Long COVID: The Brain Health Zombie Apocalypse

Something peculiar is happening across the globe. People who recovered from COVID-19 are walking around like shells of their former selves - present but not fully alive. Their energy depleted, their minds foggy, and their once-sharp wits dulled to a frustrating crawl. It's what I've come to call a "slow-motion zombie apocalypse," and it's affecting millions who struggle with long COVID's devastating cognitive impacts.

That "where am I and what was I doing?" moment becomes a daily battle for long COVID sufferers. Brain fog makes concentration feel like herding cats. Short-term memory fails, leaving you calling your oven a "hot food box" mid-sentence. Anxiety, depression, persistent headaches, and chaotic sleep patterns turn everyday life into an exhausting obstacle course.

Why does the virus wreak such havoc on our brains? The culprits appear to be inflammation overload, compromised blood flow, possible autoimmune reactions, and mitochondrial dysfunction that leaves your cellular energy factories struggling to keep up. Functional medicine offers targeted testing to pinpoint these issues - from comprehensive neurotransmitter analysis to my favorite, the Organic Acid Test (OATS), which reveals mitochondrial problems, nutrient deficiencies, and gut imbalances affecting brain health.

The good news? Your brain can recover with the right approach. My six-point recovery plan includes eating anti-inflammatory foods, proper hydration (IV infusions can help!), carefully monitored supplements like omega-3s and adaptogens, gentle movement that increases cerebral blood flow, prioritizing quality sleep, and effective stress management techniques. When these strategies aren't enough, personalized functional medicine interventions can identify hidden imbalances and create targeted solutions.

Ready to clear the fog and reclaim your mental clarity? Connect with me at HarmonyHubHealth.com to begin your journey back to cognitive wellness. Your brain deserves to work for you, not against you.

linktr.ee/harmonyhubhealth

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is
to provide comprehensive,affordable, integrative care
that addresses the root cause ofhealth issues.
At the Hub, the focus is onindividual patient journeys.
I strive to optimize health,vitality and longevity,
fostering a community where eachperson can thrive in body, mind
and spirit.

(00:21):
So if you've ever walked into aroom and forgotten why you're
there, you might chalk it up tostress or a bad night's sleep.
But for millions dealing withlong COVID, a bad night's sleep.

(00:46):
But for millions dealing withlong COVID, that where am I and
what was I doing?
Moment is a daily struggle,except it's paired with
headaches, exhaustion and theoverwhelming urge to nap in the
middle of life.
It is like a slow motion zombieapocalypse.
I've been using this analogyfor a couple of years now.
You know people walking around,present but not fully alive.
I feel like maybe it's theirshell, but they have kind of

(01:09):
slowly just hollowed out.
Their energy is depleted.
People that used to be verysharp now move very sluggish.
They're brain fogged, just avery slow pace.
And the world is full offunctioning shells, of people
who, thanks to long COVID, feellike they're running on a
half-dead battery.

(01:29):
But don't you worry, there ishope for reversing this outbreak
.
You know scientists are stillpiecing together why COVID-19
seems to have a personalvendetta against cognitive
function, but here's what weknow so far.
You know the virus can triggerinflammation.
That's one of the first thingsI noticed working in the ICU was
the inflammation, how that'swhat was bringing people down.

(01:52):
It messes with blood flow I sawthat so, so prominent with
COVID-19 and it throws yourneurotransmitters into chaos.
So here are some of thefrustrating effects of long
COVID.
One of them is brain fog.
So this is the ultimate mentalspeed bump.

(02:13):
If you've ever read the samesentence three times and still
had no clue what it said,welcome to the club.
Brain fog makes concentrationfeel like herding cats, turning
even simple tasks into epicchallenges.
And if you've ever forgotten aword mid-sentence, I almost just
did it right there and ended upcalling your oven a hot food

(02:37):
box.
I've done that.
That's long COVID at work.
Short-term memory struggles canmake conversations, appointments
and everyday tasks a struggle.
And then one minute you're fine.
The next you're irrationallyirritated because someone chewed
too loud.
Anxiety, depression andirritability are common long

(02:59):
COVID side effects, thanks tolingering neurological
disruptions.
And if your brain now feelslike it came with a built-in
jackhammer.
You're not alone.
Persistent headaches andmigraines are common, possibly
due to inflammation or bloodvessel changes.
And if you can't sleep when youneed to and you can't stay
awake when you should, longCOVID loves to turn normal sleep

(03:21):
cycles into a circus act,leaving you perpetually
exhausted and mentally foggy.
But why does this happen?
We don't have all of theanswers yet, but the researchers
are suspecting a few mix offactors.
One is the inflammationoverload.
So COVID-19 can cause ongoingbrain inflammation, slowing down

(03:42):
cognitive function.
There's the blood flow issue.
If your brain isn't gettingenough oxygen, it's no wonder
why it feels and runs sluggishand the immune system might go
rogue and start attackinghealthy brain tissue.
So now there could be anautoimmune part to long COVID

(04:02):
and then just that mitochondrialmeltdown.
You know energy producing cellsstruggle to keep up and that
leads to fatigue and foggythinking.
So if you're dealing withlingering cognitive issues,
functional medicine testing canhelp identify underlying
imbalances and target solutions.
So some of my favorite keytests to shed light on what's

(04:24):
happening if you feel likeyou're suffering from COVID-19.
One is a comprehensiveneurotransmitter test.
This evaluates your dopamine,your serotonin and other brain
chemicals to pinpoint imbalancescontributing to brain fog and
mood changes.
The OATS test, the organic acidtest, is my absolute favorite

(04:44):
because it does identifymitochondrial dysfunction, but
not just that.
It shows nutrient deficiencies,it shows gut dysbiosis and
things that could be affectingyour brain health.
One of my favorite testing foreverything, as you know, is
micronutrient testing so we canassess levels of essential
vitamins and minerals, includingB12, magnesium and zinc.

(05:07):
These are all really importantfor cognitive function.
And then checking inflammatorymarkers, for elevated cytokines,
for that C-reactive protein orother markers that signal
chronic inflammation.
We can also do hormone andadrenal testing, because those

(05:27):
impact stress, energy and yourbrain function.
And, of course, since guthealth and brain function are so
connected on that gut-brainaxis, identifying food
sensitivities and microbialimbalances can really be the key
in reducing inflammation.
That could be shown in the GImap.
So how do you get that brainrehab and how do you have a

(05:51):
comeback like a post-virus plan?
You don't have to stay stuck inthe cognitive fog forever.
Here are some science-backedways to give your brain the TLC
it desperately needs.
Okay, there's six of them thatI have listed here.
Number one is eat like yourbrain depends on it, because it
kind of does Anti-inflammatoryfoods.

(06:13):
Think of blueberries, turmeric,salmon, leafy greens.
They can help reduce braininflammation and boost your
cognitive function.
Number two hydrate or hibernate.
Dehydration makes brain fogworse, so keep those fluids
going.
You can even come and see mefor an IV infusion.
You know bonus points if youadd electrolytes for that extra

(06:33):
brain power.
Number three supplement yoursanity.
Omega-3s, magnesium, the Bvitamins.
Adaptogens like ashwagandha canreally help support focus,
memory and stress resilience.
Just make sure you take thosemonitored.
Some people just start takingit, not really being mindful of
dosing or without taking anybreaks, so you want to make sure
you take this monitored.
Some people just start takingit, not really being mindful of

(06:53):
dosing or without taking anybreaks, so you want to make sure
you're talking to aprofessional if you are going to
start those adaptogens.
Number four is move it or loseit.
Even gentle exercise like yoga,walking, stretching can
increase blood flow to the brainand reduce that inflammation.
You do not need to run amarathon, you just need to get
moving.
Your cells need that.
Number five is prioritize sleeplike it is your job.

(07:18):
A solid sleep routine, lessscreen time before bed and
relaxation techniques canimprove sleep quality and give
your brain the overnight resetit craves.
I love the Calm app.
I'm not affiliated with them,but I definitely promote them.
Number six chill out, and Imean literally.

(07:38):
Stress makes everything worse.
So deep breathing, meditationusing that Calm app, mindfulness
helps calm the nervous systemand clear some of the fog.
There is some great breathingtechniques you can use.
I know we talked about that.
You can go to the previouspodcast about mindfulness.

(07:59):
That is all good, but if yourbrain still feels like it's
running on low battery modedespite your best efforts, doing
those six things, then it'stime to call in reinforcements.
That's where Harmony Hub Healthcomes in things.
Then it's time to call inreinforcements.
That's where Harmony Hub Healthcomes in, because functional
medicine approaches,personalized testing, iv

(08:19):
nutrition and targeted therapiescan really help identify hidden
imbalances and get you back ontrack.
So long, covid might havethrown your brain a curveball,
but with the right tools, youcan bounce back stronger.
Whether it's tweaking your diet, dialing in sleep or exploring
functional medicine solutions,every small step adds up.
You deserve mental clarity,sharp memory and a brain that

(08:42):
works for you, not against you.
So let's clear the fog and getyou back to feeling like
yourself again.
You can book a consultation forfunctional medicine at
HarmonyHubHealthcom.
You can send me an email atMichelle with one M, with one M,
with one L, m, I C H E L E atHarmonyHubHealthcom, or you can

(09:06):
come and see me in person atMonarch Beauty and Spa here in
Manchester, maryland.
This podcast was forentertainment and informational
purposes only While I dove intothe eerie aftermath of COVID-19
and its zombie-like effects onbrain health.
I am not your medical provider,I just play one on this podcast

(09:26):
, so any health tips, opinionsor sarcastic doomsday scenarios
I share in this episode shouldnot replace any actual medical
advice from your licensedprofessional.
But if you are experiencinglong COVID symptoms like brain
fog, or feel like you've joinedthe walking dead, please consult
a health care provider,preferably one that still has a

(09:47):
pulse.
I would love to be yourprovider so you can contact me
at Harmony Hub Health.
So you can now take off yourtinfoil hats and go stock up on
electrolytes and I hope you verywell.
Health.
I'll talk to you soon.