If you’ve fought your way through a severe bout of COVID-19 and survived, congratulations are in order.
You’re one of the lucky ones. And with that hospital stay now a distant bad memory, and you safe at home, you deserve to celebrate.
But you also need to know your battle may not be over yet.
New research has spotted another long-term coronavirus risk. And it’s not any of the debilitating lingering symptoms you’ve already heard so much about.
Instead, it’s a nasty form of damage that targets your heart. And most frightening of all is you won’t feel this hidden heart inflammation.
But it could still silently set the stage for something far worse later on.
COVID-19 can leave behind silent heart damage
COVID-19 is especially tough on folks who already have some sort of illness, to begin with. And if you have heart disease, the infection can be a real bear.
But there’s another ugly trick the coronavirus can pull. It can weaken a heart even if you DON’T have heart disease… or make the condition worse if you do.
And, of course, what makes it TRULY sinister is that you won’t even know the heart inflammation is even happening.
The new study focused on patients who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 and recovered. Or so they had thought.
About one in eight of those folks had myocarditis or heart inflammation one year later. And that, of course, is a major risk factor for overall cardiovascular risk.
The inflammation didn’t stop there, either. It was spreading in many patients, with inflammation detected in the kidneys, lungs, and more.
Many of these folks did sense something was wrong. When asked to rate their own health, these patients – who technically had officially RECOVERED – rated themselves as having a poorer health-related quality of life. They also reported more anxiety and depression.
Build a barrier against hidden heart inflammation
The study participants were given advanced testing, including blood tests, MRIs, and CT scans to check on their organs. And the truth is, without it, these folks may have never known they were battling this deep and dangerous form of heart inflammation. Well, until it was too late, that is.
In other words, any of us, including you, could be a victim and not know it. So until we learn more about how to prevent or at least spot this hidden heart inflammation early, the safest thing for COVID survivors to do is act as if they, too, might be affected.
Start with something we should all do anyway, and that’s cut pro-inflammatory ultra-processed foods from your diet. You can replace some of those with these delicious anti-inflammatory foods instead.
Consider adding some immune-supporting inflammation fighters to your routine as well. Some of the best include…
- omega-3 fatty acids
- alpha-linolenic acid
- coenzyme Q10
- L-carnitine
- vitamin E
And then, have an open discussion with your doctor about the possibility that you might be silently suffering from post-COVID heart inflammation. And come up with a plan to closely monitor your health in the months following your recovery.
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