People suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can experience higher levels of visual stress than those without the condition, according to new research.

CFS is a condition that causes persistent exhaustion that affects everyday life and doesn’t go away with sleep or rest.

Diagnosis of the condition is difficult as its symptoms are similar to other illnesses.

A research team from University of Leicester led by Dr Claire Hutchinson examined patients with and without CFS.

He found that those suffering from the condition are more vulnerable to pattern-related visual stress which causes discomfort and exhaustion when viewing repetitive striped patterns, such as when reading text.

“Diagnosis of chronic fatigue is controversial. With the exception of disabling fatigue, there are few definitive clinical features of the condition and its core symptoms, overlap with those often prevalent in other conditions,” Dr Hutchinson explained.

The results, published in the journal Perception, could help in the diagnosis of CFS as the findings suggest that there are visual system abnormalities in people with the condition.

“Doing so will help researchers and health care professionals gain important insights into the condition and aid in diagnosis,” the authors noted.