Some patients with Covid-19 experience shortness of breath long after recovery. Researchers found that these people had lesions to the vocal cords.
Nerve damage located on the vocal cords
Symptoms described by patients after their ” healing Are variable. Some are physically tired, others cough or cannot regain their sense of smell. Others suffer from mysterious shortness of breath a few months after contracting the coronavirus. Researchers in a new study suggest nerve damage located on the vocal cords that may be the cause of these dyspnea. The Sars-Cov-2 virus could potentially damage the nerve associated with speaking and prevent the vocal cords from functioning properly when the person is not speaking. To speak, a mechanism is set up: the vocal cords ” open »Inside the airways, to vibrate and let air pass, causing the sounds made by the voice. When a person is silent, these retract to allow air to circulate with ease to the lungs. The post-Covid shortness of breath would be due, for these patients, to the fact that the vocal cords remain closed, because of the lesions caused by the virus. The good news, according to Dr. Jonathan Aviv, an ENT specialist (nose, throat, ears) at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, is that this breathing difficulty can be treated with sessions of speech therapy and adapted eating behavior. In fact, in a recent article published in the International Journal of Pulmonary and Respiratory Sciences, Dr. Aviv and his colleagues declared that they had successfully treated 18 patients infected with Covid-19. They used a combination of speech therapy and diet modification.
Diet and nervous irritation
For the 18 patients concerned, the doctors carried out examinations using a camera inserted in the nose, to observe their airways. It turns out that the images showed abnormal functioning of the vocal cords. For Dr. Aviv, the mode of food consumption would directly influence the inflammation of the nerve. Certain foods are to be preferred while others are to be avoided, as they could exacerbate this irritation. Flavored drinks, sodas, citrus fruits, acidic foods (tomato sauce, vinegar) or wine are not recommended by the doctor, for these patients still suffering from shortness of breath. Also, respiratory rehabilitation is very effective.
