Could I Still Be Suffering from Lingering COVID-19 Symptoms?

You feel more tired than usual, you no longer enjoy eating your favorite food, and you have a cough that won’t go away. You had COVID-19 months ago, so could you have lingering symptoms?

It’s estimated that up to 10% of people in the United States continue to experience COVID-19 symptoms long-after recovering from the acute infection. You have what doctor’s call long COVID if symptoms last longer than three months.

At Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, our team specializes in managing post-COVID respiratory treatment. We understand the frustration patients experience when they continue to feel unwell after having COVID-19.

Read on to learn more about long COVID and what we can do to help you feel more like yourself.

Those lingering COVID-19 symptoms

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a newly discovered virus. Symptoms vary, but most often affect the respiratory system, causing mild to moderate symptoms like a cough, fever, and body aches that resolve within a week or two. People with more severe symptoms may experience shortness of breath that requires hospital care.

Anyone infected with COVID may experience lingering symptoms, whether the initial infection was mild or severe. Even people without symptoms and unaware of their initial infection may develop post-COVID conditions.

Lingering COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Short of breath
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Difficulty focusing
• Ongoing cough
• Insomnia
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches
• Depression or anxiety

Exhaustion and difficulty breathing are the most common. However, if you have any of the above symptoms following COVID-19 and they affect your daily life, it’s time to reach out for help. 

Causes of long COVID

Researchers are still learning about COVID-19 and what causes some people to continue to experience symptoms after their initial infection. They theorize that the ongoing symptoms may be due to the immune system trying to fight off any remaining virus, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks healthy organs, or body damage caused by the initial infection.

People with a severe COVID-19 infection, people with a history of diabetes or obesity, and women are at greater risk of developing long COVID. 

Getting help for your symptoms 

You don’t have to suffer through your lingering COVID-19 symptoms. Your course of treatment depends on your symptoms and may include:

• Symptom-specific medication 
• Physical therapy
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Talk therapy

Recovery from long COVID varies. Symptoms may come and go, and you may not feel like your usual self for several months. Keep in mind that your symptoms are part of a chronic disease, so you need to give yourself time to get better.

COVID-19 affects everyone differently. If you continue to feel unwell long after your initial infection, it’s time to get help. Medical treatment can improve your symptoms and quality of life. 

Call our office today at 732-356-9950 or request an appointment online.