What is long COVID and how do you recognise it?
Long COVID, also called post-COVID syndrome or PAIS (post-acute infection syndrome), is the umbrella term for symptoms that persist or return after a COVID-19 infection. The acute illness usually lasts a few weeks. With long COVID, symptoms last longer than three months and cannot be properly explained by another cause.
Common symptoms
- Persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest
- Brain fog: difficulty concentrating, remembering and thinking
- Shortness of breath and reduced stamina
- Muscle and joint pain
- Overstimulation from light, sound or crowds
- Setbacks after exertion (post-exertional malaise)
- Sleep problems and headache
The difference from an ordinary COVID infection
With an ordinary infection you recover after a few weeks. With long COVID, recovery stalls. Symptoms can also fluctuate: good and bad days alternate, and a busy day can set you back for days.
The impact on daily life
Long COVID often affects several areas of life at once. Physically, everyday exertion costs more energy than before. Cognitively, reading, planning and following conversations are more tiring. This has consequences for work, study, family and social contacts. Many people have to adjust their hours or stop working temporarily. That uncertainty is a burden in itself.
What do we know from research?
Much research is being done worldwide and in the Netherlands into the causes of long COVID. Mechanisms mentioned include persistent inflammatory responses, problems in the smallest blood vessels (microcirculation), disturbed energy metabolism in the cells and dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. There is not yet a treatment that works for everyone.
Research into hyperbaric oxygen
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is being studied as possible support for long COVID. In a randomised, placebo-controlled study from Israel (Scientific Reports, 2022), cognitive functions, energy and sleep improved in participants who received HBOT, more than in the placebo group. That is a promising result, but the study was small and the treatment took place in a medical centre with its own protocol. More research is needed.
Treatment options
Conventional care
Always start with your GP. They can rule out other causes and refer you to, for example, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist or a post-COVID clinic. There you learn, among other things, to spread your energy (pacing) and to build up your activity step by step.
Complementary support with oxygen and light
Alongside conventional care, some people choose complementary support. At The Oxygen Wellness Lab we combine hyperbaric oxygen with light therapy (photobiomodulation) and objective measurements. In the Netherlands, HBOT is not a recognised conventional treatment for long COVID. We are not doctors and offer HBOT as a complement to, not a replacement for, medical care.
How we support you with long COVID
- Intake: we discuss your symptoms, goals, health and possible contraindications. Where necessary, we first ask a doctor for approval.
- Baseline measurement: with cognitive tests (NeuroTrax), (Q)EEG and questionnaires we record your starting point. The interpretation is done in collaboration with neuropsychologist Jeanine Jansen MSc.
- Treatment series: a series of combined sessions with HBOT and light therapy, in collaboration with Carpus.
- Follow-up measurement and evaluation: after a rest period we compare the results with your starting point, so that you can see what has changed.
In our recovery programme you can read how this programme is structured and which results we have measured in our practice so far.
Your next step
Not sure whether a programme suits you? In a free intake consultation we look at your situation together. There is no obligation.
This information is general and does not replace medical advice. We are not doctors. If you have symptoms, always contact your GP or specialist.
