Suffering from long COVID? You’re not alone

I find it somewhat remarkable how some people have stopped worrying about the virus that keeps on giving… COVID.

It’s been a long road to even get to that point.

But it’s important to remember the harsh reality that it’s still here.

Worse yet, many Americans are suffering from ongoing effects, or long COVID. And that can be utterly debilitating (let alone, annoying).

Let’s take a closer look—along with ways to protect yourself, year-round.

Watch out for these lingering symptoms

The official name for long COVID is post-acute sequelae of COVID, or PASC.

It’s defined as experiencing lasting symptoms of an initial infection with COVID—or the emergence of new symptoms shortly after recovery.

For some, the illness lingers for years—for others, a few months.

And there are a wide range of symptoms to watch out for:

• Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
• Post-exertional malaise—or symptoms that worsen after physical or mental effort
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Brain fog (trouble concentrating)
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations
• Headache
• Trouble sleeping
• Dizziness when standing
• Pins-and-needles feeling
• Change in taste or smell
• Depression or anxiety
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Joint or muscle pain
• Rash
• Changes in menstrual cycle

Wow—it looks to me we have another syndrome like chronic fatigue on our hands… where victims suffer with vague and seemingly unrelated symptoms that can cause serious debilitation.

Protect yourself

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), close to 20 percent of patients will suffer from PASC.

And some estimates go even higher.

In fact, a University of Oxford study found more than one-third (33 percent) of patients experience symptoms of long COVID between three months and six months after infection with COVID-19.

While we don’t know the exact cause, it’s likely that ongoing inflammation is a main contributor—wreaking havoc on the immune system.

So, how can you protect yourself from this daunting threat?

Well, some research suggests vaccination may not only reduce the severity of COVID-19, but long COVID, too…

A team of researchers in Milan, Italy, found unvaccinated people in their study were nearly three times as likely to have serious symptoms for longer than 4 weeks, compared to vaccinated volunteers.

And in the words of Elena Azzolini, MD, PhD, head of the Humanitas Research Hospital’s vaccination center in Milan, “some studies may have underestimated the level of long COVID protection from vaccines because of limits in the study methods.”

At the end of the day, since there isn’t a drug to treat it, you can bet that modern medicine is going to overlook this pressing condition…

Leaving those of us who believe in complementary medicine, like me, to pick up the pieces and help so many troubled souls.

Well, my first piece of advice is to keep your immune system primed and ready. For detailed tips, I encourage you to check out my Complete Guide to Year-Round Immunity.

Until next time,
Dr. Fred

P.S. Tune back in tomorrow to learn about what COVID-19 could be doing to your BRAIN!

Source:

“How Well Do Vaccines Protect Against Long COVID?” WebMD, 08/08/2022. (webmd.com/lung/news/20220808/how-well-do-vaccines-protect-against-long-covid)