More than one million Americans are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). While there is not much known about the causes or roots of this mysterious illness, chronic fatigue syndrome treatment is what both scientists and affected patients are hoping to find. What we do know is that by reducing factors affecting this syndrome, you can improve your fatigue condition. Researchers have pointed out several factors that might cause CFS, some of which are related to oral health. In this article, we are going to explain how your dentist can help you with your chronic fatigue. Ready? Let’s dive into it!
What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome is described as both a biological and a psychological illness. Although the exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown, there are a few contributing factors, including viral infections caused by viruses such as Epstein-Barr that spreads through saliva, bacterial infections such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, and mental problems such as emotional trauma or stress.
There are also other potential factors that cause dysfunction of the immune, adrenal, and neurological systems: nutrient deficiencies, parasites, heavy metals leaking into the body, neurotoxins, and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is described as both a biological and a psychological illness. Although the exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown, there are a few contributing factors, including viral infections caused by viruses such as Epstein-Barr that spreads through saliva, bacterial infections such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, and mental problems such as emotional trauma or stress.
There are also other potential factors that cause dysfunction of the immune, adrenal, and neurological systems: nutrient deficiencies, parasites, heavy metals leaking into the body, neurotoxins, and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea.
What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
According to the Office on Women’s Health, women are two to four times more likely than men to develop CFS. The main symptoms you experience may include:
- Feeling extremely exhausted for a very long time after a mental or physical exercise;
- Night sleep that doesn’t seem to freshen you up;
- Having a very hard time concentrating or paying attention;
- Muscle or joint pain or aches without any signs of redness or swelling;
- Experiencing a new type or pattern of headache;
- Tender lymph nodes around the neck or under the arms.
If you experience any of these symptoms, we recommend that you visit a holistic doctor for a thorough examination. These symptoms might be signs of chronic fatigue or other serious problems that should be addressed immediately.
How Is CFS Diagnosed?
Chronic fatigue is very hard to diagnose. Your doctor may ask you about your physical and mental health, run a few tests, and classify you as having CFS after not finding any other reasons for your symptoms. Therefore, it might take a long time for your doctor to make the final diagnosis, which is why it is recommended to reduce the factors that might cause CFS rather than diagnose and treat the syndrome.
How Your Dentist Can Help with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment
Your dentist might actually be able to help you with your chronic fatigue syndrome, since some of the potential causes of this illness are related to your oral hygiene. If you want to identify and treat the possible causes of CFS, here are some points you can discuss with your dentist:
Removing Heavy Metals in Your Teeth
Amalgam fillings in your teeth contain mercury, which is a toxic heavy metal. Every time you chew or brush, mercury is released into your mouth and might cause CFS. On top of this, other heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, chromium, titanium, and cadmium are widely used in different kinds of dental crowns.
Many partial dentures contain different heavy metals such as cadmium that might lead to system toxification. Furthermore, Titanium implants, as the name suggests, contain titanium that corrodes over time and might leak into the jawbone and cause metal toxicity leading to chronic fatigue syndrome.
Avoiding Toxins
Unfortunately, there are toxic products that are used widely in traditional dentistry. For example, the fluoride in toothpaste and other dental products could affect your glands and cause hormonal imbalance.
Fluoride interferes with iodine which could cause thyroid malfunction. Underactive thyroid is one of the possible causes of CFS. It also affects pineal glands in the brain, responsible for sleep-related hormones such as melatonin. Sleeping disorder is another potential cause of chronic fatigue.
Looking Out for Microbes and Their Neurotoxins
Many different bacteria in your mouth might activate pro-inflammatory responses that are the root of many conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome. Periodontitis (gum disease), gingivitis (early stage of gum disease), and tooth abscesses that could lead to leaky gum are just a few causes of inflammation in your mouth.
Hidden jawbone cavitation might also lead to illnesses such as chronic fatigue. It mostly occurs around the root canals and the space of previous tooth extraction. These cavities act as a breeding ground for all kinds of microbes like bacteria, fungi, and yeast. Periodontists in Orange County have seen patients whose CFS was treated after a jawbone cavitation treatment. So, make sure you get it checked out!
Improving Your Sleep
Airway obstructions like sleep apnea make your body starve for oxygen during sleep. Therefore, you never feel refreshed after a night’s sleep. Crowded teeth, narrow palatal arch, high vault, or arched hard palate can imprison your tongue and push it toward your throat, causing sleep apnea.
Such obstructions in children could be successfully treated by a proper appliance or orthodontic treatment. In adults, wearing special oral appliances can help with the obstruction to a great extent.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about CFS and explained that chronic fatigue syndrome treatment is not that easy or simple. BUT you can reduce the factors that could affect this syndrome, many of which have a lot to do with your oral health. If you remove heavy metals in your teeth, avoid toxic dental products, and beware of microbes and sleeping problems, you have a good chance of reducing and controlling the symptoms of CFS!
Aria Dental, located in Orange County, California, provides holistic and safe dentistry for all ages. We offer natural treatments for dental and gum diseases without toxins such as fluoride. If you are looking for an alternative to traditional, toxic dentistry, don’t hesitate to contact us!
