Problems following COVID-19 infection

I felt it was a good time to review digestive problems following COVID-19 infection. While the summary below is based on current research, our understanding of COVID-19 and its long-term effects is still evolving. Always consult with your medical and allied health team for individualised advice.

1. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms during COVID-19 infection: The virus particles that cause lung illness also infect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract: the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. This can trigger abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which often — but not always — clears up as people recover.
2. Long COVID and GI problems: Emerging evidence suggests that digestive problems following COVID-19 infection may persist in some people. Well-reported long COVID aftereffects include tiredness, breathing difficulty, changes to heart rhythm, and muscle pain. But few people are aware that long COVID symptoms may include chronic diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
3. Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): One possible insight is a well-known syndrome called post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that may occur after a stomach flu (gastroenteritis). Long after the virus causing the illness is gone, there may be a change in gut-brain signalling.
4. Long COVID and the digestive system: Patients report a variety of digestive problems following COVID-19 infection, from mild nausea and decreased appetite to severe constipation and food intolerance. In a recent long-COVID rehabilitation program, among 147 patients with no prior GI problems, 16% reported having new digestive symptoms roughly 3 months after their COVID-19 infection.
5. Possible causes: It is still not entirely clear why chronic digestive problems following COVID-19 infection might occur. One possible explanation is that the lining of the gut has a large amount of the receptors that the SARS-COV2 virus uses to invade cells. The general inflammation caused by the infection can also disrupt the normal bacteria that live in the gut and stimulate some of the GI system’s nerves.

If you would like to explore your digestive health, book an appointment or contact us to arrange an obligation-free chat.

References

Long COVID and the digestive system: Mayo Clinic expert describes common symptoms – Mayo Clinic News Network

COVID-19 infections raise risk of long-term gastrointestinal problems – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (wustl.edu)

Frontiers | Development and management of gastrointestinal symptoms in long-term COVID-19 (frontiersin.org)

Post COVID-19 irritable bowel syndrome | Gut (bmj.com)

Prevalence of gastro-intestinal symptoms among COVID-19 patients and the association with disease clinical outcomes | Future Science OA (future-science.com)

Post-infection functional gastrointestinal disorders following coronavirus disease-19: a prospective follow-up cohort study | BMC Infectious Diseases (springer.com)

Long-term gastrointestinal outcomes of COVID-19 | Nature Communications