These notes offer some general information for LEA staff and schools. It is important to have some understanding of this illness in order to offer the best possible help and support to the sufferer and his family. Teachers and others who work with children are also statistically at greater risk of developing ME than the general adult population. This is another compelling reason to be aware of the condition, its symptoms and correct management. The presenting symptom is often fatigue, made worse by even minimal physical and mental exertion, and with a prolonged recovery period.
Muscles are often painful and tender.
Physical activity can exhaust the sufferer's mental ability and vice versa, making it impossible to carry out tasks which require both simultaneously. The sufferer can vary from near normality to sheer exhaustion quite suddenly. This is often mistakenly seen as evidence of malingering. This can mean that the patient is obliged to avoid certain foods. The illness may be prolonged by inappropriate diagnosis and treatment in the early stages.