Treating Long Haulers with a Naturopathic Approach

A COVID long-hauler is someone who has a post-viral syndrome as a result of their COVID-19 infection. Long-haulers are not a new phenomenon; many people are long-haulers from influenza, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and other infections. I have spent more than a decade treating long-haulers, so treating COVID long-haulers is both comfortable and challenging. Since COVID is a unique virus, I am learning about its quirks and tricks while relying on my knowledge and experience with other post-viral illnesses. Because of my history of treating other types of long-haulers, I am having success treating COVID long-haulers.

Common Symptoms

COVID tends to target the systems in the body that are compromised or weak. This may mean that my patient whose upper respiratory infections settle in their lungs may have a chronic cough. Or if their colds tend to settle in their sinuses, they may sink into chronic sinusitis.

With COVID post-viral illness, I commonly see shortness of breath, fatigue, depression, anxiety, joint pain, headache, brain fog and digestion issues. There are really no restrictions as to what symptoms a post-viral illness can cause.

A Naturopathic Approach

I have been treating long-haulers for years with a naturopathic approach and I can’t overstate how important it is for me to see the patient as a whole person, rather than just their fatigue or shortness of breath. It’s also very important to work with the patient in a partnership, rather than a parent-child type of relationship. Beyond the visit in my office, my patient is doing the hard work of healing and they need to be as invested (or more invested!) in their healing process as I am. To create this healing relationship, it is crucial to do a complete and thorough intake. Initially, I spend an hour with a patient taking a detailed medical history and performing any necessary physical exams.

When I see a long hauler, they almost always have a pre-existing medical condition (or conditions) that has predisposed them to being a long-hauler. Because we need to dig deep into my patient’s medical history to find and treat the root of their symptoms, the healing process can often take longer than the patient expects. Healing is a journey that involves hard work and patience with the process, which can be up and down.

With my patients who have post-viral illness, I will commonly order labs as part of their assessment. I will often start evaluating my patients by targeting three areas on their lab assessment. However, if my patient has different needs as far as lab workup is concerned, I will not hesitate to broaden the scope of what I am looking for with their lab work.

Inflammation is Common

Inflammation is a major player in post-COVID illness. This inflammation can really spark symptoms anywhere in the body. In fact, inflammation of the brain causes a lot of long-hauler symptoms such as brain fog, depression and anxiety. Inflammation can also cause issues with the heart and lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, and other organ systems. I will order several lab tests to evaluate inflammation in the body, including c-reactive protein, ferritin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and several others.

Hormones Can Be Affected

COVID can knock a person’s hormones for a loop! I have seen COVID disrupt testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, thyroid, insulin and other hormones. Imbalanced hormones can cause menstrual issues, menopausal symptoms, fatigue, hair loss, weight gain and a whole host of other symptoms. Some of these hormones can be evaluated with a simple blood test, while others are better evaluated with salivary or urine testing.

Co-Infections Can Return

Infections that we have had in the past may become reactivated with COVID. The immune system may have had an old infection under control, but COVID came along and knocked the immune system askew, and the old infection was allowed to return. Once the old infection has a foothold, it can begin to cause symptoms. I commonly see reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. Both of these viruses, when reactivated, can cause fatigue, brain fog, depression and other symptoms. I also frequently see reactivation of organisms that cause atypical pneumonia, which can contribute to the post-COVID cough and shortness of breath. There are many other co-infections that can be problematic, so, again, the thorough patient intake will help guide my thought process as to what co-infections need to be evaluated. Many of these co-infections can be evaluated with a simple blood test.

In closing, if you are a COIVD long-hauler, I would like this article to give you hope. Being a COVID long-hauler is not a life sentence. Our bodies are designed to heal, but we must thoroughly evaluate the patient and help them gain the tools that they need to restore their health. FBN

By Amber Belt, N.D.

Amber Belt, N.D. is a naturopathic physician and co-owner of Aspen Integrative Medical Center where she helps patients get healthy from the inside out. She is also co-owner of Sage Sirona, which focuses on natural first aid and education. Dr. Belt has been practicing naturopathic medicine for more than 15 years and can be contacted via aspenmedcenter.com or sagesirona.com. You can also call her office at 928-213-5828.