The Journal of Korean Medicine (대한한의학회지)

The Society of Korean Medicine (대한한의학회)
권호 표지

Study of Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Fatigue

  • Son, Chang-Gue (Liver-Immune Center of Oriental Medicine College, Daejeon University)
  • Received : 2010.08.23
  • Accepted : 2010.10.18
  • Published : 2010.11.30
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Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to produce a description of features of chronic fatigue patients visiting an Oriental Hospital. Methods: 121 patients (75 male and 46 female) who visited a fatigue-care center were enrolled in this study, and the main complaints besides fatigue feeling, symptom differentiation, and health-related factors were analyzed. Results: On a visual analogue scale (VAS), average severity of fatigue was 7.0 (male 6.77 and female 7.4; 0 indicates no fatigue vs. 10 indicates intolerable fatigue), and the main complaints included headache (male and female) and dyspepsia (female). Patients generally slept about 7 hrs and caught a cold 2.4 times per year (same in both male and female). 54.6 % of patients used functional supplements, and red ginseng, vitamin and herbal medicine were chosen in that order. Conclusions: Chronic fatigue is a main target of traditional Korean medicine (TKM). This study can be helpful to design TKM-based treatment for chronic fatigue-related symptoms.

Keywords

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