Dizzy virus

It is also not unheard of to see neurological complications, from headaches and trouble concentrating to strokes and seizures, in people with other respiratory illnesses like the flu or pneumonia. Health experts say the deadly bug may be causing neurological problems as the virus latches onto a receptor in our bodies called ACE-2, which is primarily located in the lungs. Pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, two severe complications observed in people with Covid, can cause multiple organ failure, which can damage the brain.

If you do not have any other symptoms along with your headache then it is highly unlikely that you have coronavirus. If you have abnormal headaches, or they are particularly bad, then it is still wise to seek medical advice via the NHS online service.

As well as neurological symptoms, doctors have also warned that a loss of taste or smell could also be a sign of coronavirus. The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology, which represents experts in ear, nose and throat medicine, has said that those who lose these senses should self-isolate immediately - even if you have no other symptoms.

Vertigo can be debilitating. People are often so off-balance that they cannot even stand or walk. Even laying in bed with vertigo is uncomfortable, as the world seems to be spinning around.

They are often unable to read or even watch TV in many cases because of the whirling sensation and visual disturbances. As well, the nausea and vomiting can be severe, worsening the experience. COVID can cause vertigo by disrupting the balance circuits in the brain and the inner ear.

The brain circuits involved in our sense of balance are primarily in the brainstem and cerebellum. In addition to these mechanisms of injuring the brain, the virus can also cause a stroke.

This can occur due to inadequate oxygen supply to the brain due to impaired lung function. If any of these mechanisms of injuring the brain occur in the areas responsible for the sense of balance, vertigo may occur. As well, when COVID affects the brain, other symptoms may be present, such as headache, confusion, visual disturbances, and impaired sense of smell. Anything that disturbs the vestibular apparatus can cause vertigo by fooling the brain into thinking that we are off-balance or moving.

The specific nature of the vertigo symptoms — such as how long the bouts of vertigo last, whether or not the vertigo is continuous, and the severity of the vertigo — depend upon which part of the balance system is affected. Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. Coronavirus or COVID is a novel entity which had led to many challenges among physicians due to its rapidly evolving nature. Countless studies, emerging daily from various parts of the world, have revealed dizziness as one of the main clinical manifestation of COVID This is not surprising as dizziness has historically been associated with viral infections.

Baig et al postulated that the virus enters the neural tissue from circulation and binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors found in the capillary endothelium. To our knowledge, this is the first article that outlines the association between dizziness and COVID We obtained 14 articles, which include 3 case reports and 11 studies Table 1.

A total of patients were pooled from this review. Of the 14 studies included, dizziness was specifically investigated and treated only in 2 studies 9 , 11 as dizziness was not the highlight in most studies, it was not investigated and described thoroughly.

Additionally, the outcome of dizziness was mentioned only in 1 study by Malayala et al, 11 whereby vestibular rehabilitation was carried out for the patient successfully. Dizziness, albeit a nonspecific COVID symptom, requires thorough investigation notably to determine its leading cause including, acute labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, acute otitis media, or secondary to stroke following COVID We would like to emphasize that dizziness should not be taken lightly as it has been proven to be a notable clinical manifestation among COVID patients.

Parallel to that, association with other audiovestibular manifestations such as hearing loss and tinnitus ought to be determined. Catch up on the latest news and stories on hearing health.

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