– It has been completely unbearable at times, says Anki Helgor. She has been 100 percent on sick leave for five months due to late effects after corona. Helgor has had irritable bowel all her life, but after she had corona the situation worsened significantly. She is severely bloated in the stomach, has severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Anki Helgor tried for a long time to hold on to her job when she had the late effects of long covid, but kept getting worse. She was then on sick leave part-time, before she was even on 100 per cent sick leave for five months. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news Symptoms came about two months after the illness. – It has been very difficult. The ailments have also made it difficult to be social with family and friends, says Helgor. Stomach and intestinal problems are not on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s (FHI) list of symptoms of chronic covid. But a new survey from Nav shows that the risk of sickness absence with acute stomach and intestinal infection is more than twice as high in those who had had corona, compared to other sick leavers with other diagnoses. The inflammation affects both the stomach and the intestinal tract, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Stomach and intestinal complaints are the fourth most common diagnosis after coronary-related sickness absence, according to Nav. Not on the FHI list of symptoms FHI has listed the most common symptoms that have been reported in studies on the late effects of covid-19. As of today, fatigue and lethargy are the most common reasons for sick leave in people who have been sick with corona. – Long-term stomach and intestinal complaints have been reported, but not among the most common symptoms, says Signe Flottorp, head of research at the Center for Research on Epidemic Measures (FHI). Signe Flottorp, head of research at the Center for research on epidemic measures, area of Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health But now the head of research says that they will consider adding these symptoms to the list of late symptoms after corona. – This is an interesting discovery, and we are happy to engage in dialogue with the Norwegian Covid Association, she says. Corona testing of people in cars. The patients were not allowed into the emergency department. Many of those who got corona are struggling today with delayed effects. Photo: Anders Fehn / news The Norwegian Covid Association would like to have stomach and intestinal problems on the FHI’s list of symptoms of long covid, and refers to international lists. The chairman of the board, Brita Scheid Bjørnstad, of the Norwegian Covid Association confirms that stomach and intestinal problems are common symptoms among members after corona. Chairman of the Norwegian Covid Association, Brita Scheid Bjørnstad. Photo: Jan-Erik Wilthil / news – They have various problems related to the stomach and intestines, but irritable bowel most often recurs. Several people report stomach problems – The increase in sick leave is an extra interesting finding now that more research has come out which may indicate that there is a connection between covid-19 and some diseases in the digestive system. That’s according to senior adviser, Lene Lehmann Moberg, in the knowledge department at Nav. In addition to the analysis, figures from the first quarter show that sickness absence linked to problems with the stomach and intestines has increased compared to the same period last year, according to Nav. Lene Lehmann Moberg senior adviser Knowledge Department, Nav. Photo: Jan Eirik Gjerdevik The increase is greatest in people under 50 years of age. People who report these symptoms have an average sick leave of 16 days. – Nav will consider examining several stomach diagnoses both in terms of context and duration, she says. Supported by research A Norwegian study, produced in collaboration with American researchers, shows that stomach and intestinal problems are late consequences for people who have had corona. – With covid patients in our study, we found that 6 percent had stomach problems after six months, says professor and infectious medicine specialist Nina Langeland at the University of Bergen. Nina Langeland, professor of infectious disease medicine at the University of Bergen. Photo: Julianne Bråten Mossing / news They also found more cases among children and young people than among adults. – Gastrointestinal problems after infectious diseases are a well-known problem, especially after infections in the gastrointestinal tract, but also more generally. She refers to previous research into the intestinal infection Giardia where they found long-term stomach and intestinal problems in over 40 per cent of those who had been ill. – This continued for several years after the infection, says Langeland. Nina Langeland, professor of infectious disease medicine at the University of Bergen. Photo: Julianne Bråten Mossing / news A major investigation in the scientific journal Nature communications supports the findings of the Nav investigation. This study shows that late symptoms in the stomach and intestinal system after corona are common. The study points to an increased risk of digestive problems in the middle floor and upper part of the stomach, such as heartburn, bloating and nausea in the first thirty days after corona. – It shows that those who have been infected by covid-19 have an increased risk of several gastrointestinal diseases and ailments compared to those who had not been infected, says Flottorp, who is currently working on a new Norwegian study which, among other things, will have focus on all new and unexpected findings, but also stomach and intestinal problems. Anki Helgor is on his way back to working life in 20 per cent. In addition to having a gastrointestinal problem, she has fatigue, which is a feeling of total exhaustion and lack of energy. – Just cleaning a dishwasher used to give me a fever, sweats and nausea, she says. He still has little to go on. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news Slowly working her way back Anki Helgor tried to hold on to her job for a long time when she had late effects after being sick with corona. – I took it easy, and rested a lot without it leading to improvement. In addition to the gastrointestinal problem, she also got fatigue which gave her a fever and nausea when she missed activity. In the end, she was 100 percent on sick leave for five months. She was examined in the specialist health service, but all measurements were fine. Anki takes a lot of walks with the dog Alvin. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news – I was told to watch the time, and it’s a test of patience for me, she says and smiles. She wanted to get back to work and activities as quickly as possible. Today, he is back in 20 percent work, and sees the situation in a brighter light. – A drastic change in diet recently has temporarily yielded a profit, she says. Now she hopes to recover completely, and perhaps even better than before, she concludes with a laugh. – I finally feel that I am in the process of recovering, says Anki Helgor. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news
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Several people with long covid after corona have problems with stomach and intestines – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
