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Long Covid symptoms: The signs which can affect your whole body 'at once'

The ONS says an estimated 1.3 million people in the UK were experiencing long COVID symptoms of December 6, 2021. Asthma and Lung UK explains Long COVID "can affect your whole body" and you may experience lots of different symptoms, "either at once or at different times".

It continues: "If you're worried about symptoms four weeks or more after having COVID-19, contact your GP. They will ask about your symptoms and the impact they're having on your life."

It lists the following common symptoms:

• Breathlessness
• Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• Problems with memory and concentration (known as 'brain fog')
• A cough that's been ongoing since you've had COVID-19
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Dizziness
• Pins and needles
• Joint pain
• Chest pain or tightness; heart palpitations (these may need urgently investigating, so it's important to seek medical help as soon as possible)
• Depression and anxiety
• Tinnitus, earaches
• Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
• A high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
• Rashes

Chest Pain 

The NHS notes how long it takes to recover from COVID-19 is different for everybody, but many people feel better in a few days or weeks.

The health body explains that the chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get COVID-19, as "people who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems".

The NHS advice on Long Covid says people who are recovering from an illness often report feeling a little better each day, and it can take time to fully recover.

It says: "With Long Covid you may feel fatigued after activities which were not previously difficult to cope with and this can affect your quality of life and ability to function as you did previously. This is more likely to occur at the end of the day or at the end of a busy week."

It adds: "Sometimes people experience a number of other symptoms worsening after physical stress. This could include brain fog, muscle aches or headaches alongside increased fatigue.

"Clinicians may call these 'post exertional symptoms'. They are not in themselves dangerous but can affect your quality of life."

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) adds: "There isn't one single test to diagnose long Covid. It's a condition that isn't fully understood yet."

It adds: "Speak to your doctor if you are experiencing lasting Long Covid symptoms. They may refer you for tests to help understand how Long Covid is affecting you and how it can be treated. Or it may even be that there is another cause for your symptoms."

The NHS says in December 2020, NHS England announced the launch of Post Covid clinics.

The health body says: "The clinics bring together a wide range of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to offer both physical, psychological and rehabilitation needs assessments.

"The Post Covid clinics aim to bring a more holistic diagnostic picture of Long Covid."

The health body says if you have mental health symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, you may be referred to additional local services for specialist mental health assessment and support.

SMELLING FRUIT

The NHS says if you have COVID-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after five days, it adds.

The health body adds: "Free testing for COVID-19 from the NHS has ended for most people in England.

"If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you are no longer required to do a rapid lateral flow or PCR test. 

Reference: Daily Express: Harriet Whitehead

Why are my genitals so itchy? 4 grim reasons why your vagina or penis itches

Itchy private parts are both a nuisance and a bother. The occasional itch is perfectly normal, but constantly scratching your nether regions is not

There are several possible causes for your itchy genitals

Genital itching refers to an itchy sensation, intermittent or constant need to scratch the skin in and around the penis or vagina.

The itch may be confined to the skin of the groin and pubic hair.

In men, it may also affect the head and shaft of the penis, or in women, the inner and outer labia, or internally (inside the vagina).

Both males and females of all ages are at risk of getting itchy genitals.

The itchiness can be a symptom of many conditions.

In either sex, itching can be caused by skin irritation, sexually transmitted diseases and allergies.

STIs and STDs are known to increase itchiness in the genital area

According to Cleveland Clinic, the four possible causes for your itchy genitals include:

• Sexually transmitted disease
• Sweating
• Tight clothing
• Substances like soap and detergent that can aggravate the genitals.

Some of the most common types of STDs that may cause genital itchiness include chlamydia, gonorrhoea or trichomoniasis.

“The itching sensation may vary depending on the STD that you have, and it will usually be very intense and may also cause a burning sensation,” says Your Sexual Health.

“Before assuming that you have an infection, it’s best to go to the doctor and talk to them about what’s going on,” added Walk In Clinic.

“They can examine you and advise you on proper testing.”

Using the wrong soap could also cause itchiness in the genital area

Sweat and tight clothing

“The problem is the moisture,” says Dr Heather Goff, associate professor of dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Centre.

She added: “Sweat and bacteria can get trapped in the fabrics and, in turn, irritate skin.

“The sweat and bacteria can also disrupt the natural microbiome of the skin, leading to infection, acne, or dermatitis (skin irritation).”

Certain soaps

Soap is the most common cause of genital itching, particularly in young women.

It can also cause the area to become red and sore.

Certain soaps, lotions, and other hygiene and skin care products can cause contact dermatitis, which is a skin irritation.

Along with itching, contact dermatitis may also cause dry and flaky skin. 

An occasional itch anywhere on the body, even your pubic area, is probably nothing to worry about.

Persistent genital itch, however, may be caused by allergies, damage to the hair follicles, or an infection.

In many cases, itchy genitals caused by irritation will clear up on its own if the irritants are removed.

Other causes of itching may require more intensive treatment.

If you are concerned about itchiness in your genitals that does not go away, talk to your GP about the possible cause.

Reference: Daily Star: By Jessica KnibbsHealth Reporter

Having an itchy bum is rarely a reason to worry, but can on occasion be a sign that you have a deeper, underlying problem that needs urgent medical attention

There are several potential causes for an Itchy Bum

It’s always frustrating when we get an itch we can’t scratch, especially when it’s in a place there’s no way of reaching it. Like the inside of your bum, for example.

We’ve all been there, but most of the time it simply means you need to go back to the toilet and clean yourself properly. Remember, water is your friend in this situation.

But sometimes even that doesn’t solve the problem, indicating your itchy bum could be a sign of something more sinister, as //www.tiktok.com/@drchristalnd/video/7094697491118951685" rel="nofollow" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(234, 4, 44); font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold;">Dr Christal Blanchard explained on TikTok.

In her one-minute video, Dr Blanchard narrowed down the root causes of having an itchy bum to three potential issues. Remember to always visit your GP if you're worried about any recurring symptoms.

 

A simply solution to having an itchy bum is usually going back to the toilet and wiping properly 

1. Vitamin A deficiency

After urging those who suffer from itchy bums to visit their practitioners to identify the source of the problem, Dr Blanchard suggested that vitamin A deficiency could be behind it.

She said: "You can actually check that through your medical doctor who will do a blood test which could show a deficiency. If you're going to start taking vitamin A then please check in with your medical practitioner because your liver enzymes need to be monitored.”

She warned: "Vitamin A can be very hard on your liver if taken for too long and too high of a dose."

2. Low stomach acid

Dr Blanchard continued to explain that low stomach acid could also be the cause of an itchy bum, adding there are certain tests one can do at home to check if this is the case.

One test is the baking soda challenge in the morning before having anything for breakfast. This requires drinking a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 120ml of water and timing how long it takes you to burp, with the norm being under 2-3 minutes.

Should low stomach acid be the cause of your itchy bum, Dr Blanchard recommended trying apple cider vinegar to see if your symptoms improve. She said: "When you take apple cider vinegar, do it 15 minutes before meals, and dilute it in some water."

3. Parasite

The third potential cause of your itchy bum, Dr Blanchard suggested, could be a parasite. She said: "If you have an itchy bum at night or feel restless at night the cause of your itchy bum could be a parasite."

A parasite, also known as intestinal worms, can cause diarrhoea, constipation, gas, bloating, nausea and sudden weight loss due to poor nutritional absorption.

Small, white worms in your poo that look like pieces of thread is also a sign you have a parasite, according to the NHS. A GP would need to prescribe medicine to get rid of your worms, and others around you may also need to be treated.

Woman’s ear rebuilt with 3D-printed living tissue implant

A woman has had her external ear reconstructed using a 3D-printed living tissue implant in what appears to be the first trial of its kind, according to reports.

The technology has been developed for people with microtia, a rare congenital condition in which one or both outer ears are absent or incompletely formed.

According to the New York Times, the transplant was carried out in the US in March on a 20-year-old woman from Mexico who was born with a small and misshapen right ear.

The company behind the implants, 3DBio Therapeutics, announced the reconstruction but in-depth details of the implant and procedure were unavailable for immediate scrutiny.

The company said the implant was composed of a 3D-printed collagen hydrogel scaffold with the patient’s own cartilage cells. “The construct is printed in a size and shape matching the patient’s opposite ear for implantation,” the press release says.

It is hoped that 11 patients with unilateral microtia will be enrolled into the clinical trial, conducted in Los Angeles, California, and San Antonio, Texas, according to the company, and the findings will be published in a medical journal.

Dr Arturo Bonilla, the surgeon who performed the procedure, said: “As a physician who has treated thousands of children with microtia from across the country and around the world, I am inspired by what this technology may mean for microtia patients and their families. This study will allow us to investigate the safety and aesthetic properties of this new procedure for ear reconstruction using the patient’s own cartilage cells.”

Bonilla said the approach could replace current techniques for reconstruction of the outer ear that involve taking cartilage from patients’ ribs, a more invasive procedure, or the use of porous polyethylene (PPE) implants, with ears reconstructed using the new implant thought to be more flexible.

While long-term follow-up of those receiving the implants is needed, Dr Daniel Cohen, 3DBio’s chief executive, described the real-world application of the technology as “a truly historic moment”. He said he hoped the clinical trial could have potential beyond microtia.

“Our initial indications focus on cartilage in the reconstructive and orthopedic fields including treating complex nasal defects and spinal degeneration,” he said. “We look forward to leveraging our platform to solve other high-impact, unmet medical needs like lumpectomy reconstruction and eventually expand to organs.”

Prof Anthony Atala, the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, in the US, who was not involved in the research, said the cartilage of the outer ear helped to funnel sound into the middle and inner ear, which manages the sound processing, and is also important cosmetically.

Atala said it was not the first time tissue engineered ears, made with the patient’s own cells, had been implanted in humans. An implant made from such cells cultured on a polymer scaffold has previously been reported in China.

But Atala said: “This is an important advance for the regenerative medicine field. 3D printing aims to provide a number of advantages over handmade engineered tissues, including scale-up, higher design precision and decreased costs.”

Adam Perriman, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Bristol, whose work includes developing techniques for 3D cell printing, also welcomed the news. “As the structure of the ear is cartilage and is avascular – [in other words it has] no blood vessels – it is easier than bioprinting more complex tissues [or] organs, which is still a way off,” he said. “That being said, it is an exciting prospect, as there are still few examples of tissue engineered products or procedures.” 

Reference: The Guardian: Nicola Davis