Raising awareness of long COVID ‘blue legs’ symptom

An uncommon case of a protracted COVID affected person’s legs turning blue after 10 minutes of standing highlights the necessity for higher consciousness of this symptom amongst individuals with the situation, in response to new analysis. The research, “Venous insufficiency and acrocyanosis in lengthy COVID: dysautonomia,” has been revealed in The Lancet.

The paper, authored by Dr. Manoj Sivan on the College of Leeds, focuses on the case of 1 33-year-old man who developed with acrocyanosis—venous pooling of blood within the legs.

A minute after standing, the affected person’s legs started to redden and have become more and more blue over time, with veins changing into extra outstanding. After 10 minutes the colour was rather more pronounced, with the affected person describing a heavy, itchy sensation in his legs. His authentic shade returned two minutes after he returned to a non-standing place.

The affected person mentioned he had began to expertise the discoloration since his COVID-19 an infection. He was identified with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a situation that causes an irregular enhance in coronary heart charge on standing.

Dr. Sivan, Affiliate Scientific Professor and Honorary Guide in Rehabilitation Medication within the College of Leeds’ Faculty of Medication, mentioned, “This was a hanging case of acrocyanosis in a affected person who had not skilled it earlier than his COVID-19 an infection.

“Sufferers experiencing this might not be conscious that it may be a symptom of lengthy COVID and dysautonomia and should really feel involved about what they’re seeing. Equally, clinicians might not be conscious of the hyperlink between acrocyanosis and lengthy COVID.

“We have to guarantee that there’s extra consciousness of dysautonomia in lengthy COVID in order that clinicians have the instruments they should handle sufferers appropriately.”

Lengthy COVID impacts a number of methods within the physique and has an array of signs, affecting sufferers’ means to carry out every day actions. The situation additionally impacts the autonomic nervous system, which is accountable for regulating blood strain and coronary heart charge.

Acrocyanosis has beforehand been noticed in kids with dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia), a standard symptom of post-viral syndromes.

Earlier analysis by Dr. Sivan’s crew has proven that each dysautonomia and POTS steadily develop in individuals with lengthy COVID.

Dysautonomia can be seen in various different long-term circumstances resembling fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis, often known as continual fatigue syndrome or ME.

Dr. Sivan mentioned, “We want extra consciousness about dysautonomia in long run circumstances; simpler evaluation and administration approaches, and additional analysis into the syndrome. This can allow each sufferers and clinicians to raised handle these circumstances.”

The analysis is the most recent work by the crew within the area of autonomic drugs. Different developments embrace a house take a look at for individuals with signs of autonomic dysfunction in circumstances resembling lengthy COVID, continual fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and diabetes 1 and a pair of, the place individuals expertise dizziness or blackouts.