How to know if you have post-COVID-19 heart problems
To determine if heart symptoms are due to long-COVID, many tests may be needed. Fortunately, most of these tests are simple: they include things like blood tests, wearing a heart monitor to look for heart rate abnormalities, having an echocardiogram to look at the condition of the heart.
Often, these tests are normal. When that’s the case, patients are often referred to a post-COVID-19 specialist like Chopra.
What treatments work for post-COVID-19
“There is a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, so that’s why I reassure patients that we have seen people getting better, though it may take time,” Chopra says. “The good thing is, symptoms like heart palpitations and dropping blood pressure are the first to start getting better.”
Treatment ranges from at-home remedies like staying hydrated, eating more salt and wearing compression socks, to working with rehabilitation specialists, physical therapists and cardiologists. Medications can help maintain a normal heart rate and blood pressure, plus help with anxiety.
Research suggests that some post-COVID-19 patients may have lower serotonin levels, so treating them with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help with anxiety and stress which, in turn, can help with heart issues.
Chopra also works with patients on what she calls the four P’s:
- Pacing: Limiting daily activities so you don’t exhaust yourself or trigger worse symptoms
- Prioritizing: Deciding what absolutely needs to get done each day versus what can be rescheduled or postponed to conserve energy
- Positioning: Modifying activities to make them easier and less likely to trigger symptoms
- Planning: Making sure to plan each week ahead of time and building in times for rest
