Long term COVID, sometimes called post-acute COVID, is a reality that is here to stay. According to The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) out of the nearly eighty million Americans who survived a round with the coronavirus, roughly 30% (or about 24 million) are currently dealing with some level of Long COVID. The patients who also commonly now referred to as also
What Are the Typical Symptoms of Long COVID?
The patients who suffer from long COVID are now being labeled as "COVID long-haulers" by many. The typical symptoms seen with Long COVID include:
- headaches
- fatigue
- sleep disturbance
- dizziness
- breathing difficulty
- shortness of breath and dyspnea
- persistent brain fog, or cognitive impairment
- anxiety
- depression
-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- chest pain
As one can see from the list above, COVID affects a multitude of organ systems, including the lungs, heart, and nervous system. Additionally, patients can experience persistent kidney dysfunction, as well as newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes or worsened control of diabetes.
Ongoing symptoms of long COVID also include fast-beating or pounding heart, pins-and-needles feeling, diarrhea, sleep problems, mood changes, rash and changes in menstrual period cycles, among others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lastly, there's been a lot of attention focused recently on COVID-19 infections being associated with endocrine imbalances (such as lowered testosterone levels in men), hypogonadism, lowered sperm counts, reduction of sperm "quality", severe testicular tissue damage, and other potential long-term threats on male fertility being seen in COVID-19 male survivors.
What Should COVID Long-Haulers Do?
For those who've survived a bout with COVID-19 it's highly recommended to see a Medical Doctor to get a thorough evaluation regarding the risks of possible long-term damage and the possible medical treatments that are available. This is especially true for patients who already had pre-existing conditions prior to having COVID-19 exposure.
It's also important to note that an experienced physician, such as Dr. Bruce Sloane, a Urologist at Philadelphia Urology Associates, is highly trained at treating Long COVID in general, whether a patient experiences urological symptoms or not. So even if you have no urological symptoms - if you're experiencing Long COVID symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbance, dizziness, breathing difficulty and persistent brain fog - we recommend that you talk to a qualified physician as soon as possible to determine exactly what's possibly going on with you.
Questions About Long or Post-acute COVID?
At Philadelphia Urology Associates, Dr. Bruce Sloane is a nationally renowned specialist in Men's Health issues and Age Management Medicine. Throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, patients seek his expertise to treat low testosterone levels, hypogonadism and the erectile dysfunction that is commonly associated with it. Using state-of-the-art equipment and having extensive specialized education and training, Dr. Sloane is considered to be the leading urologist in the tri-state area for treating Low T and other urological disorders.
As we discussed previously, it's important to note that an experienced Urologist, such as Dr. Bruce Sloane at Philadelphia Urology Associates, is highly trained at treating Long COVID in general, whether a patient experiences urological symptoms or not. So even if you have no urological symptoms - if you're experiencing Long COVID symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbance, dizziness, breathing difficulty and persistent brain fog - we recommend that you talk to a qualified physician as soon as possible to determine exactly what's possibly going on with you.
If you have any questions about the treatments available to you, we urge you to contact us now online or call us at (215) 563-1199 today to discuss how we can help you!