Diagnosing long covid is highly, if not completely subjective. Doctors will do a few tests to eliminate other causes, then base the rest on "Did you even get covid?" and "was it bad?" (And I am not exaggerating here, research how this gets diagnosed and you can see for yourself)
That is also true of some autoimmune disorders. It is a clinical diagnosis. There are no labs or any other way of diagnosis. I have no doubt that all the usual blood analysis is done to rule other things out. That is not unusual in medicine. This is where a good clinician comes into the picture. Much of good medical diagnosis is based upon a combination of diagnostic results and clinical experience. In the case of long covid, the best you could do would be to run a Covid antibody test. But that would only show that a person was exposed - not that they actually were sick from the Rona. So yes, this diagnosis is clinical.
Many of these clinics are staffed by clinicians that have a lot of experience already under their belts trying to deal with people that traditional medicine has basically ignored or discounted. Many are told they have anxiety or they are depressed. Basically brushed aside - here, take a pill so you won't think about it so much. Never addressing their complaints. These clinics are learning as they go because there is nothing else to help these people who are suffering greatly and who have had their lives turned completely upside down. This is not a top priority for universities or most researchers. I am glad that at least these doctors are trying to do something for these patients. They have helped many. Not everything can be seen in a lab result or an x-ray.
She did try it. Didn't help much. She has been using all kinds of different therapies. She said a form of biofeedback helped her a great deal along with some supplements. Nicotine helped me with my brain fog. The horrible fatigue, not so much. Glad you found something that helped you. Thanks for sharing. Many people out there suffering or they know someone that is.
Diagnosing long covid is highly, if not completely subjective. Doctors will do a few tests to eliminate other causes, then base the rest on "Did you even get covid?" and "was it bad?" (And I am not exaggerating here, research how this gets diagnosed and you can see for yourself)
That is also true of some autoimmune disorders. It is a clinical diagnosis. There are no labs or any other way of diagnosis. I have no doubt that all the usual blood analysis is done to rule other things out. That is not unusual in medicine. This is where a good clinician comes into the picture. Much of good medical diagnosis is based upon a combination of diagnostic results and clinical experience. In the case of long covid, the best you could do would be to run a Covid antibody test. But that would only show that a person was exposed - not that they actually were sick from the Rona. So yes, this diagnosis is clinical.
Many of these clinics are staffed by clinicians that have a lot of experience already under their belts trying to deal with people that traditional medicine has basically ignored or discounted. Many are told they have anxiety or they are depressed. Basically brushed aside - here, take a pill so you won't think about it so much. Never addressing their complaints. These clinics are learning as they go because there is nothing else to help these people who are suffering greatly and who have had their lives turned completely upside down. This is not a top priority for universities or most researchers. I am glad that at least these doctors are trying to do something for these patients. They have helped many. Not everything can be seen in a lab result or an x-ray.
Your friend may benefit from a nicotine patch for a week. It worked for me, and there's really no downside to trying.
She did try it. Didn't help much. She has been using all kinds of different therapies. She said a form of biofeedback helped her a great deal along with some supplements. Nicotine helped me with my brain fog. The horrible fatigue, not so much. Glad you found something that helped you. Thanks for sharing. Many people out there suffering or they know someone that is.
That's rough. Here's hoping the medbeds arrive in time for us all.