The one lingering symptom that may suggest you have long Covid without knowing

For some, recovering from Covid can be a long journey and can cause symptoms that last for weeks or months after the infection has gone.

This is often referred to as post-Covid-19 syndrome or long Covid.

However, some people may be suffering from long Covid without even noticing.

Long Covid can take each person a different amount of time to recover from, but most people will make a full recovery within 12 weeks.

Although Ireland has now seen the peak of the current Omicron wave, experts have warned that people should not dismiss the less severe variant as it can still lead to long Covid.

Various lateral flow tests in a messy pile. (gettyimages.ie)

Patients who have experienced a moderate or severe form of infection can continue to battle lingering complications, impacting their lives.

Older adults and people with chronic health conditions are more likely to experience long Covid, but young, healthy individuals can also fall victim to the frustrating illness.

Suffering from prolonged tiredness could be a sign that you are experiencing long Covid, but many people may ignore this factor as they try to carry on with their day to day life.

People suffering from extreme fatigue are advised to pace themselves and not over-exert themselves.

You should also try to break tasks that feel difficult down into smaller chunks and alternate easier and harder activities.

Consider the best time of the day to do certain activities based on your energy levels and have frequent short rests. These are better than a few longer ones, so rest before you become exhausted.

Don't stop doing things that make you feel breathless. If you stop using your muscles, they'll get weaker, which can make you more breathless in the long run.

Try to gradually increase the amount of exercise you do. Try going for short walks or doing simple strength exercises and build up from there.

There are also other symptoms that could indicate you have long Covid.

These include:

• shortness of breath
• chest pain or tightness
• problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• heart palpitations
• dizziness
• pins and needles
• joint pain
• depression and anxiety
• tinnitus, earaches
• feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
• a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
• rashes