Long COVID-19 is such a new illness that there are not yet any medications approved specifically to treat it. However, depending on the severity of your symptoms, there are several therapies and over-the-counter remedies that may help you manage your symptoms and feel your best with long COVID-19.

If you are experiencing lingering symptoms weeks or even months after a COVID-19 infection, talking to your doctor is the best place to start. They can help you determine which types of therapy may be most beneficial. Your treatment plan will depend on your individual symptoms of long COVID-19 and the severity of each.

Symptoms of Long COVID-19

Long COVID-19 can affect anyone who has experienced a COVID-19 infection, even if they had little to no symptoms when they first contracted the coronavirus. Long COVID-19 can impact multiple organs and body systems including:

• Respiratory
• Cardiovascular
• Neurological
• Gastrointestinal
• Muscular

Symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Breathing issues
• Heart problems
• Cognitive impairment
• Sleep disturbances
• Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Muscle pain
• Concentration problems
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, including decreased appetite, nausea, acid reflux, or diarrhea

It can be helpful to note down all the symptoms you are experiencing before you visit your doctor. They can use this information to create the best treatment plan for you.

Managing Long COVID-19 Symptoms

Each person’s case is different, and treatment will be individualized based on your symptoms. While long COVID-19 is a relatively new condition, doctors have many therapies and medications which can help treat the symptoms you may experience. For example, for a long COVID-19 symptom such as difficulty breathing, there are already rehabilitation programs to help with shortness of breath. This applies for the management of many long COVID-19 symptoms.

Your medical team can help you create a rehabilitation plan which might include physical, occupational, speech, neurological, or vocational therapy. The goal of treatment for long COVID-19 is to optimize physical and mental function and quality of life.

It can help to set achievable goals as you work to recover. Stay in touch with your health care team as you follow your treatment plan. While long COVID-19 is still not well understood, health care professionals can keep you updated as new information emerges.

If you find that long COVID-19 limits your everyday lifestyle, you may need advice on nutrition, sleep, and stress reduction. Treatments here can include over-the-counter medication, vitamin or electrolyte supplements, healthy eating plans, better sleep hygiene habits, and meditation. Ask your doctor for help with these.

Holistic support for people with long COVID-19 is essential. Consider seeking a support group for others with long COVID-19, either online or in person. You can also talk to a health care professional, family, and friends about your experience. It is important to recognize and validate long COVID-19’s effect on your life, and give yourself enough rest and self-care while you recover.

Long COVID-19 Clinics

Depending on where you live, care may be available at a specialized long COVID-19 clinic. These facilities offer centralized access to specialists in many fields related to long COVID-19 symptoms and complications.

Managing Fatigue

The most common symptom of long COVID-19 is severe tiredness and fatigue. Long COVID-19 is a chronic condition, so it’s important to pace yourself and set realistic goals as you recover. Consider which of your daily tasks can wait for later and which you can ask a friend or family member to help with. Your doctor can also refer you to occupational and physical therapists who can help you better manage your regular activities.

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases recommends the following tips for managing fatigue:

• Plan to do important tasks when you have the most energy (often in the morning).
• Pause and take breaks throughout the day when you need to. Plan rest periods into your daily activities.
• Don’t use more energy on tasks than you need to.
• When you are ready to begin exercising again, start with low-intensity exercises, increasing your physical activity slowly over time.

Other symptoms of long COVID-19, like muscle aches, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction, can also cause fatigue and interrupt sleep. If these symptoms are keeping you from getting the rest you need, talk to your doctor about treatment.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Therapy for Breathing Issues

People with long COVID-19 often experience breathlessness. Your health care provider can assess your lung function with breath and exercise tests. Depending on your normal fitness levels, your doctor can see just what kind of lung rehabilitation program would benefit you the most.

The Mayo Clinic suggests moderate shortness of breath can be helped by:

• Avoiding extreme temperatures
• Exercising (as advised)
• Stopping smoking
• Avoiding pollutants
• Taking any prescribed medications, such as inhalers or even oxygen

Other treatments may include breathing exercises and pulmonary rehabilitation. Some pulmonary rehabilitation programs are multidisciplinary, offering exercise, education, and lifestyle advice.

Cardiac Rehabilitation for Heart Problems

Research into cardiovascular issues caused by long COVID-19 is ongoing. Researchers with the European Society of Cardiology describe a wide range of heart conditions that can be caused or exacerbated by COVID-19 infection. Their current guidelines for treating cardiovascular conditions in people affected by COVID-19 specify that long COVID-19’s effects on the heart are unknown. Anyone with heart issues and a history of COVID-19 infection should continue to have close monitoring from their cardiologist even after the initial symptoms have resolved.

Your doctor may recommend exercises or other cardiac rehabilitation, which may be done in a hospital or at home. Your doctor may order an initial walking test (average six minutes) and a physical exam, along with an assessment of your general fitness level, to come up with a program for you. A study in Life journal recommends that cardiac exercise programs for people with COVID-19 be divided into three levels of effort (low, medium, and high) based on the severity of symptoms.

Each cardiac rehab program is individualized, including emotional and nutritional support.

Your exercise program may include:

• Walking
• Muscle-strengthening exercises (weights or resistance training)
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Jogging
• Yoga

Lifestyle education involves:

• Making healthy lifestyle changes
• Eating a healthy diet
• Maintaining a balanced weight
• Quitting smoking
• Managing high blood pressure
• Making sure diabetes and cholesterol levels are controlled

Therapy for Cognitive and Psychological Changes

People with long COVID-19 commonly experience “brain fog,” which includes trouble concentrating and remembering things. Researchers are still unsure how the coronavirus and the inflammatory effects of the body’s immune response to COVID-19 impact the brain and affect cognition.

Although there’s no treatment or pill to make long COVID-19 symptoms disappear overnight, early intervention is often beneficial. Ask your doctor about help with physical symptoms, and consider a referral to a psychologist if you’re having a tough time adjusting. The uncertainty of long-term health issues — which may impact your relationships and your ability to work — can be stressful for anyone. It’s no surprise that anxiety and depression can accompany long COVID-19.

Mental health treatments for people with psychological symptoms of long COVID-19 may include:

• Trauma therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Acceptance and commitment therapy

Some mental health symptoms of long COVID-19 might be due to the life-changing experience of having had a serious illness rather than a direct effect of the coronavirus. For example, memory loss often happens to people who were intubated or sedated for long periods while hospitalized for COVID-19. People who were treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 sometimes develop post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), a collection of physical and psychological symptoms caused by the stress of being in the hospital. Psychological therapy, support groups, and the support of friends and family can help ease these symptoms.

Occupational Therapy

One of the hardest issues some people with long COVID-19 face is a sudden lack of physical strength and stamina. It is difficult to realize you’re not able to do what you did before COVID-19. An occupational therapist can help you learn more efficient ways to complete your daily activities or work duties, using less energy. They can also help you determine how much activity is appropriate for you at each stage of your recovery.

Apart from the physical benefits, occupational therapy may benefit psychological and neurological issues, as well as provide emotional support.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist can help you understand and improve your exercise limits — a measure of your aerobic fitness and maximum oxygen uptake while exercising. A physical therapy plan might combine exercises with a breath work program that teaches breathing techniques.

It’s already known that exercise is beneficial for the rehabilitation of many illnesses, including cardiac rehabilitation, and it’s now proving vital for people with long COVID-19. Research has also shown the benefits of exercise to stimulate the immune system — particularly important with this illness.

It’s not always easy to get motivated to begin an exercise program, particularly if you are experiencing fatigue or muscle aches. Every case of long COVID-19 is different, so it’s important to choose physical activity that will support your healing and improve your quality of life. Your doctor and a physical therapist can help you tailor an exercise program to fit your needs.

Olfactory Therapy

For many people with long COVID-19, olfactory dysfunction (a loss of the sense of smell) is a common symptom. The good news is that the sense of smell or taste will return in most cases. In the meantime, some studies have shown that smell training is a low cost and effective treatment option.

One smell-training process uses scents that represent four categories: flowery, fruity, spicy, and resinous. The idea is to very gently sniff the same four scents every day, spending around 20 seconds on each item and really concentrating on detecting any scent. You can also try it with any scent you feel comfortable with and have available. You can even use kitchen cupboard ingredients, such as coffee, citrus peels, spices, or fresh herbs.

Ask your doctor about the best way to practice smell training.

Ongoing Research

Clinical trials and research are underway to find additional treatments for long COVID-19. These studies will help researchers learn more about whether existing drugs and therapies can treat long COVID-19, as well as allow them to investigate the effects of new drugs. Other clinical trials are also being carried out to examine the most common long COVID-19 symptoms of fatigue and respiratory problems. If you have long COVID-19, you may be able to participate in a clinical trial. Talk to your health care provider to learn more.

Find Your Team

On myCOVIDteam, the social support network for those recovering from the effects of COVID-19, you can connect with others. Members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand.

Are you living with long COVID-19? Which treatments have helped you? Share your insights in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on myCOVIDteam.