Why Doctors Advise COVID-19 Patients to Be Like Children

CORONAVIRUS is dangerous not only with a severe form of the course of the disease, but also with complications. Symptoms of post-COVID syndrome can occur even several months after recovery. To return to a full life, some patients need rehabilitation. What it consists of, what habits it is better to give up during recovery and why the DOCTOR recommends that patients who have undergone covid-19 behave like children, says the HEAD of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases of the Belarusian State Medical University, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Eduard Dotsenko.

Eduard Anatolyevich notes that many HEALTH problems can appear after suffering COVID-19:

- The British described about 200 symptoms of post-COVID syndrome. The most common neurological problems are: memory impairment, impaired attention, depression, increased emotionality, insomnia. Often there are problems with the lungs, primarily shortness of breath, with the heart, skin. At the same time, the chances of undergoing post-covid syndrome, oddly enough, are the same for those who have had the virus in a mild form, and for those who are severe. It all depends on the characteristics of the body, but on which ones, no one knows yet.

In some patients, the symptoms of post-COVID syndrome appear due to excessive exercise.

- Such actions can lead to serious consequences. For example, lung injury. With coronavirus, connective tissue is deposited in the walls of the alveoli (the sacs that we breathe), which makes them rigid, which complicates the process of breathing. With high ventilation, the load on them increases. This may lead to a break. Such cases occur, although not often. There are problems in cardiology. After suffering myocarditis, the heart muscle is weak, and serious physical activity can easily cause heart failure. It is also possible that there is a violation of thermoregulation, the development of myopathy, because COVID-19 affects the muscles, which leads to weakness. Therefore, during rehabilitation, in no case can one overcome weakness and weakness through force, - says the professor.

After the disease, the risk of developing thrombosis increases. According to the specialist, this may be due to the pathology of the vascular wall, which makes it easier for blood clots to form:

- This is another reason why it is worth giving up physical activity for a while. Going in for sports, we sweat, the blood thickens, and the possibility of developing thrombosis increases. Along with this, the risk of heart attacks and strokes also increases. In this case, it is necessary not only to refrain from exertion, but also to take anticoagulant drugs. As a rule, they drink them for a month and a half: it is believed that after this period the risk of thrombotic complications decreases. However, it does not hurt to make a coagulogram - there are indicators of coagulation, the possibility of thrombosis. If all is well, then you can stop taking the pills.

The professor is sure that after a coronavirus infection, it is important to eat well:

“You must eat everything: MEAT, bread, vegetables, fruits. There should be no diets. Many patients, especially those with a severe form of the coronavirus infection, have no appetite and they can lose 10-15 kilograms during illness. So you need to replenish calories The only limitation is ALCOHOL... If there is muscle damage, then alcohol can only intensify the processes, so you need to be careful with it.It is advisable not to use it at all for about three months after the transferred virus.With smoking, if you don’t have the strength to give up completely, it’s better to pause somewhere for six months, because it can lead to a decrease in saturation. "

To significantly reduce the risk of such problems, good rehabilitation is necessary. At the same time, each person needs an individual approach.

- All people have their own characteristics, so they will have different problems. Based on experience, I can say one thing: rehabilitation should be approached with caution, especially after a severe coronavirus. I usually advise patients to behave like children. The child will never do what the body does not require, because he feels it very well. If the body requires a minimum load - it must be given, but only slowly. You need to start with street walks. Gradually, you can increase their duration, depending on how you feel, and reach a certain threshold when the body says it's time to stop. Overload can worsen the condition, so playing sports at first is out of the question. Also, we must not forget about precautionary measures: mask, social distance, hand sanitizing, after all, the postponed COVID-19 is not a guarantee that you will no longer meet with the virus. The other day, British doctors said that people can re-infect with a coronavirus infection after an average of 16 months, the professor explains.

Breathing exercises are good in rehabilitation. True, according to Eduard Anatolyevich, the right approach is also needed here:

- Inflating balloons after covid pneumonia, as some advise, is not worth it. Breathing exercises should be very soft, as the lungs need a smooth recovery.

Vadim BANNY,

newspaper.