Fibromyalgia is still today those diseases that keep the scientific community (and particularly medical professionals) in constant confrontation.
Most of all, because some believe (including me) that it is a real physical illness, but there are still many professionals who claim that it is a psychological illness and that pain is in the mind.
Now, finally, a study shows us that it is a totally physical disease, and the psychological one has little. The study, conducted by the National Biotechnology Information Center (NBIC) of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), found the cause of this disease that is now a separate but previously diagnosed entity ruling out other similar disorders.
The real cause of fibromyalgia,
temperature discovery
According to recent research, the culprit of this disease is the change in body temperature. As you know, our body stays on average at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, as research shows),
and this is because our blood acts as a coolant to the body as well as water in the radiators of the car. But in fibromyalgia, patients can not maintain body temperature consistently.
When we lose too much heat (hypothermia) or too much (hyperthermia), the hypothalamus, the nucleus of the brain responsible for regulating the temperature of our body, acts and tries to maintain balance within the body. That’s why it uses blood and blood vessels.
When it is very cold, the vessels close (vasoconstriction) to protect our major organs from temperature. If it is hot, the vessels open (vasodilatation) to cool the body. Similarly, when we exercise or use our muscles for some task, blood also flows between the skin and muscles as coolant.
Malfunction of blood, the true cause of fibromyalgia
shunt_arteriovenous
For this opening or closing of the flow to occur correctly, there are communications and valves between the blood vessels, the arterio-venous shunts, controlled by the hypothalamus to open or close when convenient, thereby maintaining the body’s balance.
And finally we have blood capillaries, the smallest shape of our body that also helps maintain the temperature, among other functions. Emphasize your high number in foot and hands.
Previously it was known that in diabetic patients the blood capillaries ended, causing loss of sensation and also change in temperature in the hands and feet.
But fibromyalgia goes further because what is injured in this disease are the valves between the vessels, the arterio-venous shunts, which in turn interfere with the activity of the capillaries and also cause a change in the supply of muscles and tissues. of the skin, in addition to injuring the cooling system of the body.
Muscle damage responsible for
muscle damage fibromyalgia
Due to this malfunction, lactic acid builds up in the muscles and deep tissue, affecting the muscular system and causing pain, eventually leading to fatigue, both typical symptoms of fibromyalgia.
On the other hand, the somatic nervous system, responsible for sensitivity, is also affected by the malfunctioning of arteriovenous shunts and, when hypersensitive, sends signals of pain to the central nervous system, further aggravating the symptoms.
So as you can see, fibromyalgia has few psychological illnesses and many physical illnesses. The problem so far is the lack of knowledge we have about it and how to diagnose it, and even more without knowing the cause. We hope that with this and the next research on the subject we can arrive at a correct diagnosis and treatment.
