Fatigue and somatic symptoms

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7498.1012

BMJ 2005;330:1012-1015 (30 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7498.1012

Clinical review

ABC of adolescence

Fatigue and somatic symptoms

Russell Viner,

Deborah Christie

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Fatigue, headache, stomach ache, and backache are common. Largeinternational surveys show that about 8% of adolescents reportdaily headaches, 10% daily backache, and 16% daily sleepinessin the mornings. Fatigue is even more common—about a thirdof both boys and girls have substantial fatigue four or moretimes a week.

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Frequency of headache in the previous six months in 11-17 year olds in Europe. Adapted from: World Health Organization. Health behaviour in school-aged children, 1997-1998. Calverton, MD: Macro International, 2002

Competing demands in adolescence

Most adolescents with these symptoms do not seek help from theirdoctor. They can present diagnostic dilemmas when they do, however.In most cases, the symptoms reflect not an organic disorderbut an imbalance between the increasing educational, social,and sports demands on young people and physiological "debts"owed to rapid growth and sexual development. Adolescents, forexample, need more sleep than children and adults, yet socialand . . . [Full text of this article]

Somatic symptoms

Fatigue

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Management of fatigue and somatic symptoms

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