Post COVID Fatigue: Expert Shares Tips To Manage This Lingering Symptom
How to manage post COVID fatigue?
Even though COVID-19 has taken a milder turn, the symptoms continue to affect our lives and productivity.
This means, although scientists have suggested that mild Omicron infections cannot cause severe symptoms and therefore do not leave any lingering effects, some people continue to battle sluggishness and fatigue while recovering from an infection.
This condition is called long COVID or post-COVID syndrome.
What is long COVID or post COVID syndrome?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long COVID or post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems that people experience after being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
While some people recover in a matter of days, there are those who take weeks and even months to get rid of the symptoms induced by the SARs-CoV-2 virus.
As per the health body, post-COVID conditions are found more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness or those who are not yet vaccinated.
Fatigue can be a lingering symptom
A common and discomforting post COVID ailment is fatigue. It can deprive you of your energy, while leaving you tired and inactive throughout the day.
Dr Lola Tillyaeva, an Uzbek diplomat and philanthropist, says, “When recovering from any illness, including COVID-19, you may experience fatigue, as reported by Express.co.uk.
“Fatigue is a normal part of the body’s response to fighting an illness, and it is likely to continue for some time after the infection has cleared,” she adds.
So what do you do to relieve post COVID fatigue?
‘Rest and nourishment’ are crucial
According to Dr Tillyaeva, “rest and nourishment” are very important while recovering from COVID-19.
Getting ample amounts of rest and eating foods that help with recovery can help manage the fatigue that lingers on after initial infection.
Furthermore, the doctor highlights some of the lifestyle changes that can help “boost your energy levels and restore your overall well-being”.
Deep breathing and gentle exercise are key
Taking deep breaths and indulging in mild exercises can also help keep the body in shape and fasten recovery.
“The daily habit of deep breathing from the belly generates vast improvements in our overall health. It delivers fresh oxygen to cells. It slows the heartbeat. It lowers blood pressure. It relaxes the muscles,” says Dr Tillyaeva.
“It relieves stress effectively and naturally which can help you to feel more positive and energised,” she adds.
Furthermore, the expert shares that yoga can be a great way to ‘boost’ energy levels and connect ming and body.
“Slower forms of yoga, like Yin Yoga offer deeper access to the body’s functioning which can be beneficial for fighting fatigue,” she explains.
What kind of food should you have?
The doctor notes that fatigue can also occur due to low levels of iron in the body, which is why having a plant-based diet rich in iron can help with recovery from lethargy.
“Low iron levels may be linked to fatigue, and when we get iron from plants (non-heme iron), our bodies are better able to regulate absorption – if our iron stores are low, we absorb more, and vice-versa,” she says.
“Iron is abundant in many plant foods, including lentils, soybeans, spinach, oatmeal, quinoa, and seeds,” she shares further.
Make sleep a priority
According to the doctor, “Another important aspect of sleep, which could help with fatigue is the daytime nap.”
“Researchers have found that a midday nap can improve our brain’s efficiency and help us sort through unconscious information we’ve taken in without necessarily realising it, in the same way that night-time sleeping does,” she says.
(Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)
