A recent study revealed that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have low levels of cytokines in their blood, especially in the early stages of the illness. Cytokines are proteins made by the cells of the immune system. They are responsible for blocking viral replication and driving inflammatory response.
Where You Can Do More Research
http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/clues-the-immune-system-is-behind-chronic-fatigue-syndrome
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/02/10/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-is-a-real-condition-not-a-psychological-illness-expert-panel-says/
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/1/e1400121
The Illness
Chronic Lyme disease - Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, caused …show more content…
This can cause symptoms ranging from sneezing, wheezing, and hives to gastrointestinal malfunction, extreme fatigue, and a diagnosis of one or more autoimmune disorders.
Why It's Real
Allergist and immunologist, Claudia S. Miller, M.D., M.S., has done extensive research into chemical intolerance and has developed tools that can lead to proper diagnosis.
According to a 2012 study done on 400 primary care patients, 22 percent of people who struggled with chronic health issues also showed some degree of chemical intolerance. (That's one in five people.) Multiple chemical sensitivity is also referred to as TILT (Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance).
A Chicago allergist by the name of Theron Randolph, who supported Miller in her work, explained experiments he conducted with patients he was convinced had multiple food and chemical sensitivities.
Patients would agree to stay in allergen-free units near his office for a few weeks. Thus confined, the symptoms that plagued the patients for years seemed to disappear like magic. Then, without them being aware of it, Randolph would expose them to a possible allergen (an apple sprayed with pesticides, a whiff of copy paper in a jar), and the symptoms would inevitably