Unlike the cold or the flu, coronavirus can cause lingering symptoms, better known as long Covid. This tricky aspect of the virus can leave you struggling with long-term difficulties for weeks or months after the initial infection. But what are the main signs that could indicate you have it?
Perhaps, the two best known symptoms of long Covid are fatigue and brain fog.
Many patients complain of these signs complicating their daily lives, leaving them unable to resume their everyday activities like they used to.
Symptoms like these could mean you belong among post-Covid “long haulers”, as the Harvard Medical School puts it.
This term describes those who are suffering from the symptoms of long Covid.
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The Office for National Statistics explains that about 1.3 million people living in the UK belong among these so-called long haulers.
According to the NHS, other symptoms that could help spot the persisting condition are:
- Shortness of breath (could leave you unable to exercise)
- Chest pain or tightness
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Pins and needles
- Joint pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Tinnitus, earaches
- Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- High temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- Rashes.
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How to spot long-Covid brain fog?
Classified as a common symptom of long Covid, brain fog describes problems with memory and concentration.
Your thinking can become “sluggish, fuzzy and not sharp” when you struggle with this tricky sign, explains the Harvard Medical School.
This symptom can be also experienced during an active viral illness or when you are jet-lagged.
However, long Covid related brain fog occurs after the initial infection.
It could also be linked to other symptoms of long-term conditions.
The medical school states: “For example, how can you think clearly if you’re feeling fatigued and your body is aching?
“How can you concentrate if you were up half the night and awoke with a headache?”
If you struggle with these signs, you should speak to your doctor.
They might suggest some tests, ranging from a blood test to X-ray, to rule out other conditions.
How to treat long Covid symptoms?
Your doctor will help find the best course of action to ease the persisting signs.
If the long-term condition affects your daily life in a great way, you might be referred to a specialist to target specific symptoms.
However, some experts also recommend lifestyle changes to tackle long Covid.
For example, a Mediterranean-style diet, containing olive oil, fruit and vegetables, nuts and whole grains, could help improve thinking, memory and overall brain health, the Harvard Medical School adds.