The most dangerous complication from COVID-19
The coronavirus can cause a series of life-threatening complications that follow one after the other.
Pneumonia often turns into chronic oxygen deficiency due to the formed fibrosis of the lungs. The new coronavirus infection primarily attacks the respiratory system. If the protective functions do not work properly, pneumonia may develop. In turn, it causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in 15%.
Member of the European Association of Anti-Aging Medicine Rusiam, Russian Association of Anti-Aging Medicine Physicians PreventAge. Vice President for Medicine at GRAND-Cryo, a manufacturer of cryocapsules and equipment for underwater massage in living water.
The lungs affected by the disease receive a new blow: inflammatory processes damage the protective membranes of the capillaries, and the liquid from them begins to gradually fill the alveoli (“bubbles” in which gas exchange takes place). As a result, blood oxygen saturation rapidly drops, which affects all tissues and internal organs. After a while, the patient can no longer breathe on his own, he needs oxygen. If you do not take action in time, everything can end in the most sad way.
The complication develops rapidly – about a week after the onset of symptoms of COVID-19, severe shortness of breath appears. If the patient is being treated at home, this is the first sign that a doctor should be called. A person cannot not only move freely, he does not have enough air to talk. After another 3-4 days, ARDS develops. Associated symptoms: feeling of tightness and chest pain; labored and fast breathing; low blood pressure; confusion of consciousness.
Elderly patients are most often affected, but this can happen to younger people as well. At risk are those infected with bad habits and chronic diseases (bronchitis, asthma, obesity, diabetes). The situation is complicated by one more point. A high viral load leads to the development of a “cytokine storm” – an uncontrolled immune response when the body destroys the affected lung cells. Fortunately, in most cases, a patient in this condition is already under the supervision of doctors. Computed tomography is used for diagnostics, and oxygen is used to restore vital functions. It is also needed if a person can breathe on their own, but not deep enough for the blood to be saturated with oxygen in full. At the same time, drug therapy is prescribed, antibiotics and pain relievers, hormones can be included in it.
Modern medicine has learned to cope with ARDS, in most cases the patient can be saved. But, continuing the chain of problems, this condition can cause other complications – heart failure, pulmonary fibrosis (when the tissue is covered with scars). And also lead to serious consequences, sometimes irreversible. The most common is impaired pulmonary function. In some cases, it can recover after a few years, in others, shortness of breath and fatigue will always appear, even with a satisfactory state of health and at rest. In second place are memory problems and depression. Experienced oxygen starvation often causes cognitive impairment.
Other names for respiratory distress syndrome are shock, wet, and traumatic lung.
Incidentally,
ARDS can be caused by more than just coronavirus pneumonia. It can be provoked by rhinos and adenoviruses, measles, bacterial complications of infections, trauma, burns, sepsis, hypothermia or overheating. There is no specific prophylaxis; the best thing to do is to monitor your health.