Recovery from long COVID (Part 1)

Editors note: This article is adapted from an article written by herbal expert Steven Horne and is reprinted with permission. Please note that it is for informational purposes only. 

Although many people who caught COVID-19 recovered within a couple of weeks, others are reporting symptoms that have lasted long after the acute infection. This problem is commonly called post- or long-term COVID-19. It happens to about one in five people who have the infection, with slightly higher rates in the elderly.

The most common symptoms of long COVID-19 include ongoing respiratory problems, like shortness of breath and chronic cough. Neurological problems, such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, dizziness upon standing, and headaches are also common. Some people have problems with their digestive system, such as diarrhea. Still others experience circulatory issues like increased blood clotting, rapid heart rate, and chest pain.

If you had COVID-19 and feel like you’ve never recovered, this article may help. We’ll take a look at a process called convalescence and how it applies to long Covid. We’ll talk about reasons why you might be having continuing problems and what you can do to aid your recovery.

Why Persistent Symptoms?
There are a couple of reasons why an illness like COVID-19 might have residual effects. First, tissue responds to infection through an inflammatory process. COVID-19 can cause severe inflammation, which may have damaged various tissues, which need time and support to heal properly.

The symptoms you experience from inflammatory damage will depend on which tissues were severely inflamed. Severe respiratory inflammation may cause scarring in the lungs which can cause chronic cough and make breathing more difficult. Intestinal inflammation may damage the gut lining and microbiome, causing dysbiosis, leaky gut, diarrhea, or constipation. Cardiovascular inflammation can damage the heart and arterial lining, affecting blood circulation, blood pressure, and heart function. Damage to the nervous system can affect things like your mood, sense of balance, and sleep cycle.

Secondly, serious illness is stressful, and high levels of stress disrupt nervous and glandular function. Getting back to normal after suffering any extreme stress takes extra rest, time, and perhaps even counseling or therapy. Herbal and/or nutritional support can also help.

Finally, it has long been recognized that recovery from any illness requires a period of convalescence. Convalescence is the period of time between feeling acutely ill and feeling completely healthy. For example, if you get food poisoning, you start to feel better after you throw up. That’s the turning point of the disease, traditionally called the disease crisis. After the crisis has passed, you’ll start to feel better, but you’ll still feel tired and need a period of time to regain your former health and strength.

Supporting Convalescence
Part of the reason why COVID-19 may have left persistent symptoms is many people don’t understand the importance of convalescence or aren’t able to give adequate time to this part of the recovery process.

Convalescence requires time. The time required for patients to recover their strength used to be accounted for in the practice of medicine. In fact, there were sanitariums where sick people could spend time recovering under continued medical care. But. due to a combination of lack of space, inadequate funds, and a loss of understanding, patients are often sent home from the hospital when they really still need care.

Over time, hospital stays have shortened to make room for new patients. Today, as soon as a person is stable, they will be discharged from the hospital, even though they are not completely well. They may be sent home with no clear suggestions on what they can do to restore their health. If they’re lucky, they may have a loved one who can spend time nursing them back to health, but this doesn’t always happen.

As a result, many people may be faced with having to take care of themselves even though they do not feel completely well. This has resulted in an increasing number of re-admissions where people suffer a relapse and need to be put back into the hospital. And, it may also be why people don’t ever completely heal.

With that problem in mind, here are some basic suggestions for convalescence.

Take it Easy
You need to get extra rest after any serious illness until you have fully recovered. It is a big advantage to have someone to help take care of you during this period.

If you’re having problems sleeping, start by establishing a set routine. This helps train your body to fall into a natural circadian rhythm, a natural oscillation between sleeping and waking.

Do things to relax before your scheduled bedtime. Don’t watch, read, or listen to anything disturbing such as news or even dramatic movies or TV shows. Listen to soft music, read an uplifting book, take a warm bath, or even get a loved one to rub your back to help you naturally unwind and prepare for sleep.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine and don’t eat heavy meals before bedtime. Darken your room as much as possible and don’t watch TV, work on a computer, or use your smartphone for 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime. This aids the natural production of melatonin to help you get to sleep.

Eat Mild Foods
After being sick, a person may not be able to properly digest heavy foods. A mild food diet is a good strategy to help aid recovery. This involves a diet primarily of cooked vegetables with some fruits, perhaps a little fermented dairy (like yogurt or Kiefer), and mild grains like rice or millet.

The phytochemicals present in brightly colored fruits and vegetables will reduce inflammation and aid tissue healing. The fiber in these foods will also help restore gut flora, which makes this diet helpful in recovery.

Some herbalists have also advocated diets of mucilaginous herbs for recovery, such as slippery elm gruel, barley water, or marshmallow. These help restore gut flora, reduce inflammation, and speed healing.

Get Emotional Support
If illness has left you in an emotionally disturbed state, you should seek emotional support from loved ones or friends. If this is not available, seek help from professionals. It may also help to take some relaxing nervines if you’re feeling anxious, such as hops, valerian, skullcap, or passionflower. Nourishing adaptogens like ashwagandha, holy basil, or cordyceps may also be helpful, especially if taken regularly for several months. If depression is a problem, mild mood-elevating herbs like rosemary, mimosa, or St. John’s wort may be helpful.

Next week, we will explore this topic further, focusing on respiratory, cardiovascular, and gut recovery. See you then.

 

 

 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash