More than you know

Research published today by AfME indicates that a hidden 55,000 people
in Britain are so severely affected by M.E. that they are either bed-
bound or house-bound.

M.E. also has a huge economic impact. Today’s survey suggests that 77%
of the total 240,000  people in the UK with M.E. have lost their jobs
because of the illness, with a cost to the nation of £6.4 billion a year

The 55,000 severely affected by M.E. are likely to have been ill for
many years, and are often too ill to attend hospitals or doctors
surgeries. They are also likely to suffer from severe pain, which few
people realise is regularly associated with the illness .

The survey findings, published as part of Action for M.E.’s campaign:
“M.E. - More Than You Know”, provide the most up-to-date, detailed
analysis on the severity and impact of the illness ever carried out in
this country.

Trish Taylor, Chair of Action for M.E., says:  “M.E. devastates lives.
It robs people of their ability to work, and destroys their close
relationships.  It leaves many sufferers in wheelchairs and some, who
are unable to feed themselves, have to be tube-fed.

“M.E. is much, much more than feeling ‘a bit tired’.  And if that is
what you believe then today we challenge you to think again.  To look
with new eyes at those who live with the severe pain and suffering this
disease brings.”

The results are released alongside a separate GB-wide Ipsos MORI survey,
which showed that a third (35%) of the general public has never even
heard of M.E. when prompted, despite there being almost three times as
many people with M.E. as M.S.

Only 5% of the respondents who were aware of M.E. were aware of how
widespread it is (stating that between 200,000 and 300,000 people
suffered from M.E. in the UK), with one third (34%) believing there were
less than 50,000 sufferers in the UK.

M.E. is a painful and debilitating illness, affecting around one in
every 250 people in the UK.  The illness affects many body systems and
their functions, particularly the nervous and immune systems.  In 2002,
the British Government gave formal recognition to the illness. It is
also recognised by the World Health Organisation as a neurological
condition.

This story can be found at http://www.afme.org.uk/news.asp?newsid=150