Does Fibromyalgia also Affect Men?

by Groshan Fabiola

Although fibromyalgia predominantly afflicts the female gender, it is important to understand that the disorder can also occur in males. Due to the fact that fibromyalgia registers the highest incidence in women, the disorder has been erroneously labelled as “a women’s disease”, lots of people ignoring the fact that it may also afflict persons belonging to the male gender. A series of recently conducted medical investigations have revealed the fact that fibromyalgia is more likely to be overlooked in men rather than women. Thus, it is believed that there may be a lot more cases of fibromyalgia in men out there than previously thought.

Statistics indicate that during the 1997 and 2002 time period, about 38 percent of all cases of suspected fibromyalgia were registered in men. At present, the estimated ratio between female and male patients with fibromyalgia is 8:1. However, this ratio is considered to be inaccurate, given the fact that large numbers of male persons who show signs of fibromyalgia are rarely diagnosed with the disorder simply because they are men.

The reasons why lots of male persons who present symptoms of fibromyalgia are inappropriately diagnosed are various. The personal conceptions and beliefs of doctors are considered to be the main causes of the phenomenon. Adepts of the theory that fibromyalgia is “a women’s disease”, most doctors ignore the symptoms of fibromyalgia when they occur in men, establishing an incorrect diagnosis in the first place. In order to decrease the number of cases of misdiagnosed fibromyalgia among males, doctors should become more receptive and accept the idea that fibromyalgia can afflict both sexes.

Another reason why male persons with fibromyalgia are less likely to receive the accurate diagnosis and the appropriate treatment is that men, by nature, tend to deny or underestimate the seriousness of their experienced symptoms. Even when they experience intense symptoms, men are not very likely to timely seek medical guidance, putting their health at risk.

Similar to women, men can develop fibromyalgia at an early stage of life. In male persons, fibromyalgia has the highest incidence in persons with ages between 20 and 45. For some reason, fibromyalgia is less likely to occur in persons with ages over 45, regardless of sex. An interesting aspect that has been recently revealed is that compared to men, women cope a lot better with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Although male patients with fibromyalgia don’t necessarily experience the symptoms of the disorder at higher intensities, their social skills and emotional intelligence are more likely to be affected by fibromyalgia. Although it may seem very curios, recent research in the field has revealed that unlike women, men are exposed to a higher risk of suffering from depression as a consequence of fibromyalgia.

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