Today, more and more studies are analyzing the long-COVID phenomenon, which refers to the development of symptoms and diseases that occur months or years after the coronavirus infection. It is already well known that even in the long term, COVID can mostly cause respiratory and cardiovascular complaints, although it can actually affect any organ system. Dr. Péter Ferenczy, cardiologist at KardioKözpont, has now drawn attention to the cardiology symptoms that are recommended to be investigated.
How can COVID infection damage the cardiovascular system?
Complaints caused by COVID can now also be separated according to time: the symptoms can appear immediately during the infection, after the infection (with a negative PCR test) so-called as a post-COVID symptom complex, or even months later, so-called as long-COVID syndrome. In all three stages, cardiology problems occur very often, which are typically not life-threatening after the acute phase has passed, but significantly affect the patients’ quality of life and slowly improve. There can be several reasons for damage to the cardiovascular system in connection with the coronavirus infection:
– Lack of oxygen: many people experienced during the first waves that more severe infections were associated with a lack of oxygen – this was also one of the main reasons for hospitalization. Even milder, this problem forces the heart to work harder, which can be dangerous in people who already have heart disease, and in the long run, it can damage heart tissue in everyone.
– Myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation): the COVID virus primarily attacks the lungs, although it can also contribute to the body’s excessive immune response, which increases inflammation throughout the body. And if inflammation occurs in the heart muscle, the heart’s pumping function and ability to transmit electrical signals also deteriorate. In a more serious form, this problem can lead to heart rhythm disorders and heart failure.
– Cytokine storm: this much-talked-about term refers to the fact that as part of the body’s defense against the virus, the body can release a substance called a cytokine (an umbrella term for inflammatory mediators produced by cells) that helps cells communicate and fight the virus. However, if this reaction is exaggerated, strong inflammation may develop in sensitive individuals and healthy tissues and organs such as the kidney, liver and heart may be damaged.
Typical post- and long-COVID symptoms
Some symptoms may persist even after the acute stage of the coronavirus infection, or may appear anew, and it is recommended to investigate them with the involvement of various specialist fields.
Symptoms that should be referred to a cardiologist:
– shortness of breath
– reduced load capacity, exhaustion,
– chest pain,
– palpitations,
– confusion, dizziness.
Symptoms that should be referred to a neurologist:
– brain fog
– numbness or tingling in the limbs,
– problems with smell and taste.
Symptom with which you should consult a somnologist:
– sleep disorders, insomnia.
The cause of milder symptoms should also be investigated
- We are aware of studies that show that people who have previously had some type of cardiovascular disease can more easily develop such complaints after COVID, but it can also be observed that younger, healthy patients also struggle with these kinds of consequences of the coronavirus. In other words, although we know certain risk factors, we cannot say that there are persons who are definitely protected in this regard, he emphasizes dr. Peter Ferenczy, cardiologist at the CardioKözpont.
- – So for all those who have been infected with the coronavirus and still experience symptoms weeks or months later – and these can be mild – it is recommended to take part in an extended cardiology examination after COVID. In this way, we can rule out more serious consequences, and if we discover an organic problem, treatment can begin in time.
Source: Cardio Center
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
