Covid Overview
We all know people who have had Covid and may have Covid ourselves. The CDC back in February 2022 stated that 60% of US adults have had Covid, that is more than Half the population.
We think of Covid as a breathing problem and perhaps other people get Long Covid but we don’t think that we are dealing with Covid as we are thinking of Covid as a virus that causes “colds” and not about the other effects it has.
When we deal with disease, we see the trees but sometimes we need to step back to see the whole forest.
When We Get Sick Is Important
She came in because of an “internal tremor” which she developed after a flu shot. She said the “internal tremors” were more like vibrations inside her body.
She underwent a major workup looking for what was wrong with her. From head to toe – she had a brain MRI, heart ultrasound, abdomen CT scan, and scopes of her whole gut tract. She told me that 1 month before her flu shot she was very tired, had been tested for Covid and it was negative.
Also since the month of fatigue she has had less sense of smell. Soon after she got the flu shot, her blood pressure shot up to 200’s which is very high and a neurologist found that the nerves on her lower leg were not working well. She also started the feeling of her whole body shaking.
They found an elevated calcium which was suggestive of a parathyroid issue. She had parathyroid surgery which helped lower the calcium but unfortunately did not relieve the “internal tremor”.
Covid causes neurologic symptoms and decreased smell
She had a lot of tests done but her main issue is “internal tremor” and also neuropathy on her legs which are both nervous system issues.
The month of fatigue that she had could be anything but afterwards she developed a decreased sense of smell and started having all these neurological issues. Long Covid has been associated with a lot of nervous system issues because antibodies to Covid cross-react with the nervous system.
Having a negative Covid test tells us the lab test is negative but if the suspicion is high for Covid it does not definitively rule it out.
Response to Long Covid treatment suggests that Covid may have been an issue
She was started on treatments for Long Covid as well as other issues that were affecting her body. After about a week of treatment she reported that her mood and energy were better and that her blood pressure was lower.
Most likely she has Long Covid because treatments for Covid helped her feel better. Listening to her story told me about the possibility of Long Covid and understanding that the whole picture can highly suggest a diagnosis even if the lab test is negative.
If you or a friend are not feeling well, think about when the last time they had Covid. If the health symptom happened pretty soon after Covid – it’s probably due to Covid.
If it happened a couple months out, there is still a chance it may be Covid but less likely. If we do not think of a possible cause such as Covid when we are trying to figure things out, that cause will not be dealt with in the final treatment plan.
If you would someone to take a look at the big picture, I am available to do so. For new clients, please click the button below to book a complimentary 30 minute consultation with myself.
To your health!
Dr. Richard Chen
Focused Wellness Author,
A New Way to Health: Wheel of Health
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