The last two years, so strange and so difficult, have affected the health of many of us, and in the most unexpected way. Let’s figure out what happened and what we can do with all this now.
Hair
In the summer of 2021, the British Association of Trichologists – doctors involved in the diagnosis and treatment of hair diseases – conducted a survey among its members. It turned out that 79% of them met with cases of “post-COVID hair loss” in their patients.
“Usually, hair loss begins 4-6 weeks after recovering from coronavirus, and can be associated with fever and loss of appetite during illness,” explains Eva Proudman, consultant trichologist and head of the association. According to the expert, more women report the problem, but this may be due to the fact that they generally wear longer hair, which means that the loss is more noticeable and palpable.
Another possible reason is the stress experienced even by those of us who have not had covid.
No matter how we experienced the months of the pandemic, in any case, many were anxious: some were afraid of getting sick or losing loved ones, others were afraid of losing their jobs.
In the language of science, what is happening to our hair now is called telogen effluvium: “The natural cycle of hair growth and hair loss is disrupted, and it turns out that there are fewer hair growth than hair loss.”
But the good news is that whatever causes this problem, it can be dealt with. “In some cases, the situation normalizes on its own, after a while. But sometimes the body needs help by changing the diet, including special hair supplements in the diet, or changing hair care.
Eyes
Let’s be honest: in recent months, we all spend too much time in front of laptop screens, and TVs too. So dry eyes, as well as itching and a feeling of “sand”, are quite understandable. Children were also affected: for example, in China, a sharp increase in the number of cases of childhood myopia was recorded. This is due to the fact that preschoolers and schoolchildren began to spend less time on the street and with each other and more with gadgets.
But the main part of the problem is not in the gadgets themselves, but in the fact that we blink five times less than we should when we look at something directly in front of our eyes – a laptop screen, a tablet or a book. And you need to do something about it: for example, set yourself reminders to take your eyes off the screen at least once an hour, do exercises for your eyes and use special drops.
Teeth
Everything is also more or less clear here: trying to observe safety measures and fearing for their health, many have stopped visiting dentists regularly. We tried not to show up in clinics unless there was a sharp pain or other problems requiring immediate attention. And as a result, the condition of the teeth was launched.
Now, where before, for example, it was possible to get by with a filling, an operation is needed to remove
But that is not all. The American Dental Association conducted a survey of 2300 physicians nationwide. And 71% of them noted new cases of bruxism (teeth grinding) in their patients during the pandemic. And already bruxism, in turn, has led to an increase in the number of temporomandibular disorders (headaches, jaw clicking, pain), which are noted by 60% of dentists.
Heart
According to Sonia Babu-Narayan, head of the British Heart Foundation, cardiologists have noted an increase in the number of chronic heart conditions during the pandemic. In some cases, the reason for this was the deterioration of nutrition and the refusal to exercise, in others, the inability to get medical help.
“Problems began to snowball, and as a result, many patients were put at risk for their lives. Add in canceled appointments, missed appointments, endless waiting lists … All this turned into thousands of deaths.
GI
Gastroenterologist Philip Smith and his colleagues note that patients are more likely to complain of irritable bowel syndrome. “The fact is that our brain and gastrointestinal tract are in close connection. And stress pretty quickly leads to the development of problems with the stomach or intestines. Patients are already reluctant to complain about, say, gas or diarrhea. And during the pandemic, it began to seem to everyone that “there are more important problems.” As a result, we doctors have to deal with advanced cases.”
Liver
Yes, you guessed it right: for the most part, we began to drink more. At least in the UK, one in five respondents admitted that they began to drink alcohol more often – and in bоlarger quantities. As a result, doctors today see symptoms such as weight loss, profuse sweating, tremors, overexcitation, gastrointestinal bleeding, and so on and so forth.
Leather
Dermatologist Emma Craithorn notes that during the pandemic, patients began to complain more often about the appearance of redheads, the development of eczema and psoriasis. The need to constantly wash our hands and treat them with a sanitizer also affected our skin: for example, doctors themselves do this about 100 times a day.
“When you wash your hands, the top layer of the skin immediately begins to lose moisture because you have broken its protective layer”
“And if the hands are not immediately moisturized, very soon the skin can begin to crack. Bacteria get into the cracks, and inflammation begins.
In addition, we owe the pandemic to the condition of “maskne” (derived from “mask” and “acne”) – skin problems due to the constant wearing of masks. “Some people even develop perioral or perioral dermatitis,” the expert explains, but reminds them that wearing masks in crowded places is still necessary.
Legs
What do you wear around the house? Most likely, in slippers or even barefoot. Perhaps your legs were not ready for this and, having lost comfortable insoles, they responded with the development of pain. Some even developed plantar fasciitis, a disease that manifests itself primarily in pain in the heel, especially when walking.
Orthopedists and pediatricians also say that patients have become more likely to complain of pain in the knees, back of the ankle and calcaneal tendon. Perhaps the reason is that since the beginning of the pandemic, our activity has changed significantly. And, of course, if discomfort bothers you for more than two weeks and does not go away on its own, you should consult a doctor.
This, however, applies not only to the legs, but also to all the problems listed above. Monitor your condition, respond to any symptoms and be healthy!
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