THE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday February 1989- Page 15 Outlook op Lifestyle Chronic fatigue is making its mark By Peter H VUk Chronic fatigue is one of the most common ailments for which patients seek medical attention In most cases the cause is easily uncovered and ranges from anemia infection and tu mors to drug abuse depression and ennui or as one of my patients put it suf ferln from too much Within the larger group of people with chronic fatigue is a subset of pa tients usually young women who ex perience tiredness that is difficult to Typically they complain of difficulty concentrating headache sore throat muscle pains tender lymph glands insomnia weight loss and poor resistance In the past doctors examined and tested these patients found no physi cal cause for their symptoms and dis missed their complaints as function al or psychosomatic Some physicians latched onto the diagnosis of postInfectious asthenia because the fatigue seemed to follow mild in usually viral often trivial Such patients who were predictably dissatisfied at being labeled emotion ally unstable sought out selfdiag noses of which chronic yeast Candi da infection and hypoglycemia were the most popular However no repu table scientist has verified that chron Candida or a tendency to low blood DR GOTT sugar are major causes of the exhaus tion syndrome In the mid1980s improved labora tory analysis permitted researchers to document the presence of a blood protein to EpsteinBarr virus the cause of mononucleosis The doctors hypothesized that chronic fatigue states were due to reactivation of the virus chronic dubbed yuppie flu by the media became a fashion able diagnosis for thousands of weary women However studies reported this past December provided proof that chronic is not the answer to the chronic fatigue question Patients failed to show more widespread or more severe infection than did normal nonfatigued volunteers Evi dently infection is ubiquitous and in most patients does not cause chronic fatigue Similarly the majority of patients have not been found to have herpes Lyme disease an infection spread by tick bites or fibromyalgia a poorly understood syndrome of muscle aches and joint pains Rather than reaffirming the peda gogy that such patients nave mental problems investigators are now go ing back to square one in hopes of dis covering what If any attribute Is common to all patients with chronic fatigue Not content to tag debilitated patients psychoneurotic or just plain depressed doctors are now searching for a biochemical explanation This is reflected in a growing federal con cern The Centers for Disease Control are launching wo new studies this year to define the chronic fatigue syn drome Doctors are taking the disease seriously Although some practitioners are skeptical about the syndrome many experts now believe that the millions of people who suffer from undiag nosed chronic exhaustion probably are experiencing an unidentified mal function of their immune systems The disease is usually triggered by a virus infection that seems to scram the normal immune response in certain people who have a genetic predisposition including a tendency to depression and anxiety At present chronic fatigue Is a di agnosis of exclusion meaning that the common demonstrable causes of tiredness nave to be ruled out Chron ic fatigue patients must meet a sec ond major criterion New onset of debilitating fatigue persisting for at least six months In addition pa tients have to meet several minor cri teria including mild fever recurring sore throat swollen lymph glands muscle weakness and discomfort headaches joint pains sleep distur bances and neuropsychologic com- Topping on cheesecake hides flaws By Potty Fisher DEAR POLLY How can I pre vent my cheesecake from cracking on top SK DEAR SK Weve talked this before but I get this question so often that It most be one thats bother ing a lot of people Im glad to hear that there are so many dedicated cheesecake bakers out there since If one of my absolutely favorite desserts The bad news is that cracking Is not totally preventable Sometimes matter now much care yon take the cake simply cracks and thats It There will be nothing yon can do It except to a accept the fact that a crack In cheesecake Is natural and therefore naturally beantifnl or cover the top with a luscious f rait or soar creamtoppuig To muimteyefacung bake the cake In a moderately slow oven degrees and use a water bath That pat the cake pan to a larger pan then fill the larger pan with water It comes up the sides of the cheese cake pari about 1 inch This helps the OUR LANGUAGE by Jeffrey McQoaln A bit of ash or burned material is cinder It starts with c Theres no sin in cinder just ask Cinderella Use treatise for a formal discussion or argument in writing Dont be fooled by the spelling though not ev ery treatise is a long treat I was told to use more concrete noons in my writing Whats a con crete noun A Concrete nouns name real things that can be perceived by the senses such as home ear son etc Such words as fear and pleasure are abstract nouns not concrete Con crete is of course a concrete noun Do you have a question or comment our language Please write to Jeffrey in care of this paper ffittttNBWSHLPERENTOBPIUSSASWI POUTS POINTERS cake to bake evenly keeps things moist and helps to prevent cracking Never open the oven door while bak ing the cake since sadden tempera- tare changes can cause cracking too And remember yon cant taste the crack POLLY RECIPE OF THE WEEK What would life be without an occasional brownie Surely not as sweet These wholewheat brownies are not inno cent of calories fat and sugar hot they do carry a boons of fiber and nu tritions goodness from 199 percent whole wheat Its a way to get your family to eat more whole grains bat only as a special treat please With an electric mixer or food pro cessor cream cup butter 1 cap brawn sugar teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs cocoa powder tea spoon baking powder and teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy Stir in cup wholewheat flour preferably pastry floor bat allpurpose whole wheat will do Spread batter In a greased pan Bake at degrees for to or until brownies are set and just begin to pull away from the edges of the pan Cool before catting into squares to serve Makes 18 twoinch brownies Youll enjoy more wholewheat treats such as peanut butter cookies cookies apple spice bread and more with the easy recipes la my newsletter Wholewheat Quick Breads and Cookies S for each copy to POLLYS POINTERS in care of this newspaper PO Box OH Be sore to include the title POLLY Polly will send you a Polly Dollar if she uses your favorite Pointer Peeve or Problem in her column Write POLLYS POINTERS in care of this newspaper MV ASSN FOOD0 NntToMaCtMak Special Buy Any Other Item 200 or More and Receive the Prices Above SPKWLPHCESW EFFECT TUES FEB 1989 10 OFF BULK FOODS Next To MACS MILK plaints such as confu sion and inability to concentrate Before doctors can manage chronic fatigue syndrome in a comprehensive and rational fashion more research is needed to define the disease and its probable multiple causes Once CDC releases its findings definitive help should be on the way NEWSMPSR YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT Since I was a small child I ve heard You are what you eat But I wonder how much credence does this statement carry A It s true you are what you eat Junk food quick- stop restaurants and hectic lifestyles combine to create a nation of obese Individuals For the many millions of busy people prepackaged foods seem to be an easy solution However many of these foods are highly refined and quickly digested leaving one feeling hungry shortly after a meal Preparing nutritious foods ahead of time will help combat this problem and will also help ensure the family of good nutrition Clean vegetables and prepare salads ahead of time At serving time broil lean meat toss salad and heat vegetables In a microwave oven Serve fresh fruit for dessert Your family will 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