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Complications from COVID-19 are more than fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and even brain fog. Doctors see more and more patients with intestinal problems. What’s more, the presence of the coronavirus in the intestines may not only cause gastrointestinal symptoms, but also affect the mental state. How to recognize that SARS-CoV-2 has attacked the intestines and what effects could this have?
- Pocovid complications go beyond fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and brain fog
- More and more patients have complications from COVID-19 in the gut
- The most common symptoms of “intestinal long covid” include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea (or alternately constipation and diarrhea), nausea, vomiting
- Dr. Raphael Kellman notes that people with long covid only rarely develop gastrointestinal symptoms. They are often accompanied by symptoms from the nervous system, including the psyche
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Long covid. More and more patients with intestinal problems
The scale of long-term complications after COVID-19 is increasingly worrying doctors. According to estimates, it may have over 100 million people. No wonder fears of a possible wave of chronic disease are growing. We are also worried about the magnitude of the symptoms of long covid (symptoms lasting up to three months after the onset of the disease) and post covid (more than three months), and the fact that we still know little about them. The observations so far show that most people complain of disorders in the nervous system (it is said about neurocovidae or coronavirus neuroinvasion). This means neurological disorders, but also psychiatric and psychological disorders.
However, postovid complications go beyond fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and brain fog. In June, the US Mayo Clinic reported that doctors were seeing more and more patients with gastrointestinal problems. “What we’ve seen with our own eyes has also been documented in the medical literature,” notes Mayo Clinic’s post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program director Greg Vanichkachorn. According to the facility, out of 147 patients with no previous gastrointestinal problems, 16 percent. reported gastrointestinal symptoms about 100 days after being infected with COVID-19.
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“COVID-19 can cause gastrointestinal problems in several possible ways,” admits Dr. Vanichkachorn. “The lining of the gut, for example, contains a large number of receptors that the SARS-COV-2 virus uses to attack cells,” says the doctor.
Research also shows that the pathogen adversely affects the gut microbiome (the intestinal microflora). This causes inflammation, which leads to an increase in the permeability of the intestinal barrier (the gastrointestinal wall becomes excessively permeable to toxins or by-products of bacterial metabolism). This condition leads to further disorders in the body. “That is why improving the microbiome is a very important part of covid treatment,” says internist and functional medicine physician Raphael Kellman at eatthis.com.
Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum points out a slightly different issue. “In some people, the coronavirus likes to” settle “in the gut lining. Since the gut produces more neurotransmitters that control the brain and mood than the brain itself, this can cause persistent brain fog and anxiety often seen in people with complications after COVID-19 ».
Many people who had no gastrointestinal problems prior to COVID-19 complained of abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea (or alternating constipation and diarrhea), vomiting after being infected with the coronavirus. This is confirmed by Dr. Vanichkachorn. “Patients in the rehabilitation program report a variety of digestive problems, ranging from mild nausea and decreased appetite to severe constipation and food intolerance.” Dr. Kellman also notes the persistent discomfort and abdominal cramps. He also adds that people with autoimmune diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. colitis or Crohn’s disease) are more prone to exacerbation of disorders.
The study published in April this year also indicated that patients with long covid experienced heartburn, swallowing problems, and gas.
«When gastrointestinal symptoms appear, they are invariably accompanied by other systemic symptoms as well, such as brain fog and difficulty concentrating, anxiety. It is rare for a person with a long covid to have only gastrointestinal symptoms. Quite often, it is also associated with neuropsychological problems, including anxiety, depression, poor memory and difficulty concentrating »notes Raphael Kellman.
A person experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms after undergoing COVID-19 should stay hydrated and eat healthy, advises Dr. Vanichkachorn, adding that extreme diets are not helpful for long-term covid. “Instead, we recommend a Mediterranean diet and cut back on processed foods.”
«Second, avoid using many over-the-counter products to treat symptoms. Sometimes it can worsen the problem »- cautions the physician and advises you to talk to your doctor first, which will allow you to develop an optimal treatment plan.
Have you been infected with COVID-19? Be sure to check your health. The Healing Blood Test Pack, available on Medonet Market, can help you with this. You can also make them at home.