There are only so many ways the central nervous system and the brain can react to trauma or damage. COVID-19 is proving to cause long-term and permanent damage to people that have suffered through the virus infection. I congratulate Illinois Governor Pritzker for recognizing this syndrome and setting up funds for treatment and research. He is one of the firsts, if not the first, to take such action.
But, I was reflecting on the syndrome that is among the most disabling, COVID Fog. It is when people are having cognitive problems of varying degrees with memory and concentration. There is another syndrome similar to COVID Fog with some treatments that already give relief. The syndrome is called "fibro fog." It manifests sometimes in cases of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is not widely understood, but, there are treatments that help.
The treatments for fibromyalgia include:
- OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen. (Long-term use of any high levels of Ibuprofen can cause kidney damage. (click here). Ibuprofen blocks prostaglandins. Prostaglandins dilate blood vessels that lead to the kidneys. Long-term use of high amounts of Ibuprofen can cause a reduction in blood flow to the kidneys.)
- Prescription medications including antidepressants and antipsychotics. There are also sleep medications, both non-narcotic and narcotic, that assist with a good eight-hour sleep time that helps reset the nervous system. Many times these pain suffers need sleep. Lack of sleep increases pain and when fibromyalgia sufferers receive a good night's sleep their pain goes away or is very diminished that gets them through a major part of the day without disabling pain.
- Regular exercise helps in strengthening muscles and can reduce the pain in supporting the skeletal system.
- Medication and yoga to reduce stress and increase relaxation works well with some people
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another avenue of treatment that helps some people.
Part of the problem in nailing down these types of syndromes is that even though there are symptoms common to the chronic condition, there are also individual effects simply because people have different genetic make-up, lifestyles including workplace and types of work, and methods of living such as married, with or without children, etc. I can't believe that some suffers from these conditions can benefit from having a pet and the distraction of caring for the pet and receiving unconditional love in return. Love and intimacy have been known to be therapy all itself.
This entry is not about diagnosis or treatment, but, simply a comparison to another chronic condition of the human nervous system that may have similar symptoms with treatments known to work.
Any kind of chronic condition can lead to severe depression and self-prescribed solutions that end the suffer's life. There have been COVID Fog suffers that have gone down that path to self-hurt and death. The symptoms must be treated.
I can't help but wonder if vaccination of known suffers from COVID Fog would help as well. I think clinical trials should at least be tried.
Thank you for your interest.
