While media continues to buzz about COVID 19 vaccination for children, scientists and doctors are discussing symptoms, effects and after-effects on kids already infected with the deadly virus. Since winter 2020, one term that has been cropping up in these discussions across all forums from Pub Med to National Geographic, hospital websites to parenting blogs. ‘Brain fog’ – a condition usually affecting adults – is now prevalent among children too.
What is brain fog and who gets it?
Many children can also experience after effects for months, even when they have recovered from COVID-19. One of these effects is brain fog. It is a stress symptom often triggered by difficult, traumatic events, depression, or anxiety. It was common after stressful events or mental health crises. Children with COVID19 undergo the physical stress of the disease, and the mental trauma of being isolated from the world as well as their normal rhythm of life.
What are the symptoms of brain fog in the under 18 group?
Brain fog causes extreme moments of forgetfulness, coupled with other physical symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, racing heartbeat and extreme lethargy. Children have reported that they find it difficult to make it through the day, even when school is happening online. They are exhausted, have trouble concentrating, and participating in usual outdoor activities or sports brings on fatigue and breathing difficulties. All this comes together to lower study and extra-curricular performances, even in kids who were remarkably active before COVID.
What is to be done if brain fog symptoms are noted?
The first and most important thing to do is note down all the symptoms by talking to the child. The next step is to visit the same physician who had treated the child again, and report the symptoms in detail, along with previous prescriptions. Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, any other issues such as numbness, tingling sensation, loss of smell or taste, abnormal urine or stool, and moments of extreme weakness have to be mentioned to the doctor. Brain fog is a physical and clinical issue, not psychological, and treatment cannot be delayed.