It’s normal to feel wiped out after a hectic week, a poor night’s sleep or a lingering cold. But for some people, exhaustion isn’t something that goes away after rest. It becomes a constant companion that can reshape everyday life.
These individuals may struggle to concentrate at work, keep up with social commitments or even find it difficult to perform basic tasks without feeling depleted. For them, fatigue isn’t simply tiredness; it’s a profound, body-wide shutdown that doesn’t respond to coffee, naps or willpower.
This often-misunderstood condition is known as chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex illness that researchers are only beginning to fully untangle.
Here’s what it is, why it happens and how people diagnosed with it can find relief.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a long-term, multisystem illness characterized by deep, persistent fatigue that is not improved by rest and is severe enough to interfere with daily activities. "The core of this illness manifests as a severe and incapacitating fatigue that lasts for over six months," says Dr. Hector Bonilla, a clinical professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at Stanford Health Care.
