic fatigue syndome. This is because the cause for chronic fatigue syndome is not known and there is no one standard symptom. Your health care provider will first do a physical exam and order any needed tests. She or he will rule out the presence of any other diseases or problems that may have CFS-like symptoms, such as multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus (autoimmune diseases). To be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndome, you must have severe chronic fatigue for 6 months or longer, with other medical conditions ruled out by a provider, and 4 or more of the symptoms bulleted out in the "Signs of CFS" section of this article.