Long Haul Covid is a frightening proposition that gets plenty of attention in the media. And while lingering issues after a bout with Covid such as fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, neurological issues, digestive problems and anxiety are real and not to be ignored. At the same time it’s important to remember that the medical community has long been aware of post-viral syndromes such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and Epstein-Barr. It’s not surprising that a viral infection like Covid could linger and cause chronic issues, other viruses including the flu can trigger this negative turn of events as well.
Of course the best way to avoid any kind of post-viral syndrome is to not get sick in the first place. But as we live in a world where we’ve been co-evolving with viruses for uncountable millennia, it’s unlikely you can avoid a viral illness for your entire life.
Chinese medicine doctors for 1000’s of years have been treating seasonal viral illnesses and their lingering sequela. The concept of a lingering pathogen goes back rough 2000 years and we have safe and effective methods for using herbs to strengthen the body and correct the lingering effects of a viral illness.
Long Haul Covid brings some of its own unique challenges, but from the Chinese medicine perspective, it is just another pathogen that has gummed up the body’s immune and restoration response, and we have a number of time-tested and effective methods for remedying this condition.
A few words of caution and consideration.
First preventing an illness is the best way to avoid chronic post viral illness.
Second if you do get sick. Rest! Rest and rest some more. If you have a fever, let it run, it’s your body’s built in mechanism for killing off viruses which don’t do well with heat. Taking good care of yourself while sick and drink easy to digest soups or rice congee. Be sure to allow for some extra rest when recovering. Just because you feel 80% better does not mean you are fully recovered.
Lastly, if you do find that you’re suffering from symptoms of Long Haul Covid do not try to DIY this with information and products from an Internet herb website. Herbs can be safe and effective, but you need to know what you’re doing with them. Trying something because a site Internet said so and is now offering you a 20% discount for herbs could cause you more trouble than relief.
Please do yourself a favor and contact a practitioner that has already put years of study into Chinese herbs medicine, and make sure that using herbs is something that is a significant part of the practice and not just a sideline.
Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of being safe and effective for post viral conditions and I’ve seen it, along with acupuncture, be very helpful for the symptoms of Long Haul Covid.
One way to find a qualified Chinese medicine herbalist is to visit NCCAOM.ORG and look for the practitioners who have either the Oriental Medicine or Herbal certificate.
And if you have any questions about how Chinese herbal medicine can be helpful in treating post viral conditions like Long Covid, then give us a call here at Yong Kang Clinic.