Long COVID – Symptoms and Relief

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Long COVID

Symptoms and Relief

Many people have experienced or are experiencing symptoms of “long COVID”. The Mayo Clinic explains that the long-term symptoms of the coronavirus impacts 1 in 5 people and may include the following physical ailments:

  • fatigue
  • fever
  • shortness of breath
  • cough
  • joint and muscle pain
  • heart-related symptoms
  • digestive issues
  • blood clots
  • changes in menstrual cycle
  • neurological symptoms

The neurological symptoms may include difficulty thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness, pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, depression, and anxiety (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).

While there is not yet a comprehensive understanding of why these post-COVID symptoms exist, there are studies being conducted to find alternative solutions. Orendáčová et al. (2022) conducted a pilot study determining the impact of neurofeedback therapy on post-COVID neurological symptoms. This study found a positive correlation between using neurofeedback’s Othmer method to decrease the symptoms of anxiety, fatigue and depression (Orendáčová et al., 2022).

Neurofeedback is a safe and effective way to help target the unwanted, long-term symptoms resulting post-COVID.  For more information on scheduling, please visit indyneurofeedback.com.

References

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, June 28). Covid-19: Long-term effects. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351

Orendáčová, M., Kvašňák, E., & Vránová, J. (2022). Effect of neurofeedback therapy on neurological post-COVID-19 complications (A pilot study). PloS one, 17(7), e0271350. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271350

What is Anxiety Disorder?

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According to the National Institutes of Health, some 2.6 billion people – or 33.7% of the population of the world — will at some point experience an anxiety disorder. And yet, the disorder is widely misunderstood.

The experience of clinical anxiety can range from distractedness, to persistent fretfulness, to a full-blown panic attack, complete with hyper-ventilation, heart palpitations, and other physical symptoms. All of it feels scary and difficult or impossible to control — which compounds the misery.

The most common anxiety disorders include: include general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia (or fear of being in public situations you can’t escape), social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), specific phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and separation anxiety disorder.

Happily, not only are these anxiety disorders diagnosable and controllable, but they are also very treatable.

Anxiety may, by definition, feel bad, but that doesn’t mean it is always bad. It exists as a way for your brain to grab your attention when you’re stumbling into danger, which is handled by two brain regions: the amygdala and the more complex cerebral cortex.

The amygdala processes very basic emotions like fear, anger, guilt, and envy. A good example of this is the fear you experience from a scary movie. The job of the cerebral cortex is to determine whether or not the threat is real, and what to do about it. Sometimes, however, the fear alarm gets stuck and the cerebral cortex has trouble trying to sort real risks from exaggerated ones. Moreover, extended bouts of insomnia can also produce anxiety.

How do you know if you have an anxiety disorder that should be addressed? Since there is no blood test to tell for certain, here are the red flags denoting a problem:

  • You have a high level of distress that gets in the way of day to day activity.
  • Your panic is persistent.
  • You avoid things because of your fears.
  • Your fears interfere with your daily life.

In general, says Leanne O’Neil, if your enjoyment of life becomes compromised by anxiety, it’s a good idea to seek help. Although no one can live a life untouched by anxiety, with the right skills and help, no one needs to live a life that is destroyed by it, either.

INDY Neurofeedback has an effective program to help those with anxiety. Come talk to us to see if it is right for you.