According to reports, in the late stage of COVID-19, about 30-60% of people still have persistent symptoms, of which, about 20-30% of the symptoms are even more obvious than the early symptoms of the disease, and patients still have brain fog, dizziness, fatigue, dyspnea, chest tightness, memory loss, insomnia and other troubles after recovering from COVID-19.
What is long COVID?
According to the definition of the World Health Organization, Post-COVID Conditions or Long COVID, also known as Post COVID syndrome, refers to since the patient was infected with the novel coronavirus, the results of his PCR showed positive as criteria, and he still suffers uncomfortable symptoms after 3 months. More detailed updated statistical information on the incidence of Post Covid-19 Symptoms according to the timeline can be found in the figure below.
Post-COVID Conditions are mainly concentrated in five aspects, including respiratory syndrome, cognitive system syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain syndrome, and mental syndrome, such as long COVID brain fog, which belongs to the cognitive system syndrome. Long-term COVID chronic fatigue are one of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Why COVID-19 Causes Brain Fog?
The coronavirus infects the human body mainly through respiration, and the virus usually infects the nasal cavity, throat, and upper respiratory tract, then invades the epithelial cells of various organs and tissues of the respiratory system, and then into pericytes and blood. Finally, it spreads along the blood to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For long COVID brain fog is generally attributed to a state of brain inflammation which is directly or indirectly caused by novel coronavirus infection, according to published medical research papers.
According to the current medical research papers on brain fog symptoms after infection with COVID-19, the causes of brain fog can be broadly divided into the following causes:
(1) There is no COVID-19 in the human body, but the previous novel coronavirus infection has caused relatively large damage to various organs of the human body and the immune system of the human body. Proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines produced by these insults, as well as dead viral corpse fragments, trigger chronic inflammation in humans. Chronic inflammation in the human body leads to some pro-inflammatory factors breaking through the blood-brain barrier into the brain, which in turn triggers chronic inflammation in the brain.
(2) Trace amounts of COVID-19 remain in the human body, but they have been suppressed by the human immune system. Due to the minute amounts of viruses, it is hard for PCR nucleic acid to detect, thus the result presents a negative. These residual minute amounts of coronavirus, which still invade cells in various organs of the human body, trigger chronic inflammation in the human body. Chronic inflammation in the human body leads to some pro-inflammatory factors breaking through the blood-brain barrier into the brain, which in turn triggers chronic inflammation in the brain.
(3) A very small amount of novel coronavirus can also directly infect nerve cells. For example, the virus infect olfactory neuron cells directly through the nasal cavity into nasal epithelium, and then make an infection by Dynein protein, which is responsible for the retrograde transport of various cellular substances required from neuronal axons to the nucleus, and then by vesicles between the nerves in the brain to transmit to other nerve cells. This process can also trigger chronic inflammation of the brain.
(4) At the early stage of infection, the coronavirus enters the human brain directly through the olfactory organs, or breaks through the blood-brain barrier to infect the surrounding cells and microvascular endothelial cells in the brain, triggering chronic inflammation of the brain.
(5) There are a small number of novel coronavirus that can also directly infect the surrounding cells of neurons in the brain, such as horizontal basal cells and Sertoli cells. Damage to cells around neurons in the brain can decrease the function of neuronal cells, which in turn triggers various brain operation problems. This process can also trigger chronic inflammation of the brain.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Relieve Long COVID Brain Fog
How to relieve post COVID brain fog through traditional Chinese medicine, suggestions of long covid care center are as follows.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners look, smell, ask, and feel to obtain more precise disease information about patients to support Chinese medicine practitioners in making the most accurate syndrome differentiation and treatment for patients’ conditions.
TCM doctors will classify and summarize the main symptoms, accompanying secondary symptoms, physical condition, and sick parts of the internal organs of the patients according to the most comprehensive disease information of the patients.
(1)First, the main symptoms are the most unbearable symptoms of patients at present, such as dizziness.
(2)Second, accompanying secondary symptoms are that suffered from the main symptoms, which means the patient is experiencing other uncomfortable symptoms, such as occasional chronic headache.
(3)Third, to find out the physical condition of the patient, which means the patient’s current physical health status, belongs to which category in the TCM constitution. For example, yang-deficiency constitution, phlegm-dampness constitution, qi-deficiency constitution, blood stasis constitution, etc.
Combining the patient’s condition with the physical examination report and inspection report of Western medicine, the TCM doctor comprehensively uses TCM theory and practical experience to prescribe TCM prescriptions for the patient.
Infection by pathogenic substances such as viruses and bacteria is collectively referred to as “wind” in traditional Chinese medicine. Due to the cold, hot, and humid body constitution, the symptoms and syndromes will change after the illness. Chinese medicine gives corresponding drug treatment according to different constitutions and syndrome types, so-called different treatment methods for the same disease, and the same treatment method for various conditions.
Combining the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine and the inspection report of western medicine, for patients with phlegm-damp constitution, Chinese medicine practitioners recommend the following prescriptions:
(1) Banxia Tianma Pills are used to invigorate the spleen and removing dampness, reducing phlegm and wind, and lessen dizziness symptoms.
(2) Mailuotong capsule is used to dredge meridian vascular congestion.
(3) Xifeng Tongluo Headache tablets are used to clear away heat and toxic substances and reduce the symptoms of chronic headache.
Acupuncture program given by the TCM: apply electronic moxibustion at the following acupoints.
- Baihui, Ashi, Shenyu, and Guanyuan point to improve brain metabolism.
- Relieves and Clears Brain Fog with the Clear Brain Fog Vapour Patches.
In terms of life and diet, people must maintain good work and rest and living habits, such as drinking plenty of water, maintaining adequate sleep, doing more gentle stretching exercises, and avoiding high-intensity strenuous exercise; avoiding grilled, fried, and spicy foods in your diet, and avoid intake of Excessive sweets, ice products, do not drink alcohol, etc.
This post has been sponsored by longcovidcarecenter.org
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