1. Cognitive Symptoms
These can include difficulty concentrating, memory problems, confusion, disorientation, and processing speed issues.
2. Mental Health Symptoms
Examples of mental health symptoms associated with CIRS include depression, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
3. Physical Symptoms
This includes headache or migraine pain in the head or neck area; fatigue; joint pain; muscle aches; breathing difficulties; poor circulation; and digestive problems such as nausea and diarrhea.
4. Emotional Symptoms
Patients may feel overwhelmed by their emotions or have difficulty identifying how they are feeling due to an overproduction of cytokines in CIRS. Common emotional symptoms include feeling sad or drained all the time as well as feeling disconnected from reality and/or people.
5. Lifestyle Symptoms
Patients may need to make lifestyle changes to better manage their CIRS symptoms. These can include avoiding certain foods, changing daily routines, getting enough rest and sleep, reducing stress levels, and engaging in regular physical exercise.
6. Blood Tests
The CIRS Symptoms Checklist may also recommend blood tests for markers such as antibodies that indicate an increased risk of infection or inflammation due to the presence of a virus or bacteria associated with CIRS.
7. Imaging Tests
If needed, imaging tests such as MRIs or CT scans can be used to help diagnose CIRS by looking for signs of damage to organs or tissues caused by chronic inflammation.
8. Treatment
Depending on the severity of symptoms and findings from the CIRS Symptoms Checklist, a doctor may recommend treatment options such as lifestyle changes, medications, or immunotherapy to help reduce inflammation and manage symptoms.