World ME Day – 12 May 2023
This year for World ME Day people living with ME want to make post-exertional malaise (PEM) visible.
What is post-exertional malaise, and why are we focusing on it?
Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is something that everyone with ME experiences.
It is when symptoms become worse after:
- physical, mental or emotional exertion
- sensory overload (light and sound)
This is the hallmark symptom of ME.
Symptoms can become more severe for days, weeks, or permanently. The symptoms typically begin to worsen 12 to 48 hours after the activity or exposure.
When it comes to ME, it’s crucial to understand that pushing harder can make you sicker. You cannot exercise your way out of ME but also for many people even simple activities like taking a shower or having a conversation can cause a flare-up of symptoms. The more severely affected may have to choose between brushing their teeth or washing their face as both activities could be too much.
This is the aspect of the disease that people living with ME want you to understand. Although there is no cure, there are management strategies which can help to minimise the effects.
ME: the disease where pushing harder can make you sicker
Long COVID means millions more are experiencing post-exertional malaise
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there were between 17 and 30 million people living with ME worldwide. But now there are 65 million people living with long COVID, and half of those individuals are experiencing post-exertional malaise. (The population of the UK is estimated to be 68,890,500 in 2023!)
This means the number of people living with ME has likely doubled over the past 3 years.
Find out more from WAMES and the World ME alliance
New factsheet about ME in many languages including English here and Welsh here and English easy format here.
Images to share World ME Day posters – World ME Alliance
Videos to share
Post Exertional Malaise – triggers, symptoms, management
What is Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM)? Is it avoidable? – explains the energy envelope
Images to share World ME Day posters launched exploring the 2023 theme – World ME Alliance
WAMES – the Welsh Association of ME & CFS Support
WAMES (Working for ME in Wales) | Welsh Association of ME & CFS Support
