Long Term Impact of COVID-19 on Heart Health and How to Manage It!

COVID-19 is still a global pandemic being fought against by millions worldwide. Despite the vaccines, it still is a prevalent threat to people due to their long-term impact. COVID-19 leaves a long list of prevailing symptoms that wreak havoc in the daily lives of individuals.

The majority of COVID-19 patients recover fully within a few weeks. However, some people with moderate infection continue to show symptoms after they have healed.

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Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Health

According to an AIG Hospital health study, more than 40% of COVID-19 patients are experiencing post-COVID symptoms ranging from headaches, bodily pains, and weariness to more severe difficulties such as lung fibrosis, heart attack, and neuron loss.

Post-COVID symptoms affect 48 percent of hospitalized patients and 37.6% of non-hospitalized patients. According to studies, more than half of the 236 million people worldwide who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since December 2019 will endure post-COVID symptoms for up to six months after recovering.

According to the study, governments, health care organisations, and public health specialists should prepare for the enormous number of COVID-19 survivors who will require care for various psychological and physical ailments.

Persistent COVID-19 cardiac issues can hinder recovery for persons who have experienced COVID-19. For example, some of the symptoms typical in coronavirus “long-haulers,” such as palpitations, dizziness, chest discomfort, and shortness of breath, might be caused by cardiac issues or just from being infected with COVID-19.

Heart Issues Caused By COVID-19

An increasing number of studies indicates that many COVID-19 survivors suffer from cardiac damage, even if they don’t have underlying heart disease and aren’t unwell enough to be hospitalised. This recent development has healthcare specialists concerned about an increase in heart failure. Early in the epidemic, it was evident that many hospitalised people had suffered heart harm.

Some COVID-19 patients who are not hospitalised have recently been shown to suffer from cardiac damage. It raises the possibility that some people will survive the first illness but suffer from cardiovascular damage and consequences.

These problems, such as myocarditis and heart muscle inflammation, may raise the risk of heart failure in the future. Nearly one-fourth of COVID-19 hospitalizations have been associated with cardiovascular problems, which have been linked to almost 40% of all COVID-19-related fatalities.

However, two recent studies imply that cardiac injury among infected people may be more common. A review of an autopsy performed on 39 COVID-19 patients published in JAMA Cardiology found infections in the hearts of patients who had not been diagnosed with cardiovascular concerns while unwell.

Another JAMA Cardiology research examined cardiac MRIs of 100 persons who had recovered from COVID-19 in the previous two to three months. Researchers discovered cardiac abnormalities in 78% of healed patients and “ongoing myocardial inflammation” in 60%. The same study found elevated levels of troponin.

This blood enzyme indicates cardiac injury in 76% of individuals examined, even though heart function appeared primarily intact. The majority of the individuals in the research did not require hospitalisation.

How Patients Can Manage The Heart Problems

You should see a doctor if any of your symptoms are severe, especially shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is not usually an indication of a significant condition, but if you experience it with a low O2 (below 92%), you should be worried and contact your doctor/hospital.
If you have severe chest discomfort, get medical attention immediately, especially if it is persistent or accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness.
If you have chest pain when inhaling, you may have lung inflammation. A blood clot in the lung might cause sudden, acute chest discomfort (pulmonary embolism).

People recuperating from the coronavirus may exhibit signs of POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). POTS is a neurological disorder that affects the composition of the nervous system that governs heart rhythm and blood flow rather than a cardiac issue. When you get up, the condition might induce rapid heartbeats, which can cause brain fog, weariness, palpitations, lightheadedness, and other symptoms. COVID-19 patients may experience symptoms comparable to a heart attack, such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and abnormalities on their echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) or EKG. However, when these individuals have an angiography, there is frequently no sign of a substantial blockage in the heart’s blood channels, indicating a heart attack in progress. Myocarditis symptoms might potentially be mistaken for those of a heart attack. Furthermore, viral infections such as COVID-19 can promote the formation of highly minute blood clots, clogging tiny blood arteries and causing discomfort. People experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack should seek immediate medical assistance rather than attempting to manage these symptoms at home. While a lot of these conditions can be managed at home, most of them require a hospital with good doctors to assist patients through the heart issues. So, having a best hospital with all the equipment and an expert doctor can be a boon for people recovering post-COVID.

Why Parul Sevashram Hospital Is The Best Choice?

Cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and a competent nursing staff comprise the cardiac sciences team of Parul Sevashram Hospital. Patients are given proper monitoring, accurate diagnosis, management, treatment, rehabilitation services, and the most excellent care in dealing with swift reactions linked to Heart Diseases. Holter Monitoring (24-hour ECG monitoring), Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, Carotid Doppler, and Peripheral Arterial Doppler are just a handful of the cardiac procedures offered to patients. If you are concerned about post-COVID cardiac care, schedule an appointment with our specialist cardiologists at Parul Sevashram Hospital right now!

Written by Parul Sevashram Hospital | 30 June 2022