News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Ask HN: What has been your experience with chronic fatigue syndrome?.

Re:Ask HN: What has been your experience with chronic fatigu... by MrJohz on Friday May 13, 2022 @01:09PM (#31370159)
The people I known who have it _really_ have it. Not just "sometimes I feel tired", but "I need a wheelchair to get out of the house, and if I sit in the same room as someone with a cold, I'll be knocked out for a week". Seeing a housemate go from cycling to work most days to lying on a sofa unable to get up in the space of a few days, it's pretty clear to me that there's something going on that's not just fixable with a bit more sleep and a change in diet.

I've heard different people give different suggestions for ways to improve things. One friend uses a mobility scooter, not so much because they particularly need it to get around, but more because if they waste their energy walking, they can't use it doing what they actually want to do. Another friend has an oxygen mask that she reckons has really helped her with some of the pain she's been feeling as part of her CFS.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: What has been your experience with chronic fatigu... by nradov on Friday May 13, 2022 @01:22PM (#31370288)
If an oxygen mask actually helps physiologically (not just placebo effect) then that's a symptom of a serious respiratory or cardiovascular system disorder rather than what we would usually define as CFS. Even if someone is extremely fatigued, as long as their respiratory system is working correctly then blood oxygen saturation will be near 100% and an oxygen mask will have no effect. In fact prolonged use can actually cause lung damage due to oxygen toxicity.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: What has been your experience with chronic fatigu... by MrJohz on Friday May 13, 2022 @01:54PM (#31370596)
Tbh, I'm not 100% certain it was an oxygen mask, but it was something that in my head fits a similar category. And yeah, you're right, she may have benefited mainly from the placebo effect more than anything else.
[ Parent | on HN ]