Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Spring 2021

FRHS.ORG 7 COVID-19 Recovering from COVID-19 REHABI L I TAT ION MAY HELP Whether your recovery from COVID-19 involved an intense hospital stay or you were able to recover at home, you may still be experiencing lingering effects of the disease. Common post-COVID-19 symptoms such as chronic fa- tigue, weakness, poor mobility and difficulty breathing may be making returning to everyday activities feel very difficult. Services such as pulmonary rehabilitation, as well as physical, occupational or speech therapy, can help. Pulmonary rehabilitation COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system. Those hospitalized may have needed the help of a ventilator for a prolonged time. People at higher risk for severe symptoms with COVID-19 may also have other underlying respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Faith Regional Pulmonary Rehabilitation gradually conditions your body to help increase your endurance and strength while you’re monitored by trained therapists for safety. Physical, occupational and speech therapy In addition to fatigue, loss of strength and shortness of breath, survivors can also experience loss of balance, joint and muscle pain, swal- lowing issues, and even neurological issues. Faith Regional Rehabilitation Therapies offers physical, occupa- tional and speech therapy that can all help. • Physical therapy can im- prove conditioning, strength- ening, breathing, balance, mobility and other physical side effects. • Occupational therapy can provide arm and hand strengthen- ing, cognitive skills retraining, and more to help you get back to the daily home and work activities that have become difficult. • Speech therapy can help improve memory, concentration, swallowing and other areas. PEOPLE WHO RECOVER FROM COVID-19 typically feel like their old selves in two to six weeks. But for some, the road to recovery may be much longer than that. In fact, many people continue to struggle with symptoms for weeks or even months after they might have expected to fully recover. COVID long-haulers have reported a wide range of lingering symptoms. Many say the symptoms come and go at random and can be so overwhelming that tasks of daily living are impossible to perform. You can do this If you think you might be a COVID-19 long- hauler, the first thing to do is to tell your doctor. Support, rest and symptom relief may help you feel better as you slowly recover. While there’s no easy fix in sight, here are some other things you can do that may help: Stay on top of your symptoms. Let your doctor know if they get worse. Manage underlying conditions. An underlying condition such as diabetes or heart disease may potentially contribute to a delayed COVID-19 recovery. Work with your doctor on a treatment plan. Be good to your body. Try to get plenty of sleep, rest and healthy foods. Ease back into activity. If you feel like exercising, start slowly, and do what you can for now. Don’t push yourself to return to your normal routine. Keep your spirits up. If you can, take time for hobbies or activities that bring you joy. Seek help from your doctor, a counselor or your support network if you feel sad, anxious or hopeless. Set doable goals. Listen to your body, and go at your own pace. Slow progress is still progress. Reach out to family and friends. A prolonged illness can lead to isolation. Connecting with your social network can help you feel less alone. And they may be able to help with chores or errands, if you ask. If you are still experiencing any lingering effects of COVID-19, talk to your doctor about a referral to Faith Regional Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation or Faith Regional Rehabilitation Therapies.