What is samson syndrome illness symptoms

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID), is a disorder that causes extreme fatigue or tiredness, which usually does not go away with rest, has no detectable underlying cause and cannot be explained by any medical condition. (Sampson, 2020) It is a new state of fatigue that lasts for months and can cause you to not be able to participate or carry out normal day-to-day activities at home, at work or in general. (Khatri, 2020)

Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The causes of CFS are unknown, but certain factors can contribute to the disorder. They are:

• A weakened immune system or an immune system with abnormalities
• Stress
• Hormonal imbalances
• Genetically predisposed to CFS
• Different viruses
• Brain abnormalities that might or might not be permanent (Khatri, 2020)

Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The most common symptom of CFS is fatigue, to an extent that normal activities are also difficult to execute. The fatigue must last for at least 6 months and is not curable by rest. (Sampson, 2020) Other common symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are:

• You might have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, suffer from chronic insomnia and other sleep disorders. You may also feel unrefreshed even after a night’s sleep. (Sampson, 2020)
• You may also experience memory loss, reduced concentration and orthostatic intolerance (Sampson, 2020)
• It is also common to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, depression, fibromyalgia or anxiety (Mayo Clinic, 2020)
• Other physical symptoms may include muscle pain, frequent headaches, sore throat, tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits (Sampson, 2020)

CFS symptoms vary individually and are based on the severity of the condition. It often affects people in phases known as remission, when the symptoms disappear completely and relapse, when the symptoms return later. (Sampson, 2020)

Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

There’s no particular test for the diagnosis of CFS and the symptoms are also common to other conditions, making the diagnosis quite difficult. The easiest way to diagnose CFS is by ruling out other diseases and disorders and reviewing your past medical history.

The doctor might order blood and urine tests and scans. All current medications, supplements should be disclosed to the doctor as it is possible that they may be causing some of the symptoms or leading to side effects. As per experts, CFS affects 2.5 million Americans but only about 20% of them are diagnosed. (Cassoobhoy, 2020)

Often, CFS may also resemble diseases like mononucleosis, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, major depressive disorder, severe obesity and sleep disorders. (Sampson, 2020)

Since the disorder is difficult to diagnose and has symptoms common to other diseases and disorders, it is essential to consult a doctor, be clear with them about your symptoms and medical history and get the right treatment.

Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

There is no one particular treatment or cure for CFS. Each person has different symptoms which have to be treated differently to help relieve the symptoms. (Sampson, 2020)

With Medication: Depression is often a trigger or symptom of CFS. Low doses of antidepressants can be assigned to people to overcome depression. A sleeping aid might be prescribed by doctors for those with major trouble sleeping and pain medication can help cure muscle pain and joint aches. Medicines that regulate blood pressure are prescribed for orthostatic intolerance. (Mayo Clinic, 2020)

With Lifestyle Changes: Making certain lifestyle changes like less intake of caffeine to help you sleep better, limitation of nicotine and alcohol, avoiding naps during the day, having a daily routine, especially a sleep routine can help with the symptoms of CFS. (Sampson, 2020)

With Therapy: Counselling can help build coping skills to deal with the issues and illness, especially depression and anxiety. It can also help with sleep problems. Physical therapy by maintaining activities that can be tolerated without worsened symptoms can prevent deconditioning. (Mayo Clinic, 2020)

Alternative medicine is another route chosen by many which involves yoga, acupuncture, tai chi, herbal supplements and massages to relieve the symptoms of CFS. However, do consult your doctor before beginning any of these treatments. (Sampson, 2020)

The CFS Journey

Since the cause and cure have yet to be determined, CFS is still a complex disorder with a recovery rate of only 5%. Managing CFS requires constantly working with your doctor on a treatment plan as the disorder can vary differently between people and from time to time. Join a support group, seek help and trust a team of healthcare workers like doctors, therapists, and rehabilitation specialists to get the right treatment. (Sampson, 2020)

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. The syndrome can make you feel helpless and not in control of your body. Find a support group online or on social media to give you the opportunity to talk about symptoms and relief strategies with others. We found the Solve M.E. a nonprofit organization as well as NORD, the National Organization for Rare Disorders to have extensive resources and links to social their respective media groups.

Works Cited

Khatri, Minesh. “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Causes – Who Gets It and Why.” WebMD, WebMD, 2020, www.webmd.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/what-is-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.

Sampson, Stacy. “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.

“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 24 Sept. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360510.

Cassoobhoy, Arefa. “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) – Exams, Tests, Diagnosis, Related Conditions.” WebMD, WebMD, 2020, www.webmd.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/do_i-have-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.

Was Michael Bolton's power really in his hair, a la the biblical Samson? Or do time, love, and tenderness still trump mullet amputations?

These are the questions we ponder as the top balladeer of the early '90s turns 60 on February 26. Back in his heyday, there were tens of thousands of hair-metal singers... but only one hair-adult-contemporary star, which made him the closest thing the pop world had to a Fabio doppelgänger. Hard as it is to believe, it's been 16 years since he underwent a severe scissoring. To put it in perspective, he's spent about two and a half times as long with short hair as he ever spent in the limelight as a long-tressed superstar.

But even with a newly published memoir, The Soul Of It All, that delves into his romances with such starlets as Ashley Judd, Teri Hatcher, and Nicolette Sheridan, all anyone interviewing him wants to know is: Does he regret the dated signature hairstyle, and/or the loss of it?

"It was really traumatic," he said last month, asked once again to recall the fateful year of 1997. "It was like a part of my childhood and my rebellion and everything I went through to wear long hair... It became my look. Not exaggerating, there was probably a good $50 million to $100 million in marketing that was spent establishing my appearance all over the world.”

A mane that mighty should have taken Paul Bunyan's axe to chop off—not just the mere cutlery of stylist-to-the-stars Chris McMillan, whose most famous work besides shearing Bolton was creating "the Rachel" for Jennifer Aniston.

"I had no idea it would be such a big deal. I remember I was in London and I was watching some serious news story, when they interrupted the bulletin with, ‘News just in–Michael Bolton cuts his hair!’ It was hysterical. But we raised about $9,000 for women and children at risk, so it was worth it."

A mere $9K? It sounds like Bolton entrusted them to the wrong auctioneer. Peter Morton could have opened a whole chain of Adult Contemporary Cafes by parceling out all those inches of curls to different franchisees.

Bolton's career trajectory would seem to provide evidence that Samson syndrome is not just the stuff of myth. Consider this: In the years 1990-97, Bolton was an international superstar who sold more than 24 million albums in the United States alone. But after he got his news-shattering haircut, 1997's All That Matters became his first album since 1985 not to go platinum; 1998's My Secret Passion became the first since '85 not to reach the top 100 in sales; and 1999's Timeless: The Classics Vol. 2 became the first since then not to reach the top 200, even though it was the sequel to an album that had reached No. 1 and sold 4 million copies just seven years earlier.

But at least his girlfriend at the time liked it. Or did she? Back in late '97, he was dating Judd, of whom he then said: "Ashley was the first person to say that she actually kind of missed my long hair. I went back to the studio after I got the haircut... I was definitely insecure about it, I felt kind of naked without it... Fortunately for me... people were coming in to look at me and they were being extremely complimentary. And at one point, I was sure my assistant had either cajoled them or paid them to boost my morale." Ominously, perhaps, he and Judd broke up almost immediately afterward.

It definitely didn't hurt him with all the ladies, anyway, as he and Sheridan went on to have an engaged-again, not-engaged-again romance that ended for a second time in the late 2000s. And then there was his destined-to-be-career-reviving appearance on Dancing With the Stars. Well, make that his blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance.

In the season that featured such brilliant hoofers as Bristol Palin, Bolton was the second to be eliminated, trailing only first-off David Hasselhoff in the rush to be thrown off. He got into a public war of words with judge Bruno Tonioli after being eviscerated for his lack of dancing chops on the air. "I think this is probably the worst jive in 11 seasons," Tonioli told him in front of the cameras, the night before he was voted off. Bolton demanded satisfaction: "I think he should apologize publicly and he should be reprimanded for it," he said after leaving the show.

Then there was the Office Space notoriety, with the 1999 Mike Judge comedy that had a character ruing having the same name as the "no-talent ass-clown." It wasn't easy to tell if Bolton—the real-life Bolton—had a sense of humor about this. Asked if he had a defense against the comedic digs, he said, "Well, no, just Grammys and awards given by my peers... I have signed so many Office Space DVDs, and I have it, but I've never seen it. From what I've heard, they should do an Office Space 2, and I should meet Michael Bolton in it."

But things turned around in a big way in 2011 when he got in on the joke, or at least in on a joke. Andy Samberg and his Lonely Planet cohorts enlisted Bolton to star in a Saturday Night Live video for a song called "Jack Sparrow," in which, for no logical reason, the singer kept interrupting their hip-hop bravado with hooks explaining his incongruous love of all things Pirates of the Caribbean.

At first Bolton was worried that the clip would be too raunchy for his fans. Then one of his daughters assured him it would be a social-media phenomenon, and he saw the light—which, let's face it, is easier without 18-inch bangs. How much did he get into it? In his autobiography, which starts out with a chapter about the experience, he writes, "I think all three of them [in the Lonely Planet] were shocked when I agreed to a traumatizing scene in which I dressed as Erin Brockovich and breast-fed a doll. Unfortunately, that scene didn’t make the cut."

Even without a breastfeeding scene, "Jack Sparrow" was a major hit. Since debuting on SNL, it's racked up more than 102 million views on YouTube. Who needs a mullet when you're No. 1 on YouTube with a bullet?

Suddenly, the idea of Michael Bolton, Comedy Star is weirdly taking hold. ABC has a sit-com in development called Michael Bolton's Daughter is Destroying My Life, in which he is set to play a "caricaturized" version of himself. "If they like what they read, we shoot the pilot in the spring," he said last month. "If they like the pilot, I'm on the air in the fall. And it's hysterical... I'm like a 12 year old [in mentality]. So [I find] this girl, this young 24, 25-year-old journalist who's really well grounded... and I bring her in and I want her to be the bridge in this relationship between me and my daughter. She accepts the job, realizing after the first day that she's going to have to babysit for both my daughter and me."

In real life, he became a grandpa in 2010 when his daughter Taryn gave birth to a baby girl. Of being called Grandpa, he said, “I’m going to have to figure out how to own that.”

As for whether he's owning being 60: He'll be on stage at the Strand Theatre in York, Pennsylvania, and says "there is nothing I would rather be doing than performing" as he celebrates—or avoids?—the big day.

And regrets? He's had a few, but not the trail of tresses down his back. "I don’t cringe when I look back at that look, that hair, because it a huge was part of my 20 plus years of 'overnight success' and who I was as an individual and as an artist," he told Pennlive.com this week. Anyway, it all comes back in the end. Or on the sides. "I cut my hair off and sold it for charity but now I have hair growing out of my ears," he said in 2010. "I don't know if it's revenge or something."

Credit him with some foresight for ditching the hairstyle in his 40s, anyway: As he creeps into his 60s and 70s, any temptation to do a comb-over will be entirely absent.