When you think of fibromyalgia, what do you think of? Pain? Fatigue? When you don’t have an illness, it can be pretty hard to understand, especially one like fibromyalgia. You can’t even see that! This can cause problems in the home because illnesses like fibromyalgia have a long list of symptoms and everyone experiences the illness differently. Here are four unique symptoms of fibromyalgia that

Allodynia

Have you ever tried to hug someone with fibromyalgia and they said no thank you? It might have hurt your feelings, but don’t hold any grudges over it. People with fibromyalgia can be so sensitive to pain that even a slight graze of the skin can be very painful. This can also make them feel pain in extreme weather, making it difficult for them to go on vacations or function regularly in a state that has drastic changes of weather.  

Excessive Sweating

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people smirk or have a comment when they see someone sweating in a setting outside of a gym. But next time you see someone with a face covered in sweat on the bus, remember that people have conditions they can’t control. Some people who have fibromyalgia can get so warm they feel like they have a fever and start to perspire. This is because of an autonomic dysfunction in the hypothalamus which regulates your sweating.

Paresthesia

Paresthesia is when someone feels an unexplained tingling or numbness which can be experienced by someone with fibromyalgia. It’s often related to anxiety or nervousness, which can cause people to develop avoidance behavior to keep from feeling so physically and emotionally uncomfortable. The anxiety and nervousness can be accompanied by rapid, deep breathing which can lead to acroparesthesia which is tingling of the hands and feet from a lack of carbon dioxide.

Sinus Issues

There is still much studying to be done when it comes to fibromyalgia and your sinuses, but there is evidence that it may cause issues in the sinus cavity that causes facial pain. Because fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease, it should come to no surprise that it is inflammation in the nasal passage that can lead to this discomfort. It can get so severe that surgery is needed to flush out the sinuses after people go months without being able to breathe through their nose.

Everyone Is Different

If you have a loved one who has fibromyalgia, their condition will be unique from every other case in the world. Everyone feels different symptoms and at different intensities, so it is important that we respect those in pain and remain considerate even though we don’t understand their disability.

What is a unique symptom of fibromyalgia you wish more people knew about?