Treatments
Some treatments are available for treating the initial COVID-19 infection, but there currently no universally agreed upon approach to treat long COVID. Because symptoms vary greatly, how the symptoms are treated has also varied. More research in this area is needed and continues to be ongoing. You may need to see a doctor that specializes in treating certain symptoms such as a respirologist (lung specialist) if you are having on going breathing problems.
When recovering from any illness, it is important to treat your entire body and self. Overall wellness includes your mental health, eating well, sleeping well, managing your symptoms, starting to become active again, getting back to work and knowing when to seek help.
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Mental health is just as important as our physical health. The two are not separate and are strongly related. Managing long term symptoms and changes to our health can be stressful and cause anxiety, worry about the future and make us feel overwhelmed or alone. There are many different strategies that can help you cope with these feelings and thoughts, and people and supports.
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Eating well provides your entire body the fuel and nutrients to get stronger and recover. However COVID-19 can sometimes alter your taste and smell or cause stomach problems, making it difficult to eat and maintain proper nutrition.
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Learn more about eating well and how to manage these symptoms: Eating well | Your COVID Recovery
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Sleeping well is vital to our overall health and recovery. Many people report changes to their sleep after COVID-19. There are many simple things that we can do during the day that can often help us with a better sleep. Some things to try may include going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine and alcohol several hours before bed time, exercising earlier in the day and not close to bed time, limit looking at screens close to bed time and developing a relaxing bed time routine to help you unwind before going to sleep.
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Learn more about sleeping well after COVID-19: Sleeping Well, Your COVID Recovery
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Being active and exercising has many health benefits for the body and mind. Many people experience symptoms such extreme fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath to name a few, after having COVID-19 which reduces their exercise tolerance. Sometimes basic activities of daily living are challenging. When we are ill and have been in bed for a while too, our muscles weaken as well. However, gradually increasing our activity is important to make you stronger, manage your symptoms and to allow you to do the things in life that are important to you. You don’t have to do this alone. Many long COVID specific pulmonary rehabilitation exercise programs with exercise specialists can help get you moving again.
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Find a pulmonary rehabilitation program near you.
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Learn more about Exercise after a COVID-19 Diagnosis watch the Lung Life Webinar with Dr. Butcher
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Knowing when to seek help for our health and wellness is vital. Remember you are not alone and you don’t have to manage your symptoms alone. There are many people with different health expertise that can and want to help you. Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to find the help we need. Often, your health care provider can advise you on where to seek help that may be most helpful for you. If your symptoms are causing a medical emergency, seek help immediately by calling 911 or visit the nearest emergency department right away. Do not drive yourself.
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Call the Saskatchewan Health Line at 811
Programs & Support
Everyone’s COVID-19 journey is different, but it is a journey you don’t have to take alone. Consider joining Lung Sask’s COVID-19 Support Group to find support from those who share a similar experience, in a safe environment.
Patient Education Webinars
At Lung Sask, it is a privilege to be a trusted, credible resource for patients and caregivers. Thanks to the generous support of our industry partners and the collaborative spirit of our key opinion leaders, we continue to host and share educational webinars covering a wide range of topics including topics about COVID-19 and symptom management.
For more information about these webinars and to view previously recorded webinars visit Patient Education Webinars.
Caring Breaths Financial Assistance Program
To ease the financial burden that may be associated with living with a lung disease, Lung Sask is pleased to be able to provide support through its Caring Breaths Financial Assistance Program. This reimbursement program is designed to be complementary to other established financial assistance programs in the province of Saskatchewan.
To learn more about the program including information about eligibility and the application process visit Caring Breaths Financial Assistance Program.
Participate in COVID-19 Research
Research plays an important role in discovering new treatments and making sure that we use existing treatments in the best possible ways. Research can find answers to things that are unknown, filling gaps in knowledge, and changing the way that healthcare professionals work.
If you are interested in participating in COVID-19 related research including Long COVID research, visit our Participate in Research page for more information.