How Coronavirus Can Affect Your Heart
Research on hospitalized COVID-19 patients shows that heart problems can occur with more serious cases: A study published in JAMA Cardiology of 416 hospitalized patients in Wuhan, China, found that nearly 20% experienced cardiac injury associated with the virus. With other viral illnesses, the rate is much lower, at just about 1%, according to separate research, also in JAMA Cardiology, on the return to exercise after COVID-19.
Cardiac injury is a broad term, but it refers to the release of biomarkers called troponins into the bloodstream, which serve as evidence that the heart has been weakened in some way by the virus, explains Jonathan Kim, M.D., chief of sports cardiology at Emory University and coauthor of the latter JAMA Cardiology paper. This may be due to the inflammation overload triggered by COVID-19, which can cause heart arrhythmias, blood clots , or even a dangerous condition called myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart wall, he says.
Myocarditisa leading cause of sudden death in athletesis a particular concern to those who exercise. Continuing to exercise if youre already sick with the virus can make the existing myocarditis worse, says Kim, since it can increase virus replication in your body. This increased inflammation can potentially lead to the formation of permanent scarring on your heart, which can trigger arrhythmias.
But Isnt There A Chance I Could Get Covid
You cant get COVID-19 from any of the vaccines. None of the vaccines authorized by the FDA contain the live coronavirus nor do they contain a weakened or dead version of the coronavirus. The vaccines have no coronavirus to pass on to you.
The Adult Pulmonary Asthma Program operates out of:
- VCU Medical Center Ambulatory Care Center 4, 417 N. 11th Street, Richmond, Va., 828-2161
- VCU Health Stony Point Clinic, 9000 Stony Point Pkwy, Richmond, Va., Phone:804-237-6644).
If you feel you need to be evaluated for your asthma, please call the above numbers per your preferred location.
Follow The Recommendations Below To Reduce Your Chance Of An Asthma Attack While Cleaning Follow Recommendations For Cleaning Your Home And In Your Facility
- If you have asthma:
- Ask an adult without asthma to clean and disinfect surfaces and objects for you.
- Stay in another room when cleaners or disinfectants are being used and right after their use.
- Use cleaning agents and disinfectant only when necessary. In routine situations, high-touch surfaces and objects might be cleaned effectively with soap and water.
- Make a list of the urgent care or health facilities near you that provides nebulizer/asthma treatments and keep it close to your phone.
- If you have an asthma attack, move away from the trigger, such as the cleaning agent or disinfectant or the area that was disinfected. Follow your Asthma Action Plan. Call 911 for medical emergencies.
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Tips For Wearing A Face Mask With Asthma
The Public Health Agency of Canada currently recommends that Canadians wear non-medical face masks while in public spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained such as on public transit, or at the grocery store.
Be sure to check your provincial or territorial authority for up-to-date guidance.
Wearing a face mask is NOT a substitute for physical distancing or frequent handwashing. Wearing a non-medical face mask is an extra measure that can be taken to protect those around you. When worn properly, a person wearing a non-medical mask can reduce the spread of their own infectious respiratory droplets.
Make sure you wear your mask properly. It should cover both your nose and mouth. If your mask gets soiled or wet, be sure to wash and dry it before wearing it again. You can read information about appropriate use of non-medical masks, and how to properly place, remove and clean a non-medical mask from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The vast majority of people with asthma can wear a non-medical mask safely. If you are unable to wear a non-medical mask without experiencing breathing issues, do not wear a mask. Instead, make sure you are practicing physical distancing by maintaining a 2-metre distance. Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to go over your Asthma Action Plan and review your asthma symptoms and control. Your healthcare provider may suggest or ask you to consider other options to protect yourself.
The Covid Long Haul: Symptoms Following Covid
We will update this post as news comes out about COVID-19 long haul symptoms. This post was last updated on Oct. 10, 2021. Many of the questions and answers below come from our Feb. 4, 2021 webinar, The Long Haul Consequences of COVID-19.
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Asthma Can Start In Adulthood
Most people assume that asthma only develops in childhood. This assumption can make it easy to miss signs and symptoms of adult-onset asthma. Although many people first develop asthma during childhood, symptoms can develop at any time.
Asthma is a chronic lung disorder that usually leads to episodes of difficulty breathing. It causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways and increases mucus production. Common warning signs include:
- Wheezing
An accurate diagnosis is vital in developing an effective treatment plan.
Asthma Uk Have Offered The Following Advice For People With The Condition At This Time
When people with asthma get respiratory infections, it can set off their asthma symptoms.
To reduce your risk of asthma symptoms, the best action you can take is to follow these simple asthma management steps:
- Keep taking your preventer inhaler daily as prescribed. This will help cut your risk of an asthma attack being triggered by any respiratory virus, including coronavirus.
- Carry your reliever inhaler with you every day, in case you feel your asthma symptoms flaring up.
- If you come down with flu, a cold, or any other respiratory infection, follow our tips for looking after your asthma when youre not well.
- If you smoke its vital to quit now as smoking will increase your risk from COVID-19. Theres NHS advice on how to give up smoking here.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you’re in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Initial Survey Findings Show The Long Road To Recovery For People Who Have Faced Covid At Home Without Going Into Hospital
New survey findings show that people recovering from mild-moderate COVID are struggling for weeks with symptoms, raising concerns that there is not adequate support for people who have not been in hospital with the illness.
The ongoing survey is being run by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, through their post-COVID HUB, which they set up, alongside a helpline and WhatsApp service, to support anyone left with breathing difficulties after COVID.
The survey has so far been filled in by almost 1,000 people, of which over 800 had not been in hospital with COVID. The 2 charities are urging more people to complete the survey to help grow the understanding of post-COVID and its impact across the full range of communities particularly exploring how gender, ethnicity, age and socio-economic factors affect health outcomes.
Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation are also calling on the government and NHS to advise what they are doing to identify and support people with post-COVID respiratory complications who were not admitted to hospital for COVID-19. The charities have written to Englands Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, with their concerns.
The initial findings from the survey show many people who had mild moderate COVID are now on a long road to recovery, affecting both their physical and mental health.
Of those surveyed who have not been in hospital:
-ENDS-
Notes to editor:
· For the people in the middle like myself to be heard.
What Are Some Theories About The Long
While scientists still do not know why some people continue to experience COVID-19 symptoms months after acute illness, there are some theories.
One theory is that the virus may remain in the body in a small form. Another is that the immune system continues to overreact even though the infection has passed.
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Are My Symptoms Because Of My Asthma Or My Covid
If you have asthma and are recovering from COVID-19, it is important that you try to tell the difference between what symptoms are due to your asthma and what is part of your recovery from coronavirus.
If you need help working out the difference between asthma symptoms and your recovery from coronavirus, you should talk to your GP or asthma nurse.
Your asthma is more likely to:
- cause a wheeze
- cause a change in your peak flow score
- improve with doses of your reliever inhaler.
If your asthma symptoms are getting worse, follow your written asthma action plan and get medical advice. Its also important to monitor your peak flow and that you carry on treating any asthma symptoms as usual. If your asthma symptoms are getting worse, it can be a sign that an asthma attack is on the way. Dont write off asthma symptoms as just related to your recovery from coronavirus.
Talk to your nurse, GP, or hospital specialist if you think you may have Long COVID, or if your COVID symptoms arent going away. This could be extreme tiredness, breathlessness, or a cough that just doesnt seem to be settling as you would usually expect.
Your healthcare professional can assess what care you need, which may depend on whether you were treated in hospital or at home.
/ Can Coronavirus Symptoms Be Mistaken For Asthma
‘Coronavirus is the cause of a disease that affects the airways,’ says Dr Gillam. ‘Asthma is a different disease that makes people more susceptible to the effects of a viral infection, such as COVID-19, which is one of many viruses that can ’cause’ asthma symptoms.’
So yes, while shortness of breath is an asthma symptom, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be coronavirus. If you are worried, call the NHS on 111 and explain what’s going on.
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What You Can Do At Home: Tips For Managing Asthma
No home remedies can treat asthma attacks. Asthma attacks require a rescue inhaler and immediate medical attention.
The following home remedies may help you manage general asthma symptoms:
- Eat an overall balanced diet.
- Maintain a moderate weight.
- Reduce your exposure to lung irritants, like dust or mold.
- Avoid smoking.
- Get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19.
- Take precautions to avoid respiratory illness, like frequent handwashing and wearing a face mask.
Severe asthma attacks require immediate medical attention.
Symptoms of an asthma emergency can include:
- severe shortness of breath and trouble speaking
- rapid breathing that causes your chest or ribs to visibly retract
- an inability to perform normal activities
- symptoms that dont get better after using a rescue inhaler
- trouble breathing in or out fully
- developing blue or pale fingernails, lips, or face
- flaring nostrils while breathing rapidly
- straining of your chest muscles while breathing heavily
Its important to also seek medical attention if you develop other concerning symptoms that dont fall into any of these categories.
If youre not sure whether youre having an asthma emergency, its best to seek emergency medical care.
The National Health Service recommends the following steps when having an asthma emergency:
When Can You Start Exercising After Coronavirus
Because of the potential for serious complications with COVID-19and the unknowns regarding who may be more likely to experience themexperts have recently published two separate guidelines on the return to exercising after coronavirus. And they align pretty closely in their recommendations to take a break and come back slowly.
In June respiratory experts from the U.K. recommended in The Lancet that due to a risk of deterioration around days seven to nine, athletes should hold off on resuming regular training for at least 10 days from symptom onset and seven days from symptom resolution.
Kims paper from Maya consensus document with the American College of Cardiologys Sports and Exercise Council to advise athletesrecommends a two-week exercise break before a gradual activity resumption for athletes with COVID-19 who were asymptomatic. Those with mild or moderate COVID-19 should take a two-week break following the resolution of their symptoms, and also undergo troponin tests and imaging tests like cardiac ultrasounds. Athletes hospitalized with COVID-19 would require more careful testing, and if cardiac abnormalities were discovered, they should stop competitive training for three to six months .
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Do You Have An Asthma Action Plan
An asthma action plan helps patients maintain control of their asthma, minimizing the risk of asthma attacks, which require urgent medical attention. If you have an asthma action plan, you should follow it. If you do not have one, ask your doctor to give you one. A typical plan is broken down into three color-coded zones:
- Green Zone Breathing is good
- No coughing or wheezing
- Sleeping through the night without symptoms
- You can work, play and exercise without symptoms
- If you are feeling well, you should continue your usual prescribed daily medications
/ Is It Safe To Exercise If You Get Coronavirus If So What Types Would You Recommend While In The Home
‘It’s not yet known, but possibly not, particularly if your symptoms are anything other than very mild,’ says Dr Gillam.
Its important to rest if you show coronavirus symptoms, as with any flu-like illness, so the likelihood is you wont be worried about exercising. However asthmatics can do their usual home work-outs if just self-isolating as a precaution. Exercise can of course cause shortage of breath, so have your inhaler close at hand.
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Why Does It Matter To Talk About Long Haul For Some Covid
Much of the focus has been on the death rate from COVID-19. Yet people who survive and continue to experience symptoms have not been taken seriously enough. This is an area where there is still so much unknown that dedicated research is needed. Long-haulers are often dealing with symptoms that are continuing to affect their daily lives and ability to work.
A recent large study of COVID-19 long haulers revealed that not only are many patients experiencing health problems 6 months after infection, theyre also at higher risk of dying.
How Is Asthma Classified
Asthma is classified into four categories based upon frequency of symptoms and objective measures, such as peak flow measurements and/or spirometry results. These categories are: mild intermittent mild persistent moderate persistent and severe persistent. Your physician will determine the severity and control of your asthma based on how frequently you have symptoms and on lung function tests. It is important to note that a person’s asthma symptoms can change from one category to another.
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Who Is At Increased Risk
Those at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection have been diagnosed with moderate or severe asthma. People with moderate or severe asthma usually have daily symptoms that can limit activity, and use multiple medications daily to help control symptoms.
If you have moderate or severe asthma, help prevent COVID-19 infection by reviewing our general recommendations for protecting yourself against COVID-19, including washing hands, social distancing, and testing as indicated.
There are also several additional precautions you should take to protect your lungs from infection:
We would also encourage you to reach out to your primary care provider to make sure your asthma is under as good of control as possible right now. Your provider will make sure you have all of the inhalers and spacers that you need, and set you up with the appropriate treatment plan. You should also follow our advice for those with vulnerable conditions.