Bengaluru: neurologists say they have noticed a surge in complications such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Palsy faces and strokes among people who have recovered from Covid-19 throughout the state.
Spike has been significant after the second wave and problems tend to linger for some time.
The doctor said this complication occurred around 3-6 weeks after recovery from Covid.
However, the top neurologists recognize the causes are unknown and researchers have not yet determined the relationship between viral infections and neurological problems.
“We do not know how Covid affects nerves,” Recognizing Dr.
NK Venkataramana, Chair of the Founder and Director, Neuriography, Brain Hospital.
“Perhaps viral infections trigger immunological response and inflammation of the nervous system.
Also, many patients show systemic disorders in which the mechanism of freezing the body is affected.” Of more than 400 post-covid patients with neurological issues treated by Dr.
Venkataramana for the past year, almost 300 cases after the second wave.
He said during the first wave, most of the neurological problems were associated with the blocked clotting mechanism that caused a stroke.
This is mostly among young people who do not have other risk factors for strokes such as hypertension or diabetes.
“For those who have comorbidity, stroke opportunities for and after Covid is high,” he said.
There are also people with brain bleeding and those who suffer from strokes and bleeding are challenges to treat, said Dr.
Venkataramana.
“Bleeding causes the number of platelets to decline, while the formation of lumps requires blood thinners to give.
But they cannot be given blood thinners due to bleeding,” he said.
Doctors have also found patients with syndrome Guillain-Barre (GB), rare disorders in which the immune system attacks nerves, causing inflammation in the spinal cord.
Dr.
Sreekanta Swamy, Head of Neurology, Aster RV Hospital, refers to the case of a 80-year-old man, who developed a two-month syndrome after recovering from Covid.
Dr.
Swamy said viral infections could trigger an antibody antibody response to release certain chemicals that could cause neurological problems.
“If the antigen reaction is severe, it can harm.
Also, antivirus drugs and steroids used to treat covids have side effects,” he said.
Dr.
Swamy said he saw a minimum of four cases a week where the patient complained of dizziness, weight in the head and the inability to concentrate.
In one case, a patient developed a two-week seizure after recovering from Covid and experiencing a stroke.
“Many symptoms are not related to the age group 30-40 such as forgetfulness, dizziness and sleep disorders are now generally observed among post-covid patients,” Dr.
Swamy said.
Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta, said they only saw two or three GB syndrome cases in a month before the pandemic, but the current increase was threefold.
“Among the 100 covid patients who were hospitalized, more than 1.5% developed neurological complications in four months of recovery,” said Dr.
Ashok Kumar Singhal, a neurologist, foris hospital.
The genetic predisposition and virus variant really plays a role, said Dr.
Singhal.
“Maybe, some reasons contribute to post-covid neurological complications such as anxiety, fear of severe covid effects, or can be caused by drugs,” said Dr.
Swamy.