LONG COVID

Long COVID, also known as long-haul COVID, describes COVID-19 symptoms continuing beyond the initial illness, eight to twelve weeks post COVID or longer. The long-term effects, called post-COVID conditions (PCC), tend to be found more often in those who had severe COVID illness. However, even people who had mild or no COVID-19 symptoms have experienced PCC. 

It can be difficult to identify and treat Long COVID because the symptoms vary so much, and traditional medical testing may not reveal anything abnormal. PCCs are also similar to the symptoms of other health conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Lyme disease. Functional medical practitioners have determined that gut microbiome disturbance and immune system dysfunction are the primary mechanisms that may be responsible for long-haul COVID.

If you think you have Long COVID, some key characteristics and features of the condition differentiate it from other chronic illnesses. Long-haul COVID tends to affect more organ systems, including respiratory and intestinal. Sufferers may also notice symptoms come in waves–they feel terrible one week, better the next, and then terrible again. 

While there are over 200 different symptoms that people have reported, the most common symptoms of Long COVID include:

• Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• Problems with memory and concentration (brain fog)
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Persistent cough or shortness of breath
• Joint pain and body aches
• Headaches
• Loss of smell and/or taste
• Hair loss
• Skin rash
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations, chest pain, or tightness

When contracting the COVID-19 virus, the immune system kicks in to fight the infection. However, with people suffering from Long COVID, the immune system may not turn off following the initial illness, creating an immune system imbalance and inflammation. The increased inflammatory response from an overactive immune system can lead to what is known as a “cytokine storm.” This storm results from too much oxidative stress, producing free radical compounds that can damage the body and cause this long list of symptoms.

Because long-haul COVID presents with such a wide range of symptoms, it can be difficult to get the correct diagnosis and treatment. Choosing a functional medicine practitioner enables you to work with an expert who has an in-depth understanding of the immune system, gastrointestinal system, and inflammation. A comprehensive functional medicine approach from The Healing Collective can help you overcome the debilitating symptoms of Long COVID and find the healing you need to get back to living life.

Although long-haul COVID is a newer syndrome, our functional medicine and physical therapy practitioners have been helping patients recover from persistent viral infections, chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, and multi-organ dysfunction for years. Our holistic approach to Long COVID and post COVID conditions considers the body's interconnected systems and utilizes evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic treatments to support the healthiest immune system response and your Long COVID recovery.