Unlocking the Power of Ketosis

Often times patients ask our medical team about “keto” diet. Ketogenic diet, a dietary approach that has gained popularity for its potential health benefits, particularly in weight loss. The ketogenic diet is characterized by its emphasis on low-carbohydrate, high-fat foods. It works by shifting your body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. In this letter, we’ll explore the various benefits of a ketogenic diet for weight loss.

Effective Weight Loss

One of the primary benefits of a ketogenic diet is its effectiveness in promoting weight loss. By reducing your carb intake and increasing fat consumption, you can create a calorie deficit, leading to gradual and sustainable weight loss. Ketosis helps control hunger and stabilize blood sugar levels, making it easier to manage your calorie intake and shed excess pounds.

Improved Fat Metabolism

The ketogenic diet encourages your body to become more efficient at burning fat for energy. When you consume fewer carbs, your insulin levels drop, allowing your body to tap into its fat stores. This not only aids in weight loss but also improves overall fat metabolism, potentially reducing the risk of conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Enhanced Satiety

Unlike some other diets that may leave you feeling hungry and deprived, the ketogenic diet often leads to increased feelings of satiety. High-fat foods are more filling, which can help you control your appetite and reduce snacking between meals. This can be a significant advantage in maintaining a calorie deficit and achieving your weight loss goals.

Better Blood Sugar Control

For individuals with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, a ketogenic diet can be especially beneficial. By minimizing carb intake, blood sugar levels tend to stabilize, reducing the need for insulin. This can lead to improved glycemic control and potentially decrease the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Enhanced Mental Clarity

Aside from its weight loss benefits, many people on a ketogenic diet report improved mental clarity and focus. Ketones, the byproducts of fat metabolism during ketosis, are known to provide an alternative, efficient source of energy for the brain. This can result in heightened cognitive performance and increased alertness.

Better Lipid Profile

Contrary to the misconception that high-fat diets are detrimental to heart health, a well-structured ketogenic diet can actually improve your lipid profile. It often leads to decreased triglycerides, increased HDL (the “good” cholesterol), and reduced levels of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.

Consultation

The ketogenic diet offers a compelling approach to weight loss and overall health improvement. It can provide effective results, enhanced satiety, better blood sugar control, mental clarity, and a healthier lipid profile. However, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before embarking on this dietary journey. They can tailor a ketogenic meal plan to your specific needs and monitor your progress to ensure your safety and success.

We encourage you to reach out to us for guidance and support with the medical team at Jupiter Internal Medicine as you consider incorporating the ketogenic diet into your lifestyle. Your health and well-being are our top priorities, and we’re here to assist you on your path to a healthier, happier you.

Upper Respiratory InfectionsHow to Beat Influenza and Stay HealthyUpper Respiratory Infections

Upper Respiratory Infections (URI), also known as the common cold, are among the most prevalent diseases in the world. Influenza, also known as the flu, is a more severe form of URI that can cause more serious health problems. As a patient of Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, it is important to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments for URI, including influenza.

URI and influenza are caused by viruses that are spread through close contact with infected individuals. The most common symptoms of URI include a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, and headache. Influenza often causes high fever, body aches, and extreme fatigue in addition to the typical URI symptoms. Both URI and influenza are highly contagious and can spread easily from person to person.

Treatment for Upper Respiratory Infections

Treatment for URI and influenza typically involves symptom management. Over-the-counter medications such as decongestants, cough suppressants, and pain relievers can help alleviate symptoms. Rest and hydration are also important for recovery. In some cases, antiviral medications may be prescribed to treat influenza.

Prevention is key when it comes to URI and influenza. The best way to prevent getting sick is to practice good hygiene. This includes washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals. The flu vaccine is also a highly effective way to prevent influenza. It is recommended that everyone over the age of six months receive a flu vaccine annually.

If you suspect that you have URI or influenza, it is important to seek medical attention. In some cases, a doctor may need to perform tests to confirm the diagnosis. Additionally, individuals with certain health conditions, such as asthma or a weakened immune system, may be at a higher risk for complications from URI or influenza and should seek medical attention promptly.

At Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, our team of healthcare professionals is dedicated to providing the highest quality care to our patients. If you have any concerns about URI or influenza, please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are committed to helping you stay healthy and well.

Fifty is a big milestone year in life. It means you’ve lived half a century and gained half a century’s worth of wisdom and experience. It should also mean that you begin regularly undergoing important medical tests for risk factors that increase with age. Some of these tests are for both genders, while others are more important and needed for men. In this article, we’ll cover six different medical exams that you should be doing to make sure you live a healthy life over the next half century. 

Recommended Diagnostic Tests: 

Colonoscopy

The dreaded colonoscopy is the most well-known of these diagnostics. Although not exclusive to them, the colonoscopy is most commonly done on those over the age of fifty, and once you pass that age your doctor will certainly be requesting you get one. The test is done to detect cancer in the colon and rectum and is an important way to find cancer early. Unfortunately, the process for a colonoscopy is not a fun one and requires you to clean out your bowels completely in the lead up to the exam, which consists of the colonoscope being inserted through the rectum. Fortunately, the exam is only needed once every ten years if no cancerous growths are found in the initial one.

Cholesterol Check

You should begin having this test regularly long before turning fifty,but past that age it becomes even more important to stay on top of and aware of. A cholesterol test checks your cholesterol levels, including finding the levels you possess for each of the types of cholesterol. The most important part of this is making sure you don’t have unhealthy levels of the bad forms of cholesterol, which can cause heart disease or strokes if high enough. This test is one that can be dreaded much less than the colonoscopy since it only requires a blood sample to be sent to a lab for testing. You should get this test once every five years if results retum with healthy levels of cholesterol. Eve Exam – Vision only worsens with age, and oftentimes it is hard to recognize that your vision has gradually worsened over a period of time, so getting routine eye exams is an important part of life once you reach fifty and over. Additionally, eye conditions tend to occur more commonly with age, so eye exams are a useful way to annually check for if a ny have developed. Eye exams depend on the examiner, but almost always involve testing your vision, examining for any signs of a condition developing, and checking for coordination. Most people are alright with an eye exam once every one or two years, but you should default to the recommendation of your optometrist as it depends on each person.

 Prostate Specific Antigen Test

Once men reach over the age of 50 one of the mostimportant health conditions to monitor is the development of prostate cancer, which is one of the most dangerous diseases for men in that age range. PSA tests check a protein produced by prostates to determine if there is any presence of cancerous cells. The test is a simple blood test, but it is not uncommon for these tests to produce inconclusive results which may require a rectal exam. If your results come back as desired, you will likely be able to wait until 60 before having to take another test.

Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure Tests

While these are two separate tests, they go hand in hand with each other as tests relating to important factors within your blood. The first is a blood sugar screening. Blood sugar screening should be done once you turn 45. High levels of blood sugar can indicate diabetes, as well as the potential for other risk factors to develop. This makes it important to stay on top of. The test is done by fasting for eight hours prior to the exam before having your blood drawn. Blood sugar tests only need to be done once every three years if results come back positive. Blood pressure screenings are arguably the more important of the two and should begin regularly once you tum 50, although they are done at virtually every annual checkup throughout life. These tests monitor your blood pressure to make sure they are not dangerously high as that can lead to an increased risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes. These tests don’t require inserting a probe or drawing blood. A cuff is placed around the arm before your examiner will begin tightening it to cut off the circulation in your arm. This test will be completed yearly at your annual checkup.

Healthy Aging and Cognitive Decline

Everyone ages, and with that comes wisdom and experience, but also some scary realities for many people. Near, or at the top of the list of harsh realities is cognitive decline. Cognitive decline happens naturally, as well as a result of some age related diseases, and to different extents for person to person.

Understanding Cognitive Decline

Cognitive decline is the worsening of brain functions, which most commonly takes the form of increased confusion and memory loss. It can be scary to deal with and heartbreaking to watch happen to loved ones, even if it is a natural part of life, so a natural desire is to know more about what can make it worse and how it can be slowed down. It may come as a surprise, but one thing that has connections with cognitive decline is our personality traits. In this blog post, we’ll explore what exactly is meant with personality traits, as well as how they connect to cognitive decline and what can be done with them to help slow it down. 

What are Personality Traits?

Now, this may seem like a silly question. After all, we all know what a personality trait is, and we all have a multitude of personality traits. In official terms, our personality traits are the internal characteristics that remain consistent within us and are able to explain why a person makes the actions they make. Personality traits can even be used predictively as a way to anticipate future actions and reactions a person may have in a situation. There are five primary personality traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness. Agreeableness relates to how helpful and kind a person is, conscientiousness is about a person’s discipline and organization, extraversion correlates with friendliness and how outgoing someone is, neuroticism is anxiousness, and openness pertains to a person’s level of curiosity and perceptiveness. With all of these, these traits exist on a gradient and interrelate with one another to form the unique mixture that makes each and every person unique. 

How do Personality Traits Relate to Cognitive Decline?

While the connection may not seem obvious, personality traits can have a major impact on numerous aspects of health, including physical well-being. However, for the sake of this article, we’ll only be covering its connection with cognitive decline. Simply put, the way our personality traits make us think can cause our cognitive health to be better or worse. Studies have shown that having low levels of conscientiousness and high levels of neuroticism can have a dramatic effect on cognitive health and decline, in a negative way. For people who fall under this umbrella, these traits can increase the likelihood and rate of cognitive decline, as well as give them an increased chance of developing Dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

Of course, with information that can be quite stressful it would be wrong to give it without some positive news. While personality traits don’t usually change on their own, they aren’t set in stone and can be lessened through conscious effort. Going to therapy to help address issues with neuroticism, developing the habit of thinking in a positive, goal-oriented way, and increasing cognitive flexibility through mental exercises or mediation are all ways that can help lessen the degree to which you have neuroticism and low conscientiousness. This in turn can lower your risk of developing cognitive decline and associated conditions.

Aging at Home with Physical Therapy or Outpatient Physical Therapy

Do you have trouble walking? You need to try out gait and balance training which is physical therapy that is designed to improve your walking. Gait and balance training have many benefits including retraining the legs and developing muscle memory, building strength in affected muscles and joints, improving balance, improving posture, building endurance, increasing mobility, and reducing fall risk. Gait and balance training can help several different people, especially those who have experienced physical trauma perhaps due to a recent fall or a chronic illness. If you have experienced a stroke, a spinal cord injury, a hip or knee replacement, an amputation, a neurological disorder, or a musculoskeletal disorder, gait and balance training may be best suited for you. 

Gait Training Increasing Mobility and Safety at Home

So, what is gait training and how does it work? Gait training comes in several forms and is customized to the patient that the physical therapist is dealing with. The therapist may use machines or provide manual assistance to help you walk. The type of workouts and length of treatment will depend on your condition and situation. You may use a treadmill so that you can hold on to the railings with a safe ‘off’ button in case of an emergency. Physical therapists are by your side as you start your road to recovery. Another use of gait training is the parallel bars. You will hold on to the bars while you try and regain your muscle memory on how to walk. Your trainer will either provide manual assistance by picking up your legs, or they will guide you down the path with verbal encouragement. 

Weight Gain and Mobility

If you fall under the obese category, trainers might have you use a body-weight support system for your gait training sessions. The body-weight support systems are harnesses that wrap around your waist and connect to a central suspension system. The machine is designed to ease your way back into walking without carrying all your weight. Each session you will gradually have less resistance to make it more challenging and prepare you for the real world. This machine is also useful for people that have had spinal cord injuries.

 If you have balance issues when walking, balance training will be recommended by the physical therapist. Balance training will help if you are at risk for falling or have fallen in the past, have weak muscles or limited mobility, have trouble walking or being steady when you stand, or have sensory issues. Balance training is part of physical or occupational therapy and will incorporate many different basic exercises to minimize your risk moving forward.    Be sure to speak to your medical provider at Jupiter Internal Medicine today about getting back on your feet through gait and balance training. Take the first step towards a full recovery.

What Patients Need to Know About Vaccines

Protection from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. With age, adults need immunizations too, not just children. According to the CDC, below are what vaccines you need depending on your age, gender, health condition, and some other circumstances.

Vaccines for Young Adults Age 19 to 26 Years

Young Adults ages 19-26: The CDC recommends young adults have the seasonal flu vaccine every year, as well as your Td or Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). You also need the HPV vaccine (protects against of human papillomaviruses that causes cervical, anal, and other cancers). There may be other vaccine shots that you need for your employer or school requirements. For example, this coming Fall, it is required in many universities to have the COVID-19 vaccine in order to live on campus and attend classes.

Vaccines for Adults Age 50 Years and Older

• You need to receive the shingles vaccine, which protects against shingles and the complications that come with it. 1 in 3 Americans over 60 years old develop the shingles in their lifetime.
• You also need the PPSV23 shot (Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), which protects against diseases like meningitis and bloodstream infections.
• You need the PCV13 shot (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), which protects you against pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Pneumonia becomes more dangerous as you age, so it is imperative that you receive this vaccine.

Adults with Underlining Health Conditions

• Adults with health conditions
• All adults need the flu shot
• Talk to your doctor about which vaccine shots you should take depending on what health conditions you have.
• Pregnant Women
• If you are pregnant, you need two vaccines during each pregnancy:
• Tdap vaccine to help protect against the whooping cough
• Flu shot to help protect against influenzas
• You may need more vaccines. Talk to your doctor about a specific plan for you and your pregnancy.

Healthcare Workers

• Flu shot
• Hepatitis B: if you don’t have evidence of a completed hepB vaccine series, or you don’t have an up-to-date blood test that shows that you are immune to hepatitis B, then you need to get the 3-dose series. Talk to your doctor and go over what you need.
• MMR: If you were born in 1957 or later and you haven’t received the MMR vaccine, you need 2 doses to protect yourself from the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
• Varicella: This is the chickenpox vaccine, which is required for all healthcare workers
• Meningococcal: One dose.

International Travelers

Up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations. Find out which vaccines you need based on the “Vaccine Self-Assessment Tool” on the CDC website.

Immigrants and Refugees

• Refugees and immigrants need to get all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Tips for a Speedy Flu Recovery

If you or a family member contracts the flu, you may not see any reason to visit your primary care provider. In some cases, seeing your medical doctor can help with a speedy recovery and prevent significant complications. There is no price to peace of mind. By seeking medical treatment when you don’t feel well, knowing that your body aches are only temporary can alleviate worry.

Symptoms of a Flu

Certain symptoms of the flu overlap with a common cold, but they tend to be more intense. The symptoms of the flu include a sore throat, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, fever over 100˚, nasal congestion, and a dry or wet cough. More severe symptoms include severe or persistent vomiting, chest pain, confusion, dizziness, severe neck stiffness, and a loss of consciousness. If you are experiencing any of the more severe symptoms, you need to visit the emergency room as soon as possible.

Patients that are High Risk for Flu Complications

There are some people at a higher risk of suffering dangerous complications or death from the flu. If you are 65 years or older, have a compromised immune system, have a chronic medical condition, are pregnant, or in a nursing home, you should seek advice from a doctor as soon as possible when diagnosed with the flu. Medications are more effective when they are used within two days after symptoms begin. As a rule of thumb when dealing with the flu, the sooner you seek medical attention, the better.

For those who are not considered high-risk individuals and are experiencing common symptoms, it may not be necessary to go to the hospital. Be sure to rest and drink plenty of fluids. With that being said there are some circumstances where you should go to the hospital. If your fever improves but then suddenly gets worse, your symptoms don’t improve after two weeks, your cough produces mucus, or your pain is centralized in one area (such as your chest), you should seek medical attention. Another valid reason to go to the hospital is peace of mind. If you are worried that your body will not react well to the flu or have you do not feel like you are improving, going to the hospital would be a good idea. Along with making sure you recover, one of the doctor’s main objectives is to make their patients have peace of mind. One way to significantly decrease the chances that you catch the flu is to get the flu vaccine.

At Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, our medical providers are here to help. We encourage you to schedule a same day sick appointment today. Schedule your comprehensive medical visit to learn more about flu prevention and how to get a flu shot.

Being Proactive About Your Health

Typically there are two types of patients. Patients that are diligent about their health care needs and are invested in what the medical provider offers. The other type of patients are reactive and will only follow up with a medical provider when there is a health care crisis. Our view of health tends to help lay the medical road map to what health care needs lies ahead.

At Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, our medical team encourages our patients to look into what preventive healthcare services are available to you and your family. Primary healthcare shouldn’t be looked at as a reactive service that should be used to help you recover, but rather as a proactive service used to prevent diseases.

Preventative medical care is just as important as reactive medical treatment, if not more so. According to the CDC, chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in the United States each year. Many of these deaths are preventable through proactive treatment. Below is a helpful list of six preventive medical services that can help you improve your health, and avoid chronic diseases.

Regular Medical Checkups

Regular Checkups- It is essential for people to make regular doctor appointments, especially when they are healthy so that they can stay healthy. Doctors can point out habits that you have that will keep you healthy and point out some bad habits that potentially derail your health. Going to the doctor on a regular basis is a way to catch a chronic disease early and will give yourself a better chance to overcome it. For example, if you go to the doctor’s office and are diagnosed with stage one cancer, you have a much better chance of beating it then if you were diagnosed with the cancer too late.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure Monitoring- High blood pressure is not good for your heart. If you monitor your blood pressure regularly, you can instill habits that will lower your blood pressure -such as exercising and changing your diet- to help prevent any heart conditioned caused by high blood pressure.

Check Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol Tests- Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol is not good for your heart. Being able to test your cholesterol levels early will help you catch diseases early or prevent them all together by changing dietary habits.

Monitoring Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes- According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), in 2015 30.3 million Americans (9.1% of the population) had diabetes. Diabetes affects 1 in 4 people over 65 years old. Use your primary healthcare provider to test your blood sugar levels to be sure that you do not have diabetes.

Establish Annual Cancer Screenings

Cancer Screenings- Cancer screenings are covered under most primary healthcare providers, and usually serve to find breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer. Like previously mentioned, early detection is the key to beating cancer.

Monitoring Your Weight

Obesity- Your doctor can tell you if your weight and body fat levels are normal, or if you are considered obese. Obesity can lead to many diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, and others. It is critical that your doctor knows if you are obese, so that you can collaborate on a plan to beat it.

Protection from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. Adults need to immunizations too, not just children. Below are what vaccines you need depending on your age, gender, health condition, and some other circumstances (According to the CDC):

• 19-26 Year old’s: You need to have the seasonal flu vaccine every year, as well as your Td or Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). You also need the HPV vaccine (protects against of human papillomaviruses that causes cervical, anal, and other cancers). There may be other vaccine shots that you need for your job or school requirements. For example, this coming fall, it is required in many universities to have the COVID-19 vaccine in order to live on campus.
• 50 Years or older-
  • You need to receive the shingles vaccine, which protects against shingles and the complications that come with it. 1 in 3 Americans over 60 years old develop the shingles in their lifetime.
  • You also need the PPSV23 shot (Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), which protects against diseases like meningitis and bloodstream infections.
  • You need the PCV13 shot (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), which protects you against pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Pneumonia becomes more dangerous as you age, so it is imperative that you receive this vaccine.
• Adults with health conditions
  • All adults need the flu shot
  • Talk to your doctor about which vaccine shots you should take depending on what health conditions you have.
• Pregnant Women
  • If you are pregnant, you need two vaccines during each pregnancy:
    • Tdap vaccine to help protect against the whooping cough
    • Flu shot to help protect against influenzas
  • You may need more vaccines. Talk to your doctor about a specific plan for you and your pregnancy.
• Healthcare Workers
  • Flu shot
  • Hepatitis B: if you don’t have evidence of a completed hepB vaccine series, or you don’t have an up-to-date blood test that shows that you are immune to hepatitis B, then you need to get the 3-dose series. Talk to your doctor and go over what you need.
  • MMR: If you were born in 1957 or later and you haven’t received the MMR vaccine, you need 2 doses to protect yourself from the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
  • Varicella: This is the chickenpox vaccine, which is required for all healthcare workers
  • Meningococcal: One dose.
• International Travelers
  • Up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations. Find out which vaccines you need based on the “Vaccine Self-Assessment Tool” on the CDC website.
• Immigrants and Refugees
  • Refugees and immigrants need to get all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

What are the three types of vaccines available?

Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

What is the difference between the three different vaccines?

Both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech are mRNA vaccines. Both of these vaccines require two doses. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a vector vaccine, which causes side effects such as a cold. With this being said, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a single dose. The vaccines vary in effectiveness with the Moderna vaccine at 94% effective after two doses, the Pfizer-BioNTech is 92% effective, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66% effective. All three are safe to use according to the FDA.

Are the three vaccines safe?

So far, research shows that all three vaccines are safe.

How long will the vaccine protect me from COVID-19?

While it is too early to know for certain, research shows that the vaccine protects people from COVID-19 for at least 4 months.

Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?

Like any vaccine, it is impossible for you to contract COVID-19 from the vaccine. The vaccine gives your immune system a preview of the disease and the ways to fight it off. 

Who does the COVID-19 vaccine protect?

Studies show that all three vaccines protect people from ages 18-85 years old. More research needs to be done for people younger than 18, as well as pregnant women.

What if I am pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant?

Women who plan on becoming pregnant can receive the vaccine. The FDA allows for women who are pregnant to receive the vaccine despite the lack of research. If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about receiving the vaccine. If you are breastfeeding, you can receive the vaccine and do not need to stop breastfeeding. 

Once I receive the vaccine, do I need to wear a mask and social distance?

Yes. Research shows that people can transmit COVID-19 through their nose even if they are vaccinated.

 Is the vaccine safe for people with allergies?

People who are allergic to environmental allergens, foods, latex, oral medications, and stinging insects can receive the COVID vaccine safely. However, if you have severe allergic reactions to anaphylaxis or polyethylene (PEG), the CDC recommends against taking the vaccine.

Are there any preemptive measures taken to ensure that I do not have an allergic reaction to the vaccine?

 Immediately following the shot, patients wait 15 minutes (30 minutes for people who have a history of severe allergic reactions) to ensure that they do not have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. 

Will I be able to choose which vaccine to get?

Currently, the supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses are limited, so you are offered whichever vaccine is available.

Do all three vaccines prevent death due to COVID-19?

All three vaccines are 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

Will I be mandated to take the COVID vaccine?

At this time, no, there is no government mandate. 

What is Post-COVID Syndrome?

After someone has COVID, some people experience lingering symptoms from the virus. 

What are some of the symptoms for Post-COVID-Syndrome?

Some of the most common symptoms include (but are not limited to) fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint pain, chest pain, brain fog, impaired memory, loss of taste, loss of smell, and sleep issues. 

How long will these symptoms last?

Symptoms can last for at least 6 months or longer. 

What causes these symptoms to linger?

It is unclear why symptoms linger, despite negative tests. Hypotheses range from prolonged inflammatory response to hidden areas of infection. 

Can I experience post-COVID syndrome even if I did not have severe symptoms?

Yes. Patients who experience post-COVID syndrome range from mild symptoms to hospitalization.

If I have COVID-19, what are the chances that I will experience post-COVID syndrome?

This is still widely unknown. Some studies suggest that 10% of people with COVID develop post-COVID syndrome, while others suggest that it is as high as 70%.

Which demographics are at the highest risk of developing post-COVID syndrome?

Adults over the age of 50, people who experience a severe case, individuals with underlying health conditions (such as cardiopulmonary issues, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity).

What can I do if I am experiencing post-COVID syndrome?

Call your doctor. If you are experiencing mild symptoms, your doctor can help. If you are experiencing more severe symptoms, your doctor will refer you to a specialist. 

What are the different kinds of specialist geared to help me combat post-COVID syndrome?

The specialists include (but are not limited to) cardiology, pulmonologist, gastroenterology, hematology, nephrology, neurology, endocrinology, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and primary care.