Sinus problems may be a factor in chronic fatigue

People troubled by unexplained fatigue might ask their doctors to check their sinuses. A Georgetown University internist found that, among his patients, sinus symptoms were nine times more common in people complaining of fatigue than in people without the symptom. Sinus symptoms were six times more common in those complaining of unexplained chronic pain.

Dr. Alexander C. Chester, a clinical professor of medicine, questioned nearly 300 patients younger than 41 about fatigue, general body pain and sinusitis. Sixty-five (22%) had unexplained chronic fatigue, meaning they had been troubled with tiredness or a lack of energy for more than a month, and 15 of those appeared to have chronic fatigue syndrome. Thirty-three (11%) had generalized achiness for longer than a month with no apparent cause, and 26 of those had unexplained chronic fatigue.

The study was published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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-- Dianne Partie Lange