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An uncommon case of a Lengthy Covid affected person’s legs turning blue after 10 minutes of standing highlights the necessity for higher consciousness of this symptom amongst folks with the situation, in keeping with new analysis revealed within the Lancet.
The paper, authored by Dr Manoj Sivan on the College of Leeds, focuses on the case of 1 33-year man who developed with acrocyanosis – venous pooling of blood within the legs.
A minute after standing, the affected person’s legs started to redden and have become more and more blue over time, with veins changing into extra outstanding. After 10 minutes the colour was way more pronounced, with the affected person describing a heavy, itchy sensation in his legs. His unique shade returned two minutes after he returned to a non-standing place.
The affected person stated he had began to expertise discoloration since his COVID-19 an infection. He was recognized with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a situation that causes an irregular improve in coronary heart charge on standing.
This was a putting case of acrocyanosis in a affected person who had not skilled it earlier than his COVID-19 an infection.
Sufferers experiencing this is probably not conscious that it may be a symptom of Lengthy Covid and dysautonomia and will really feel involved about what they’re seeing. Equally, clinicians is probably not conscious of the hyperlink between acrocyanosis and Lengthy Covid.
We have to guarantee that there’s extra consciousness of dysautonomia in Lengthy Covid in order that clinicians have the instruments they should handle sufferers appropriately.”
Dr Manoj Sivan, Affiliate Medical Professor and Honorary Guide in Rehabilitation Drugs within the College of Leeds’ College of Drugs
Lengthy Covid impacts a number of techniques within the physique and has an array of signs, affecting sufferers’ potential to carry out each day actions. The situation additionally impacts the autonomic nervous system, which is liable for regulating blood stress and coronary heart charge.
Acrocyanosis has beforehand been noticed in youngsters with dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia), a standard symptom of post-viral syndromes.
Earlier analysis by Dr Sivan’s group has proven that each dysautonomia and POTS regularly develop in folks with Lengthy Covid.
Dysautonomia can also be seen in plenty of different long-term situations comparable to Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, often known as Continual Fatigue Syndrome or ME.
Dr Sivan stated: “We’d like extra consciousness about dysautonomia in long run situations; more practical evaluation and administration approaches, and additional analysis into the syndrome. It will allow each sufferers and clinicians to higher handle these situations.”
The analysis is the most recent work by the group within the discipline of autonomic drugs. Different developments embrace a house take a look at for folks with signs of autonomic dysfunction in situations comparable to lengthy COVID, persistent fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and diabetes 1 and a couple of, the place folks expertise dizziness or blackouts.
Supply:
Journal reference:
Iftekhar, N., et al. (2023) Venous insufficiency and acrocyanosis in lengthy COVID: dysautonomia. The Lancet. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01461-7.
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