One of my uncles tested positive for COVID-19 back in September and kept complaining of severe digestive issues for months to come. He also went to a number of doctors, got numerous tests done and all of them turned out to be alright. The doctors could not really understand his problem and most of us just thought that he was being paranoid after his experience with COVID-19. If only we knew better and had an understanding of the post-COVID symptoms which have gotten all the more pronounced during the second wave of the pandemic.
To understand them better we recently reached out to Dr Atul Ahuja, Senior Consultant, ENT and Head & Neck surgeon, Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, New Delhi from the Insta famous Doctor family, Drs Ahujas. In a conversation with POPxo, he talked about the most common post-COVID-19 symptoms, post COVID-19 care and warning bells that one should watch out for.
Common Post COVID-19 Symptoms
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According to Dr Ahuja, the most prevalent COVID-19 symptoms include lack of sense of smell/taste, mild headaches/heaviness of head, weakness, shortness of breath, difficulty in concentrating, depression and anxiety. In some cases, low-grade fever might also occur for weeks at an end. “While these are not alarming symptoms, since it is still a poorly understood disease it is prudent for every person recovering from COVID-19 to be watchful,” says Dr. Ahuja.
He suggests that one should stay in touch with your doctor even after testing negative in case:
-The patient had COVID-19 pneumonia. In such cases, symptoms may persist even if the patient tests negative. This would need continued attention from a healthcare provider.
-If the patient was put on steroids during the course of illness, they shouldn’t be stopped abruptly and need to be gradually tapered. Also, you should keep an eye on other side effects that steroids might cause.
-If the blood sugar is fluctuating because of the illness and administration of steroids. During recovery, the patient needs to have their sugar monitored for smooth recovery.
-If inflammatory markers such as CRP (a protein that rises in concentration in case of inflammation), D-Dimer (a protein fragment that determines the presence of blood clots), serum ferritin (an intracellular protein high levels of which can give indications about chronic illness) had spiked during the COVID-19 infection.
-If the patient was on anticoagulants, they need to continue the medications until the physician decides to stop them. This again depends on the D-Dimer levels and the physician’s personal experience and thus it is important to stay in touch.
-In case the patient had secondary infections (bacterial or fungal) after COVID-19.
Alarming Post COVID-19 Symptoms To Watch Out For
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According To Dr Ahuja here are some of the alarming COVID-19 symptoms that you should watch out for and should immediately report to your physician:
-Persistent breathlessness & fever
-Difficulty in walking because of chest pain, tightness, and tiredness
-Boody/black discharge from the nose
-Pain/numbness of the cheek
-Pain in the upper jaw in one side of your face
-Alteration of vision in one eye
-Persistent brain fog
-Continuous lack of concentration and interrupted/altered sleeping patterns
Post COVID-19 Care Tips That Might Come In Handy
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Apart from the alarming post-COVID-19 symptoms, most of the weakness and fatigue that you feel should go away eventually. However, here are some post-COVID-19 tips that you can keep in mind for a speedy recovery:
-If your energy levels are down, be kind to your body and try not to pick up the pace immediately. Listen to your body. However, staying stagnant is also not a good idea. Thus, aim for light mobility and then increase it gradually.
-COVID-19 exacts a heavy toll on your body and one needs to take a balanced, nutritious diet with high protein levels during the recovery phase. Please keep dieting fads out of the picture. Click here for more information on the perfect post-COVID-19 diet.
-Patients may feel weak because of electrolyte imbalance. Therefore, it is advisable to take plenty of fluids, coconut water, and fresh fruits.
-Drinking regular sips of warm fluids will provide relief in case the patient is still having a lot of throat irritation or dry cough.
-Avoid smoking and consuming alcohol until you’re completely fit. This is probably as good a time as any, to get on your “quit smoking” program!
-Do not ignore your mental health! Practice gratitude and connect with friends and family.
-Stay in touch with your physician regarding any further tests, if required.
Lastly, remember to monitor your body and symptoms even after testing negative for COVID-19. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry, right?
Featured Image: Unsplash
