May 12 is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. I'm marking this day by introducing my new project,
101 Answers About Fibromyalgia.This project is dedicated to not only those who have fibromyalgia, but those who love people who have fibromyalgia. The goal is to collect at least 101 questions about the condition and gather the answers from different experts around the world.
Regular visitors to this blog know that I've written about fibromyalgia before, both here and for other outlets. There are many people living with fibromyalgia who have no idea that they have it or they believe they do, but they've not been diagnosed. So it is important to write about it and to talk about it.
According to the most recent research, a study published in 2013 found that fibromyalgia affects between 0.5 to 5 percent of the population. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States estimates that fibromyalgia affects 2% of the US population - or about 5 million adults, and that it affects women seven times more often than men.
More interesting statistics:
- While it's not a genetic disease, 28% of children who have a parent with fibromyalgia will eventually develop it themselves.
- Adults with fibromyalgia are 3 to 4 times more likely to develop depression.
- Thirty to 40% of people with fibromyalgia must stop working or switch jobs.
- Fibromyalgia costs the U.S. economy an estimated $20 million per year.
Please visit my new site and leave your questions to be answered.
