Long COVID is real, and it’s affecting millions
Although the coronavirus is here to stay and life has resumed to normalcy for most of us, millions of people are still struggling with ongoing symptoms — a condition we call long COVID.
Many question the legitimacy of this condition, but as a physician, I can assure you that long COVID is indeed real. I’ve witnessed its effects on patients with debilitating symptoms and can identify the metabolic changes to the brain through high-resolution imaging that displays the telltale damage caused to delicate brain tissue. At our clinic, long COVID and relief from its symptoms have become the No. 1 reason people are reaching out.
Earlier this summer, the National Institutes of Health identified 12 distinct long COVID symptoms. You’ve likely heard complaints before about brain fog, fatigue, chronic coughing or changes in taste or smell. Common signs of long COVID can also include cardiac issues like heart palpitations and chest pain, gastrointestinal problems, extreme thirst and more.
These difficulties arise from COVID19’s path in the body and its corresponding immune response. Four common causes of lingering symptoms are:
Direct brain invasion: The COVID-19 virus travels through the nose, into the olfactory nerves, crosses the cribriform plate, and attacks the insula, which is located between the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and oversees skills like memory and executive function.
Blood vessel injury: Studies show COVID-19 can compromise blood vessels that transport blood and oxygen to the brain. The infection may erode the lining of blood vessels, allowing the virus to seep into the tissues or obstruct blood flow to the brain, potentially causing brain injuries. Dysregulated immune response:
Damage to the inner blood vessel lining can also inhibit cell growth — the exact opposite of how our immune system should be functioning. When the body cannot produce a normal immune response it either underreacts, causing viruses to spread quickly, or overreacts, causing the immune system to attack healthy cells, tissues and organs.
Cellular dysfunction: Ona cellular level, COVID-19 can affect metabolic function in the mitochondria, the power centers of our cells. A study published in August reveals that the virus can disrupt mitochondrial structure and hamper energy production leading to cognitive and physical fatigue.
In 2021, the U.S. government launched the RECOVER Initiative, a nationwide research program striving to understand, treat and prevent long COVID. Its clinical trials are exploring potential treatments for long COVID-related symptoms like cognitive dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction, exercise intolerance and fatigue, sleep disturbances and viral persistence.
Two clinical trials are currently in progress through the RECOVER initiative. One tests a pharmacological intervention, and the other focuses on cognitive training. More than 24,000 participants have signed up for clinical studies to date.
Peer-reviewed, published clinical research has revealed that a specific hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocol can repair damaged areas of the brain both structurally and functionally. The protocol significantly improved long COVID symptoms like cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, sleeplessness, pain, psychiatric symptoms and even cardiac function.
The specific protocol used in the study incorporates fluctuating oxygen levels during each two-hour hyperbaric session. These varying oxygen levels initiate a cascade of physiological responses that spark the body’s self-healing mechanisms, improving blood flow and repairing brain connectivity.
At our clinic, we use this same protocol to treat clients who come to us with long COVID symptoms. But hyperbaric oxygen is just one part of our unique medical program. Cognitive training (using the same software studied in the RECOVER initiative), physical activity and dietary coaching all work in tandem with our unique hyperbaric protocol to maximize improvement and build a foundation for continued healing.