Researchers don’t yet know exactly why this happens. The loss of smell and taste during and after having COVID-19 is a very common complaint. Is my loss of smell and taste from COVID-19 a result of brain damage? Researchers don’t know exactly why this happens or how common long COVID brain symptoms are after mild illness. Can even mild COVID-19 symptoms lead to brain damage?Ī 2021 review of studies found that brain fog and other brain effects can happen even after people experience mild COVID-19 symptoms. In most cases, brain changes from COVID-19 are temporary and clear up on their own.

However, brain health clinics report that an average of 32 percent of people who recovered from COVID-19 have experienced brain fog. Researchers don’t yet know how common changes to the brain from COVID-19 are. Be sure to check with your doctor before using any type of herb or oil supplement.įrequently asked questions How common is brain damage from COVID-19? There have not been any human or animal studies to date. However, this was only a chemical lab study. They found that luteolin may help the brain recover after long COVID and other causes of brain fog, including chemotherapy treatment. Researchers in a 2021 lab study looked at a natural anti-inflammatory supplement found in olive pomace oil called luteolin. Some supplements and medications may also help soothe or reduce inflammation. being social and spending time with friends and family.mental exercises, like puzzles, to stimulate thinking.staying active with daily exercise, no matter how low intensity, to improve blood flow to the brain and body, and reduce brain inflammation.following a diet and lifestyle plan that helps calm inflammation.Instead, doctors might recommend several actions, including: We don’t know exactly what causes brain changes or symptoms in COVID, but experts believe inflammation may play a role.Īccording to a 2022 study, there’s no one way to treat or manage COVID brain fog. Long COVID–linked brain fog is often temporary and will improve on its own without treatment. Is there a way to treat or manage COVID brain fog? People with COVID brain fog describe a range of symptoms and may have difficulty with: Researchers do not yet know how common COVID brain fog is, either, but they estimate that up to 32 percent of people who have recovered from COVID-19 have brain fog and other brain effects as part of their long COVID symptoms.īrain fog is described as slower or sluggish thinking and other changes to brain function or the ability to think. In most cases, brain fog from COVID-19 gets better on its own, but doctors don’t yet know how long symptoms last on average.

It’s typically temporary but may last for some time in other cases. Like other brain effects, brain fog can happen for several reasons, including lack of sleep, low blood sugar, and various illnesses and diseases.ĬOVID brain fog happens during or after a person gets COVID-19. One of the most commonly reported long COVID effects is brain fog. Longer lasting symptoms experienced by people who have recovered from COVID-19 have been termed “ long COVID” and “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).” Researchers noted these findings highlight the importance of mental health care in people who have gone through COVID-19 and other traumatic illnesses. These included changes in volume and activity in two areas of the brain linked to storing and recalling memories and expressing emotions: the hippocampus and the amygdala. In two different sessions, the COVID-19 survivors scored significantly higher for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the control group.īrain scans showed structural and functional changes in the group who had recovered from COVID-19. To test this theory, researchers in a 2021 study compared 173 people who had recovered from COVID-19 with a control group of 169 people who had not had COVID-19. Like other pandemics, COVID-19 may be linked to a higher likelihood of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) that can alter how the brain functions. In some cases, the effects on the brain may be longer lasting than the illness itself. Just like they affect the body, many kinds of illnesses can affect the brain.

Does covid make your eyeballs hurt