Emerge Australia is a national organisation providing education, advocacy, research and support services for people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Our work gives hope and help to more than 250,000 Australians living with ME/CFS. Who gets ME/CFS? ME/CFS affects men, women & children of all ages, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. What is having ME/CFS like? People with severe ME, are bedbound & may be in constant pain. There are varying degrees of severity, but around 25% of people are so profoundly affected by the condition they do not recover. The primary symptom of ME is: Overwhelming post-exertional fatigue from mental or physical activity. And may also include any (or all) of the following: - dysfunctional sleep - pain - problems with memory - sensitivity to light, touch and sound - problems with standing and balance - problems with body temperature and weight - recurrent flu-like symptoms; Symptoms are highly individualised often making diagnosis difficult. What causes ME/CFS? This is still being researched which of course makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. A number of factors may be involved, some of them at the same time: - acute infection, such as glandular fever and upper respiratory infections - a flu-like illness - severe physical trauma such as major surgery or a serious accident. These factors can contribute to the deterioration of the quality of life for people with ME/CFS, as well as contribute to the severity of ME/CFS symptoms. Emerge Australia is dedicated to ensuring that ME/CFS is universally accepted and acknowledged as a serious medical condition.