Long-Term COVID and Your Lungs: What You Need To Know (And How We Can Help)

With the rise of the hyper-transmissible omicron variant this winter, it’s understandable that patients with pulmonary conditions like asthma, allergies, COPD, and others would be concerned about the long-term impacts of this variant. The good news is, omicron may cause less damage to the lungs than other mutations, like the Delta variant, and overall cause less severe illness. This may be in part be due to an increase in immunity due to vaccination. 

While the less severe illness and lung impact is a positive aspect of this variant, it’s still important to protect yourself against SARS-CoV-2 which can cause severe illness and lead to long-term, lingering effects. Here’s what you need to know about “long COVID,” a term used to describe lingering, post-COVID conditions.

What Are Long-Term COVID Symptoms?

If you’ve heard the term “long-haulers” or “long COVID” before, it’s because some patients who contract COVID-19 develop symptoms that can continue to impact their health long after they have recovered from their initial infection with SARS-CoV-2. Even asymptomatic patients can and do experience symptoms after the initial recovery period of 2-3 weeks.

Most people associate COVID symptoms with respiratory symptoms and longer symptoms of COVID on your lungs can include:

• Fatigue
• Tiredness
• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of Breath
• Cough

Beyond impacts to the lungs, long-term COVID symptoms can include impacts to the brain, heart, kidneys, skin, and more:

• Pounding or rapid heartbeat
• Fever
• Circulation symptoms (pins and needles)
• Sleep disruptions and problems
• Dizziness
• Rash
• Loss of taste and/or smell
• Joint pain
• Chest or stomach pain
• Mood changes
• Brain fog (difficulty concentrating)
• Menstrual cycle changes

We’re Here To Help

If you are a “long hauler,” experiencing symptoms of long COVID, we can help. From keeping your symptoms and condition under control with a comprehensive treatment and management plan to supporting your respiratory health long-term, Lyracore Pulmonary Health offers compassionate, best-in-class care to patients in the Tampa Bay area. 

Dr. Alexandre Furman brings decades of expertise in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine to his patients, helping them understand and gain control over serious conditions including lung cancer, lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, asthma, allergies, COVID-19, long COVID, and more. 

Don’t wait to feel better. Contact our office for a comprehensive, complimentary consultation.