Long Covid is hard — here are five tips to help

“‘Crash’ was a big word that was being used. ‘I went downstairs. My groceries were delivered. Carrying them up the stairs back to my apartment caused me to crash, and I couldn’t get out of bed for two days.’”

Putrino said that the wide-ranging symptoms of long Covid may be caused by one or more underlying factors, including micro-clots which block small blood vessels and lead to problems such as cognitive issues; persistent viral particles that continue to circulate and stir up our immune system; and the inflammation of the vagus nerve which can result in dysautonomia and manifest as POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

To hear more of Putrino’s conversation on the possible causes of long Covid and the search for biomarkers, listen to the full podcast episode here:

What can you do to help yourself if you have long Covid?  Putrino has these five tips:

Rest and pace yourself

Be aware of what your limits are and don’t push yourself beyond them to avoid crashing.

“One of the most important tools we have to prevent worsening or progression of long Covid is an energy conservation technique known as ‘pacing,’” Putrino said in an email.

The tricky thing is, your limits may change from day to day, and may be affected by many factors such as hormones, stress and even the weather.

Read more about pacing here.

Dysautonomia, a nervous system disorder, is a common cause of some of long Covid’s seemingly weird and disruptive symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and dizziness.

“Your autonomic nervous system is a network of nerves in your body responsible for managing things like breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and healthy blood flow and organ function,” Putrino said.

“When the autonomic nervous system is knocked out of balance, it leads to a condition called dysautonomia. On average, 70% of people with long Covid experience dysautonomia and it contributes significantly to overall symptom burden. Dysautonomia is treatable with medications and rehabilitation.”

Learn more about dysautonomia here.

Sometimes, during both an acute Covid infection and in long Covid, a person experiences hyperinflammation across many body systems; researchers believe that this happens because mast cells are activated.

Mast cells  are allergy cells, which are part of the immune system; when they’re stimulated, they create inflammation and release many chemicals that can affect the skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart, respiratory, and neurologic systems.

“A large proportion of people with long Covid have developed Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS),” Putrino said. “MCAS can be extremely debilitating, but can also be well-managed with appropriate medical supervision using over-the-counter medications and supplements.”

Learn more about MCAS here.

Use breathwork for managing symptoms, said Putrino.

“Dysfunctional breathing and altered gas exchange is present in a majority of people with long Covid, and a daily breathwork practice can significantly improve daily symptoms.

Learn more about breathwork and long Covid here.

This last tip is for caregivers and friends of people with long Covid, or anyone with a chronic disease.  “Being newly diagnosed with a chronic illness is an incredibly isolating experience, and social isolation can have serious health effects,” Putrino explained.

“Your loved one with long Covid may no longer be able to socially connect with you in the same way that they used to, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to spend time with you,” he said.  “Make an effort to connect with a loved one with long Covid.”

Learn more about the effects of social isolation on health here.

We hope these five tips help you cope with some of long Covid’s symptoms. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week on the Chasing Life podcast when we explore what happens in the brain of a person with depression.