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ME/CFS AUSTRALIA (SA) INC
Registered Charity 698
Email:
sacfs@sacfs.asn.au
Mailing address:
GPO Box 383,
Adelaide,
South Australia 5001
Office:
266 Port Road,
Hindmarsh,
South Australia 5007
Ph: (08) 8346 3237
('834 MECFS')
Office Hours:
Wednesdays, 10am-3pm
Support Line:
(Mondays and Thursdays,
10am-3pm)
Ph: (08) 8346 3237
SA country callers:
Ph: 1300 128 339
(local call)
FIBROMYALGIA HELP: Contact Fibromyalgia SA at the Arthritis Foundation of SA 118 Richmond Road, Marleston 5033 Ph: (08) 8379 5711 |
ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.
Disclaimer
ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc aims to keep members informed of the various research projects, diets, medications, therapies etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.
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Fireworks and the startle factor with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Thursday 5 July 2012
From About.com's Adrienne Dellwo:
Fireworks & the Startle Factor With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Those 4th of July fireworks are great and all, but the BOOM they make isn't fun when you're easily startled, especially when being startled can cause myriad nasty symptoms.
That's the case with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It's not that we're "emotionally sensitive" - it's a physical response.
We have dysfunction in the stress-response system, which is made up 2 areas of the brain (the hypothalamus and pituitary) and glands that sit on top of your kidneys (the adrenals.) It's called the HPA axis, and it controls how your body deals with stress on the physiological level. The dysfunction means that we don't handle it well at all. In fact, those little bursts of adrenaline from being startled can lead to pain shooting through your body, dizziness, headache, nausea, disorientation, panic, and, soon thereafter, crushing fatigue.
On top of that, our central nervous systems are believed to be hypersensitive to stimuli (called central sensitization), meaning it's easier for us to be startled.
So that beautiful fireworks display can be an ordeal for us that leaves us feeling horrible for days afterward. It doesn't help that you often have to deal with crowds and horrendous traffic to go watch them.
Private fireworks are an even bigger problem for me than the big displays. When the neighbor's kids shoot off fire crackers at random times for the 2 weeks around the 4th, it's like I'm being assaulted in my own home.
I find that increasing certain calming supplements (theanine) and adding others in (DHEA, inositol) helps me through this time of year, as do deep-breathing exercises. I'm also more likely to keep my windows closed in the evening, and use the air conditioning more, to help deaden the sound. Some nights, I'll move to the opposite end of the house as well.
As for the big shows, a couple of times we've gone up on a mountain, away from the crowds, to watch them at a distance. It's a much better experience for me.
Does the BOOM of fireworks bother you? Have you found anything that helps? Leave your comments here!
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The above, with comments, originally appeared here.
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