The main complication after recovering from Covid is fatigue, and exercises are recommended to strengthen lung function.
A topic of vital importance for all those who suffered from COVID-19 is the care of the lungs, since the disease can cause damage to these organs and serious respiratory problems, among other consequences.
In a panel of specialists organized by the Jalisco Health Secretariat (SSJ,) Julián Cárdenas Solorio, a pulmonologist assigned to the IMSS, pointed out that the most common post-COVID complication is fatigue. The disease attacks the entire body, but the main condition that remains is fatigue, so it is necessary to perform rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the lungs, and ideally should be recommended by experts, he indicated.
Carlos Fernando Godínez González, specialist in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Guadalajara, reported that pulmonary sequelae after COVID-19 are very common, but their severity will differ in each person; as well as the way in which rehabilitation should be carried out according to the conditions of each individual.
"If we talk about a person who smokes, who has obesity, with a low physical condition, who suffers from diabetes or hypertension; the consequences will possibly be more serious, and that is the importance of personalized rehabilitation to be resuscitating and reintegrating the person to their daily activities."
Emanuel Mercado Núñez, pulmonary rehabilitation physician at the Fray Antonio Alcalde Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, added that, subsequently, each patient must undergo an individualized evaluation by the rehabilitator, and stressed the importance of physical, pulmonary, and occupational physiotherapy.
“The patient will be taught to perform specific exercises, as well as the physical conditioning that he must have to ensure that he does not present fatigue. Nutritional support is extremely important for you to regain lost muscle and energy, so you should eat a diet rich in protein."
Another important aspect mentioned by the specialist is the possibility of cognitive impairment or memory alterations after falling ill with COVID-19, and how it affects pulmonary therapy due to the lack of compression of the prescribed exercises, and can prevent them from being carried out correctly. Support from a family member is recommended to achieve a positive impact on the rehabilitation of the organ.
Pulmonologist Julián Cárdenas recalled that smoking and second-hand smoke is toxic to the body, causing irreversible damage as an active or passive smoker, and increasing the vulnerability of the lungs in patients suffering from COVID-19.
“Any method of smoking that involves inhaling the fumes causes lung damage. It is the same to smoke a pipe than three cigarettes and also a small or large cigar to three or five cigarettes. The main consequence is lung damage, as well as cardiovascular risk such as heart attacks and arrhythmias, hence the importance of leaving it as soon as possible,” he said.
He mentioned that cigarettes contain approximately 4,000 toxic substances, of which 200 cause lung damage and 50 can cause lung cancer, and added that the electronic cigarette is equal to or more harmful than cigarette smoking since it generates short and long-term health damage.
Specialists, summoned by the University Center for Health Sciences of the University of Guadalajara, have developed a manual for people who suffered from COVID-19, where they can learn techniques to strengthen their lungs. You can visit their website at: