Alert that girls and adolescents are the most affected by fibromyalgia

Pain and other symptoms can greatly affect the quality of life of young women. How it is treated

Fibromyalgia is a  generalized musculoskeletal pain  that is usually accompanied by  fatigue . It also causes sleep, memory and mood problems. Now it is analyzed how it affects not only adults but also young people, especially girls (girls and adolescents).

Besides the pain that can be felt for three months or more, other  symptoms of juvenile fibromyalgia  (FMJ) are: headaches, chronic fatigue, numbness, anxiety and sleep disturbances. Experts say it affects girls more than boys in a ratio of four to one

“Its appearance can be attributed to a deregulation of pain receptors at the level of the central nervous system, which  increases their transmission and perception , as well as emotional factors,” explained Stella Maris Garay (MN 14455), specialist in Pediatric Rheumatology .

Garay, former head of the Rheumatology Ward of the  Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Specialized  in Superior Pediatrics Sr. Maria Ludovica, said that although there is no data in Argentina, “it is possible to affirm that the FMJ is more prevalent in the female sex”. “The most frequent starting age is late childhood and adolescence,” he explained.

Consulted on the prevalence of the disease in  Sr. Maria Ludovica , the doctor said that there are 82 patients registered from 1989 to date. “In 2018 the attention of 12 patients with the syndrome was recorded for a total of 2,400 consultations. Of the total of 82 patients attended, 73 were female (89%), a figure that coincides with international statistics, “he explained.

Multidisciplinary treatment

Regarding treatment, the specialist said that the goal  is to relieve pain, restore functional capacity and reintegrate the patient to school and social environment .

“To obtain good results, the treatment must be approached with a multidisciplinary approach that considers the  pharmacological, physical and psychological aspects, including the education of the patient and his family on the behavior of the FMJ,” said Garay.

Meanwhile, Blanca Mesistrano, a patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia and founder and president of the NGO Asociación Fibroamérica , described that the pain “can be so strong that children do not want to eat, walk or play or wake up so exhausted that they can not go to school”.

“They can also suffer  irritable bowel, sleeping legs, nightmares, night awakenings, insomnia and insufficient rest , which further decreases their  energy. But children with this disease can improve their evolution if they receive psychological support, “he said.