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COVID-19 is the virus that stopped the world from spinning.

In March 2020, the entire world had to adapt to global changes after acknowledging its existence.

However, even after all of this time, there is still so much that we don’t know about COVID-19.

For example, we know that COVID-19 is a novel, or new version, of a family of coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are viruses that jump from animals to humans. The common cold and the flu are different coronaviruses.

But the cold and the flu are not the same, and they likewise cannot be compared to COVID-19.

COVID-19 is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The term “coronavirus” is a colloquial term used by the general public to describe COVID-19. COVID-19 was officially introduced to the world in December 2019 by China and the World Health Organization.

The theory is that the virus jumped from a bat to a human in a Wuhan, China, wet market, or nearby medical lab. But no one knows for sure.

There is even speculation that COVID-19 manifested in China months earlier, prior to December 2019.

COVID-19 is spread by one person inhaling or ingesting the airborne droplets sneezed or exhaled by another. COVID-19 spreads quickly and causes mild to severe respiratory distress and even death. Only a tiny percentage of those who catch COVID-19.

But because the virus spreads worldwide rapidly, infecting millions, a small percentage can be a lot.

And now, the world may have to deal with regular mutation variants of COVID-19.

There is a lot about COVID-19 that the medical world does not know about but will learn in the coming years.

One of those things is so-called long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

For some COVID-19 sufferers, catching the virus is just the beginning of a myriad of long-term health problems.

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What Is Post-COVID Syndrome?

Most of those who contract COVID-19 usually exhibit mild to moderate respiratory distress.

Over 35% of people who contract COVID-19 are entirely asymptomatic. They show zeros symptoms, don’t get sick, and obliviously spread the virus.

Less than 3% of the globally infected have died from COVID-19. Out of a global population of eight billion, roughly 6 million to 18 million people have been killed from COVID-19 since December 2019.

As we previously mentioned, there is so much that the medical community must learn, collaborate resources on, and confirm about COVID-19.

And the medical world has a lot to learn about long-term COVID-19 symptoms. That is because some of the patients who contract it deal with symptoms long-term.

Most people who contract mild to severe COVID-19 tend to recover within a few weeks, depending on age, overall health, and medical history.

However, some COVID-19 sufferers experience lingering symptoms and health problems long after their initial infection.

Long-term COVID-19 is also known as “long-haul COVID-19” and “post-COVID-19 syndrome.” Sufferers are also known as “long haulers.”

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms persist longer than four weeks or several months.

One out of every three COVID-19 sufferers experiences long-term COVID-19 symptoms that last three to six months after initial infection.

Patients suffering from long-term COVID-19 symptoms have no live coronavirus in their bodies. Long haulers will test negative for the virus.

However, the medical community is still learning what kind of long-term damage COVID-19 wrecks on the human body.

And long haulers live for months with life-altering and debilitating medical problems caused by the virus and long after it leaves their system.

Long-Term Symptoms of COVID-19

There are no one-size-fits-all symptoms or symptoms for long-term COVID-19. It is essential to monitor your health after recovering from COVID-19.

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms can be so innocuous or unconnected to the traditional respiratory problems caused by the initial infection that patients may not make the connection.

Some symptoms of long-term COVID-19 include but are not limited to:

Tightening of chest
Shortness of breath
Dizzyness
Extreme joint pain
Tinnitus
Pins and needles
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Noticeable changes to taste or sense of smell
Depression
Anxiety
Rash
Brain fog (inability to concentrate or focus mentally)
Insomnia
Heart palpitations

Breathing Issues

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One of the primary symptoms of long-term COVID-19 is severe breathing issues. Many COVID-19 patients must be put on ventilators in the ICU because their ability to breathe normally has been compromised.

COVID-19 is known to cause severe scarring in the lungs and other potentially permanent respiratory problems.

Patients who experience a very mild COVID-19 infection may also develop scarring in the lungs.

Long haulers typically complain of constantly being short of breath. They get short of breath even after light physical exercise or bodily exertion.

It could take several months for a long hauler’s lung function and breathing to return to their pre-pandemic level.

The best way to counteract this long-term COVID-19 symptom is with respiratory therapy and breathing exercises.

Blood Clots and Blood Vessel Issues

Contracting COVID-19 makes it more likely for the blood cells in your vascular system to clump together and form blood clots.

It takes one large blood clot to block a major blood vessel to initiate a stroke or heart attack.

However, the blood vessel and blood clot problems caused by long-term COVID-19 symptoms are usually initiated by smaller blood clots. These are tiny blood clots that have the potential to block capillaries, much smaller blood vessels connected to the heart.

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms can cause small blood clots that disrupt or compromise blood flow to the legs, lungs, kidneys, and lungs.

Kidney Damage

Over 30% of patients with COVID-19 develop severe kidney problems. And over 50% of COVID-19 sufferers who end up in the ICU need dialysis.

Medical experts are still studying how COVID-19 damages the kidneys.

COVID-19 causes deficient levels of oxygen in the blood. The kidneys perform a host of bodily functions, most notably blood filtration. Kidneys can become damaged or malfunction when low-oxygen blood flows through them.

Some studies have suggested that the COVID-19 virus actively targets, attaches itself to, and damages the kidneys.

Some medical experts believe that a coronavirus infection causes a “cytokine storm” within the body. Cytokines are proteins that act as a communication system for the body’s cells as the immune system fights infections and foreign bodies.

But COVID-19 may cause a massive influx of cytokines to storm the body. This cytokine storm causes severe inflammation of the kidneys, damaging them.

Fatigue

Many COVID-19 long haulers are known to develop chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome causes severe fatigue. And this overwhelming physical fatigue worsens over time and does not improve with sleep or rest.

And long-term COVID-19 chronic fatigue can be doubly overwhelming when the fatigue is mental and physical.

Mood

Long-term COVID-19 can cause mood problems that may persist for months or longer.

Some long-haulers develop anxiety and depression problems. Others may feel that they have post-traumatic stress disorder.

When your lungs or kidneys malfunction, or if you ever become put on a ventilator, your body and mind may feel like it has been put through a war.

Loss of Taste and Smell

The COVID-19 virus is known to alter the nose and tongue cells, resulting in temporary loss of taste and smell.

Some COVID-19 sufferers lose their sense of taste and smell. Or their sense of taste and smell becomes so altered that familiar smells and tastes become strange, bad, or just weirdly different.

Autonomic Nervous System Issues

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS, is a medical condition that adversely affects blood vessel circulation. And disruption to blood circulation can cause autonomic nervous system issues.

Long-haulers who develop POTS could suffer from fatigue, brain fog, severe headaches, insomnia, and several other neurologic issues.

Neurological Problems

Some neurologic problems caused by long-term COVID-19 include but are not limited to:

Dizziness
Chronic fatigue
Severe headaches
Brain fog

Evaluation and Treatment for Long-Term COVID-19 Symptoms

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Since there is so much unknown about COVID-19 and its various mutations, there are no general evaluation or treatment guidelines for long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms generally manifest 14-days to a month after initial infection or recovery.

Monitor your health and symptoms after infection. Ask your physician for a long-term COVID-19 evaluation two weeks to a month after the initial infection if symptoms persist.

Since every long-hauler exhibits unusual symptoms, your medical care provider will have to diagnose and develop a treatment according to your circumstances.

Conclusion

Contracting COVID-19 could be the beginning of your long-term health problems.

Continually monitor your health after recovering from COVID-19.

You may be a long hauler and not even realize it.

Experience relationship-based medical treatment today with Optimed Hospitalists.

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