Is "brain fog" not unique to COVID-19? Seriously afraid of being "disabled"? Medical warning: "2 things" to avoid
As the number of confirmed cases in Taiwan rises, Taiwanese people are also experiencing symptoms of “long COVID-19”. Recently, it was reported that a female patient continued to suffer from fatigue and headaches after being infected with the epidemic in May, which seriously affected her ability to think and speak, and even caused her to ride a bicycle. Due to a moment of confusion, he hit himself into a truck, which almost led to a tragedy. After diagnosis, it was confirmed that he had “brain fog” which is common in people with COVID-19. Chairman Hu Chaorong of the Taiwan Neurological Society pointed out that COVID-19 syndrome is closely related to the “brain” and “nervous system”, and the brain is crucial to general health. We call on the public to pay more attention to brain health during the current epidemic to avoid the consequences of systemic disability.
One out of every five people has COVID-19! In severe cases, may it lead to disability or disability?
Chairman Hu Chaorong said that according to US research, about 20% of confirmed cases continue to develop COVID-19 after recovery. Common symptoms include headache, sore throat, abnormal sense of smell or taste, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain and tightness, joint pain, and depression. and anxiety, etc. About 63% of the patients have had their ability to live seriously affected by COVID-19. Chronic fatigue, inability to concentrate, depression, sleep disorders, etc. are most likely to affect patients’ work or academic performance.
As for why COVID-19 has such an impact on the human body? Chairman Hu Chaorong explained that after the new coronavirus invades the body, it causes widespread chronic inflammation throughout the body, which may directly or indirectly damage cerebral vascular endothelial cells and cause a decrease in brain blood oxygen concentration. The incidence of brain symptoms is related to the patient’s health status and immune ability. If the patient’s immunity is reduced due to infection, it is easy to develop neurological complications and indirectly affect the body’s organs. The U.S. CDC recommends classifying it within the scope of disability, which shows the impact of COVID-19 on general health.
Is “brain fog” not a unique symptom of COVID-19? Stress and using mobile phones may aggravate the condition
Based on the above, the impact of COVID-19 on brain health cannot be ignored. Dr. Tsai Ruiping from the Department of Neurology, Taipei Medical University Hospital explained that common phenomena of brain fog include slow thinking and reaction, inattention, memory loss, reduced language communication skills, etc. Modern people’s lifestyle changes, such as excessive stress and excessive use of electronic products. For other reasons, it is easy to cause a lack of concentration and a sudden blank mind, which can trigger brain fog.
Dr. Cai Ruiping pointed out that brain fog is not an exclusive symptom of COVID-19, but one of the early symptoms of many brain-related diseases. The public is reminded that if they have the above symptoms, they can actively seek help from professional doctors. If they are not improved by early medical treatment, allowing brain fog to develop may indirectly cause anxiety, depression, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease, thereby damaging brain health. .
Brain health depends on “these factors”! Doctor: “5 levels” to enhance public awareness
Dr. Chen Rouxian, chairman of the International Committee of the Taiwan Neurological Society, called on the public to pay more attention to brain health in the face of epidemics, wars, climate change and countless challenges affecting human survival around the world. In view of this, the World Neurological Alliance launched an initiative on World Brain Health Day this year, hoping to jointly improve national brain health through five major aspects:
Awareness: Awareness that brain health is related to psychological, social and physical aspects.
Prevention: Prevention of many brain diseases can be deployed in advance.
Advocacy: The Brain Disease Initiative allows more people to invest in promoting brain health.
Education: Propaganda on brain disease education can promote key information on brain health through universal education.
Access: Equitable access to resources, treatment and recovery is critical to brain health.
Dr. Chen Rouxian explained that the brain is a vital organ that affects the whole body. However, due to its complex structure, the public does not understand it deeply and often ignores its importance and is not aware of the damage. He reminds the public that if there is a suspected brain nervous system abnormality, If you have symptoms, you should actively seek help from professional medical personnel, and call on all walks of life to work together to improve public awareness of brain health and promote brain health for all.
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