CONDITION OF A QUADRIPLEGIC WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST HIT MOST OF THE SEVERE SYMPTOMS REPORTED WERE RESPIRATORY, BUT THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF HEADACHE MEDICINE AT NORTON NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE SAYS THAT’S CHANGING NOW AS ESSENTIALLY A YEAR HAS PASSED AND WE’RE SEEING PEOPLE WHO HAVE LARGELY RECOVERED FROM THE SIGNIFICANT INITIAL ILLNESS. WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING SOME LONG-TERM NEUROLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES NAMELY A LOT TO DO WITH HEADACHE DR. BRIAN. PLATO SAYS, THESE AREN’T JUST PERIODICAL HEADACHES. THEY’RE PERSISTENT AND OFTEN FORM AROUND THE NASAL AREA AND EYES, SO WHAT’S CAUSING IT? HE SAYS THERE ARE A FEW THEORIES SOMETHING THAT IS LOOKING INTERESTING IS THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE LOSS OF SMELL SO IF YOU TAKE LOSS OF SMELL AS A SYMPTOM OF COVID HALF OF INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE LOSS OF SMELL WILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH HEADACHE WHEREAS IF YOU TAKE THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE LOSS OF SMELL. IT’S LESS THAN 20% NOT ALL HEADACHES OR LONG TERM. IN FACT MOST LAST WEEKS RATHER THAN MONTHS, BUT DR. PLATO SAYS HE’S EXPECTING SOME RECOVERIES TO TAKE YEARS DUE TO POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM PARTICULARLY THE TRIGEMINAL NERVES IN SOME CASES MEDICATION LIKE STEROIDS CAN HELP IN SOME INSTANCES WERE HAVING, YOU KNOW SOME SUCCESS IN TERMS OF REDUCING. SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS AND PERHAPS MAKING IT MORE MANAGEABLE, BUT THEN IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, REALLY NOT HAVING THOSE THOSE BREAKTHROUGHS THAT WE WOULD LIKE DR. PLATO SAYS THEY’RE CONTINUING TO AGGRESSIVELY TREAT SYMPTOMS BY TESTING NEW MIGRAINE MEDICATIONS ON THE MARKET IN THE MEANTIME. HE’S ALSO HOPING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A DIRECT CAUSE
What’s causing debilitating, post-COVID-19 headaches? Doctors have a theory
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Updated: 10:08 AM CST Mar 2, 2021
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, some of the most severe symptoms reported were respiratory.Now, a year later, the medical director of headache medicine at Norton Neuroscience Institute in Louisville, Dr. Brian Plato, says that’s beginning to change."Now that a year has passed, we're seeing people who have recovered from the initial illness,” he said. "And we are seeing people who experience long-term neurological symptoms, namely to do with a headache.”Plato says these aren’t just periodical headaches, they’re persistent and often form around the nasal area and eyes. One theory for the cause of these long-term headaches is a connection to a COVID patient’s loss of smell.“Something that is looking interesting is the association of those who have loss of smell. If you take loss of smell as a symptom of COVID-19, half of the individuals who experience loss of smell will have problems with headache, whereas those who do not experience loss of smell, it's less than 20%,” he said.Not all headaches are long-term. In fact, he says most last a few weeks rather than months. But Plato says he’s expecting some recoveries to take years due to potential damage to the nervous system, particularly the trigeminal nerves. In some cases, steroids can help with inflammation, but it’s not a solution for all patients.“In some instances, we are having success in managing symptoms,” he said. “But we are not having the breakthroughs we would like.”Plato says they are continuing to aggressively treat symptoms by testing new migraine medications on the market. In the meantime, he’s also hoping to learn more about a direct cause and a cure. If you would like to take a headache quiz to learn whether you need care from the Norton Neurological Institute, click here.
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, some of the most severe symptoms reported were respiratory.
Now, a year later, the medical director of headache medicine at Norton Neuroscience Institute in Louisville, Dr. Brian Plato, says that’s beginning to change.
"Now that a year has passed, we're seeing people who have recovered from the initial illness,” he said. "And we are seeing people who experience long-term neurological symptoms, namely to do with a headache.”
Plato says these aren’t just periodical headaches, they’re persistent and often form around the nasal area and eyes. One theory for the cause of these long-term headaches is a connection to a COVID patient’s loss of smell.
“Something that is looking interesting is the association of those who have loss of smell. If you take loss of smell as a symptom of COVID-19, half of the individuals who experience loss of smell will have problems with headache, whereas those who do not experience loss of smell, it's less than 20%,” he said.
Not all headaches are long-term. In fact, he says most last a few weeks rather than months. But Plato says he’s expecting some recoveries to take years due to potential damage to the nervous system, particularly the trigeminal nerves. In some cases, steroids can help with inflammation, but it’s not a solution for all patients.
“In some instances, we are having success in managing symptoms,” he said. “But we are not having the breakthroughs we would like.”
Plato says they are continuing to aggressively treat symptoms by testing new migraine medications on the market. In the meantime, he’s also hoping to learn more about a direct cause and a cure.
If you would like to take a headache quiz to learn whether you need care from the Norton Neurological Institute, .
