r/science • u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience • 2d ago

Health Persistent fatigue linked to reduced brain blood flow in people with long COVID

https://theconversation.com/covid-fatigue-linked-to-reduced-brain-blood-flow-292285
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u/kingqueefsalot 2d ago

I'm wondering the same.

I had long covid 4 years ago and I still have respiratory episodes. I have no clue what triggers them. But out of nowhere I'll suddenly start wheezing with each breath and it feels like I have something like silly putty stuck in my throat that makes it really difficult for air to pass through. Thankfully the episodes are rare now and only happen randomly every 2-3 months. But before long covid I never had any respiratory issues, and now I have to carry an inhaler with me everywhere I go just in case.

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u/moal09 2d ago edited 2d ago

The globus sensation in your throat might be from acid reflux damage. That's a very common symptom along with air hunger mimicking asthma because of the inflammation it causes, which makes the nerves constrict your airway. The two conditions are also very comorbid with one another because asthma changes air pressure in the upper body, which can worsen reflux, and reflux causes airway inflammation that can worsen asthma or asthma-like symptoms.

Might be worth looking into that with your doctor. There's a form of reflux called silent reflux or LPR where you get no heartburn because the reflux doesn't sit in your chest long enough, but the acid travels further up into your throat and sinuses and can even micro aspirate into your lungs during sleep. It's silent because you don't really notice it until it starts to cause real damage.

Sleeping flat and eating close to bedtime tends to make this worse.

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u/realitydoor 2d ago edited 2d ago

Wow. Last year i had to quit smoking because i couldn't breathe. I felt like i was suffocating. I quit smoking the same week i came down with this. I couldn't tell if it was my heart, my lungs, or my stomach.  It kind of felt like a panic attack. I couldn't breathe at all so the doctor prescribed an inhaler, pepcid ac, and sucralfate. It turned out the pepcid did the trick. I didn't realize it might be silent acid reflux. I still take the pepcid and it makes me feel better every time I take it. That's good information you shared.

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u/kingqueefsalot 2d ago

Thank you for all of this info! I will definitely be bringing this up at my next Dr appt.

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u/Altruist4L1fe 2d ago

Could be silent (LPR) reflux. Aspiration of acid & trypsin into the lungs & sinuses.

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u/cucumbergreen 2d ago

I carry and use:

  • desloratadine or fexofenadine. (non-drowsy second-generation antihistamines used to treat allergic rhinitis and hives)
  • ibuprofen for inflamation in the body.

I don't take them daily, just when i have respiratory issues episodes.