Coronavirus: Digestive post-COVID symptoms to not ignore after recovery, as per doctors

A lot of emphasis has been paid on taking rest and learning to manage lingering symptoms post recovery from coronavirus. From persistent cough, breathlessness, muscle pain and a heightened infection risk, Post-COVID recovery depends greatly on symptomatic management. At the same time, there could be some symptoms, such as the ones which impact your vital organs like the heart that need a lot of preemptive care and need not be ignored at any cost, including the ones which impact your digestive system.

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While gastrointestinal symptoms have become common symptoms during the second wave of COVID-19, now, doctors are also highlighting that a recovered COVID patient should also pay attention to any lingering gastrointestinal symptoms post COVID-19, and get them checked out at once.

We explain why gastrointestinal COVID symptoms could be a cause of worry, and need to be attended to after recovery:

There has been a rise in the number of people showcasing gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, acid reflux, cramps, nausea during the second wave of the coronavirus. While these symptoms were not evidently seen before, some of the gastrointestinal implications have been linked to the changing, mutating nature of the virus.

Scientists also believe that one of the primary reasons the gastrointestinal system is so acutely affected is because of the high presence of ACE2 receptors near the gut, which makes it easier for the spike protein of the coronavirus to latch itself onto, spreading and causing symptoms. Since the gut could be so acutely affecting, signs of lasting gut infection can be a common long COVID manifestation and concern a patient, weeks after recovering from the virus.

As per findings, over 60% of COVID-19 patients have gastrointestinal complications, which are often also linked to severity of the disease and as many as 44% COVID-19 patients continue to showcase GI sequelae upon discharge from the hospital, according to a study published in the Lancet. Therefore, not only are gastrointestinal symptoms a common feature of a COVID infection, but could also continue to inflict patients weeks after they have recovered from the infection.

Acid reflux, digestive ailments, nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea could all be common signs of gastrointestinal disturbance in patients suffering from COVID-19. While research continues to study the many vital complications related to long COVID-19, some doctors have suggested that these could act as lingering long-COVID symptoms that affect patients for as long as 3 months after recovery.

Digestive complaints can also impact a person's nutritional needs, which are crucial to a COVID-19 recovery and healing. Hence, along with symptomatic treatment of lingering COVID symptoms, priority attention must also be paid to managing these gastrointestinal complaints, such as acid reflux, nausea and digestion problems.

Many of the lingering COVID symptoms are tied to the severity of infection and risk factors, some of the symptoms are also resultant of remaining inflammation in the body.

As for the lingering gastrointestinal symptoms, not only is the likelihood of lasting symptoms higher with the type of infection you had, but also a common COVID complication, hypoxia.

Hypoxia refers to a condition when the body's saturation levels dip below normal and limit the flow of oxygenated blood to vital organs. The profound effect of hypoxia is felt on the respiratory organs, causing symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain and difficulty breathing. However, as many experts have suggested, hypoxia could also impact the gastrointestinal tract, and cause symptoms such as uneasiness, acid reflux and digestive ailments. Decreased blood oxygen saturation is a symptom closely related to severe pneumonia and relatively associated with gastrointestinal sequelae as well.

Gastrointestinal and digestive symptoms could also be caused by prolonged use of some of the medications used for COVID-19 treatment. Certain medications given during COVID-19 can also have a side-effect on kidney health and show up in the form of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Due to inflammation, some liver enzymes can also increase due to swelling of the liver cells, when the insulin production is low. This can also cause problems related to digestion, appetite loss and other related complications.

Not only is there a critical need to address these issues post COVID recovery, a patient must take care to not dismiss these symptoms, and manage them well.

As with most long COVID symptoms, taking ample rest, drinking fluids are helpful in taking care of health issues.

Supplementation of Vitamin C,D, B12 and calcium-fortified foods is a must to take care of digestive issues. Diet-wise, experts emphasize patients focus on including whole grains, fibre-rich foods, probiotics which soothe the stomach and promote good gut health. At the same time, a post-COVID-recovery diet should include a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, ensure that you limit, or minimize your intake of heavy, fried , processed foods which can further upset your stomach and cause problems. In the first couple of weeks post recovery, have foods which are light and filling, and easier to digest.

If the symptoms continue to bother you or become a chronic issue, consult a doctor. In some cases, blood tests might also be ordered to negate the risk of further complications.