Rozalynn S. Frazier

Despite the ever-changing information that continues to surround the coronavirus, what the medical community does know, besides the fact that there are <a id="8b50e831-e282-3c27-ab79-73671f12611a" href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6"> more than 10 million global COVID-19 cases </a> , is that the virus can and has been linked to neurological issues.

In fact, a <a id="0de00f17-4f21-323b-ac6c-40a4ac874b06" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ana.25807"> recent review published in the Annals of Neurology </a> revealed that of hospitalized coronavirus patients, about half have experienced symptoms affecting the nervous system, including dizziness.

Other manifestations include <a id="33e32f61-045c-32cf-a3fa-1d82909832ea" href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31898576/coronavirus-loss-of-smell-taste/"> loss of taste and smell </a> , difficulty concentrating, seizures, strokes, and weakness. Experts also note that those <a id="15675af0-0760-33b1-a574-76fdc2d6e722" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/nu-ctt061120.php"> infected may experience these issues </a> prior to developing any fever, cough or respiratory problems, so its important to remain vigilant.

But what about dizziness specifically? What is dizziness, exactly? What does it feel like? What does it mean if you are dizzy? Is it normal? And how do you know that any dizziness you're feeling may be linked to COVID-19?

employee taking off glasses touching massaging eyes

Believe it or not, dizziness is a fairly common condition.

The word dizziness, however, is often imprecise, says, <a id="fac51064-84ca-34d7-a19d-18088459ee99" href="https://drallentowfigh.com/"> Allen Towfigh, M.D </a> ., medical director of New York Neurology &amp; Sleep Medicine, P.C., and attending physician at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dizziness can be used to describe a wide range of symptoms ranging from vertigo, where there is generally a sense of movement of the world surrounding you, to lightheadedness, which typically describes feeling faint.

Dizziness can also describe feelings of unsteadiness and balance disorders. The probable cause for each of these symptoms depends upon the nature of the complaint and can be equally wide ranging, from medication side effects and dehydration to more serious heart arrhythmias or stroke, he says.

<h1> Is Dizziness a Symptom of COVID-19? </h1>

Senior man almost falls asleep while driving.

One thing to consider is whether or not you are prone to dizziness or vertigo already.

If so, <a id="6b1c0845-6572-3e63-a510-b86d0c29aaca" href="https://www.nm.org/doctors/1497972640/sheri-dewan-md"> Sheri Dewan, M.S., M.D </a> ., a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, says there is no need to be overly concerned. Though, if symptoms have dramatically changed in calibermeaning frequency, length, occurring at different times of the day, trying normal treatments without resolvethen you should contact a physician, for imaging may be needed, she says.

Dr. Towfigh adds: Dizziness caused by COVID-19 will likely be accompanied by other signs or symptoms to suggest a COVID-19 infection, such as fevers, respiratory illness, or cough.

<h1> COVID-19 or Not, What Should You Do If You're Dizzy? </h1>

According to <a id="3aef6f6e-65c8-3e73-a00c-33cb27682fd8" href="https://www.chicagoneurodoc.com/"> Lenny Cohen, M.D </a> ., a Chicago-based neurologist and founder of Chicago Neurological Services, one of the first indicators of dizziness is experiencing a loss of balance.

To onlookers, he says, a dizzy spell might present as drunk. If this is you, it is important to sit or lie down to mitigate the risk of falling and call for help if symptoms persist or are accompanied by any cardiac or neurologic dysfunction, notes Dr. Towfigh.

When lying down, youll also want keep your eyes closed until the feeling of dizziness and/or vertigo passes, and then arise and move slowly as to avoid inner ear disturbances in the canals, says Dr. Dewan. Any fast, quick movements can cause the inner ear system to become reactivated thereby causing recurrence of dizziness or vertigo.

Dr. Cohen also adds that some IV fluids, specific medications, and vestibular therapy (exercise-based program to regain balance control) may also be used in an effort to rein in dizziness.

Prior to blindly getting tested for COVID-19, Dr. Cohen recommends discussing symptoms with your primary physician. <a id="c4b3fafb-f067-3282-abef-c37e62800e64" href="https://vickidoefitness.com/dr-dee-banks/"> Dee Banks, M.D </a> ., an infectious disease physician with Northeast Ohio Infectious Disease Associates in Youngstown, Ohio says this: The virus is a parasite, it has to live on something. You stop the transmission by putting a gap between two things that it cant jump to.

Which is why doing the basics is still key, she says, and that includes wearing a mask, social distancing ,and washing your hands. She adds, this is a new virus, but there is no reason to think that the old principles and practices of infectious diseases wont continue to work.

Dizziness Might Be a Symptom of the Coronavirus

COVID-19 is tricky. Experts are still learning the ins and outs of this virus, which was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Here's When Dizziness Might Be a Symptom of the Coronavirus

That includes its potential symptoms, which often seem run-of-the-mill. Take a sore throatyou might be tempted to shrug off this symptom, but even as one of the less commonly known ones (the most prevalent are <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31677459/fever-coronavirus-covid-19/" id="1eac528f-bbf4-3774-a263-bdd7198bb72b"> fever </a> , <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31445816/dry-cough-coronavirus/" id="d661c52a-b167-3cff-a37c-736ad55b8bde"> dry cough </a> , <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31210260/what-are-coronavirus-symptoms/" id="880fd15b-e5a1-3baa-a963-b80f53d0b66d"> tiredness </a> , and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31445814/shortness-of-breath-coronavirus-covid-19/" id="b3bfa4ce-688b-35bf-ab21-6106eb001a5f"> shortness of breath </a> ), it may still indicate infection.

In fact, <a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf" id="631153b5-d9b4-3d19-a1c4-a0b79d83872d"> the World Health Organization </a> notes that 13.9 percent of COVID-19 patients have presented with sore throats.

Some patients that have experienced sore throat during COVID-19 have reported that it feels like a super dry throat, says <a href="https://www.drleonissola.com/" id="19d8640b-8c33-3296-acab-8c22708d4a64"> Leo Nissola, M.D </a> ., a scientist and investigator at the COVID-19 National Convalescence Plasma Project as well as advisor at COVIDActNow. And the medical reports show redness in the throat, without bacterial infection, like strep, for example.

<h1> Is a Sore Throat a Symptom of COVID-19? </h1>

There are numerous causes for inflammation of the inner lining of the throat, including allergies, upper respiratory infections (both viral and bacterial), acid reflux, and even throat cancer.

Not to mention this: There is still so much we don't know about COVID-19 and what we do know has been evolving over time, says <a href="https://doctors.rush.edu/details/175/inna-husain-otolaryngology_-_head_and_neck_surgery-chicago" id="89dd230a-91a6-3a8e-ac83-17f676d4312b"> Inna Husain, M.D </a> ., an assistant professor in otolaryngology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

At this time, all upper respiratory illnesses are COVID-19 until proven otherwise. What's more, an April <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7166003/" id="a5c87b93-5167-31f3-ae97-bbd360715210"> review in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology </a> revealed that ear, nose, and throat symptoms may precede the development of severe cases of COVID-19.

That said, there is nothing intrinsically different between a sore throat brought on by COVID-19 and one brought on by any other upper respiratory infections, says <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/michael_lerner/" id="dc342023-b609-3247-a3cd-c28849ad4254"> Michael Lerner, M.D </a> ., a Yale Medicine laryngologist and assistant professor of otolaryngology at Yale School of Medicine.

<h1> What, Exactly, Does a "Sore Throat" Mean? </h1>

On a basic level, you will experience some sort of discomfort in your throat. More specifically, you'll feel pain when swallowing that can be achy, sharp, or even create a burning sensation.

A sore throat may also be accompanied by a runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, or fever. Other symptoms, according to <a href="https://truwholecare.com/practitioner/dr-alexandra-kreps/" id="cc8e289e-ac64-3cf1-afd7-17e55ad7b0e6"> Alexandra Kreps, M.D., </a> an internist at Tru Whole Care, include changes in your voice, swollen lymph nodes in your neck or jaw area, and when looking at your tonsils in a mirror they may be red and irritated or could have white patches or pus if severely infected.

However, Dr. Nissola, says it is more likely to be a COVID-related sore throat if there are more symptoms, such as fever and malaise.

A good rule of thumb: If your sore throat is also accompanied with fever or cough, be suspicious. If your sore throat comes after an episode of heartburn likely its related to reflux. If it is accompanied by sino-nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing, it may be allergies, says Dr. Husain.

<h1> What Should You Do If You Have a Sore Throat? </h1>

How you treat your sore throat symptoms should really consider the root cause.

Generally, though, Dr. Husain recommends hydration (drinking water or tea), steam inhalation, and lozenges containing lubricants such as honey. Pain relievers such as Tylenol can also help with discomfort.

Adds Dr. Lerner: If sore throat is from excessive coughing, you can address it though cough suppressants. For nasal congestion, which causes mouth breathing and dryness, try humidification or hydration through nasal saline or irrigation. Patients that have COVID-19, should be cautious of nasal spread and do this in a safe way, so as not to expose others to aerosols and droplets that may occur from these types of treatments, he says.

If sore throat is due to allergies, on the other hand, pretreatment with antihistamine prior to allergy season or known allergen exposure in other wards take an allergy pill can be helpful, says Dr. Husain.

Last, if the sore throat is caused by reflux, following an anti-reflux diet may lead to a favorable outcome. I would encourage people to eliminate anything heavily acidic or citrus as this can irritate the lining of the throat. Hard foods such as crackers or chips can also be irritating, says Dr. Husain, who notes that if a sore throat is present, avoiding coffee or alcohol as well as reducing smoking cigarettes, smoking marijuana, and avoiding vaping is recommended.

While none of these things will necessarily cure a sore throat, they can help with some of the discomfort associated with it.

Should You Get Tested for COVID-19 if You Have a Sore Throat?

"For people with nuisance, acute onset symptoms, or any other listed by the Centers for Disease Control as potentially a symptom for COVID, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider to help determine if testing is appropriate, says Dr. Learner.

Overall, to help keep COVID-19 or any infection or illness at bay, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask and engage in social-distancing.

When a Sore Throat Might Be a COVID-19 Symptom

Since news of COVID-19, which was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, exploded onto the scene, there has been one thing that remains constant: Each day we learn more and more about the virus.

Here's When a Sore Throat Might Be a Symptom of the Coronavirus

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Rozalynn S. Frazier

Articles written by the author

Here's When Dizziness Might Be a Symptom of the Coronavirus

Here's When a Sore Throat Might Be a Symptom of the Coronavirus