A potential positive side effect to COVID

[MTRJ75]

As horrible as COVID has been (and I feel terribly for those now experiencing the same thing we do because of it), a potential bright spot is that dysautonomia may start getting more recognition and attention. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/13/health/long-haul-covid-fatigue-breathing-wellness/index.html

Quote

 

The primary trend across the Covid-19 long haulers that Greenspan is working with is a condition called dysautonomia, a condition marked by a miscommunication between the autonomic nervous system and the rest of the body.

The autonomic nervous system regulates automatic body functions such as breathing, sleep and digestion. When it's not working, symptoms can present in myriad different ways, depending on the person.

"Reach into a bag of symptoms and pull out a bag of symptoms, and that's what they have for the day," Greenspan said. "It's a twisted ball of yarn and takes a week to unravel one string."

 

Well put Mr Greenspan. 

[toomanyproblems]

I've been following these after effects from Covid in some patients for awhile. I'm very sorry this is happening but I, too, view it as a possible good for dysautonomia patients. I was in graduate school in the late 1980s as they were starting to rev up on the science of AIDS. The understanding of the immune system was advanced by decades from the AIDS research. I'm hoping for something modestly similar for POTS. It will take a while for things to get more in gear though. The world is still reeling from this virus and even basic discoveries seem frustratingly slow to me at this time.   

[MomtoGiuliana]

I was thinking this too after reading an article this weekend.  Although I do wonder if post viral POTS is already far more common than the medical establishment realizes.

[Pistol]

5 hours ago, MomtoGiuliana said:

Although I do wonder if post viral POTS is already far more common than the medical establishment realizes.

You know - I have wondered the same. Up until a few years ago there was such a thing as "post-viral malaise" - maybe that is considered dysautonomia now?

[MomtoGiuliana]

Pistol--yes, I wonder.

[toomanyproblems]

IIRC POTS was not recognized officially until 1993 or so. You KNOW people had it before then. I've often wondered what they called it. 

[MTRJ75]

8 hours ago, toomanyproblems said:

IIRC POTS was not recognized officially until 1993 or so. You KNOW people had it before then. I've often wondered what they called it. 

Hysteria. 

[Pistol]

@toomanyproblems - neurasthenia, soldiers heart, weak nerves, according to articles about the history of neuro-cardiogenic syncope it's what they called symptoms of dysautonomia. They also say that in the past women with POTS would baffle the docs and end up completely confined to bed until they ( prematurely ) died. 

Could you imagine dealing with POTS back then? My mother is 88 and lived with POTS all of her life. She was told endless times that she needed to see a psychiatrist, and every time she did they told her there was nothing wrong with her mind. Cardiologists would tell her that her fast HR, high BP and "Fainting Spells" were due to her being the mother of 5 unruly kids and kept sending her for a Respite. It wasn't until she was well in her 60's that a very good physician figured things out and started her on low doses of the right meds, and today she does well except for flares. SHE is my hero!!!! ( Except for the fact that my sisters and I as well as our kids inherited POTS from her 😭!

[MomtoGiuliana]

I'm pretty sure my grandmother had it, undiagnosed.  My mom said she was fatigued a lot, prone to fainting or feeling faint and had no tolerance for heat in her 30s and 40s especially.  She had periods in her life where she was lying down during the day, daily.  Never diagnosed.  For some reason, if it is genetic in my case, my mom was never at all affected.  I have 3 sisters but I am the only one with POTS.