Those who have recovered from COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms like chronic cough, hoarseness of voice, and difficulty in clearing throat frequently, may be at risk of heart attack or stroke.

Experts on Wednesday issued a warning for people who have been affected by Covid-19 during the Corona pandemic. Those who have recovered from Covid and are showing symptoms like chronic cough, hoarseness of voice, and difficulty in clearing throat frequently, may be at risk of heart attack or stroke. Researchers at Southampton University reported in their research on this subject that patients with such symptoms have shown a decrease in baroreflex sensitivity (a measure that detects changes in a person's heart rate due to changes in blood pressure).

The team of researchers said that the interpretation of the findings of the research suggests that the vagus nerve (which controls the autonomic nervous system) prioritizes the safety of the airways over less important tasks such as blood pressure regulation. Reza Nouraei, Professor of Laryngology and Clinical Informatics at the University of Southampton, said on this matter that our immediate life depends on the throat being able to separate the air and food passages whenever we swallow something.

How does the danger increase?

Reza Nourei further said that the throat does this using delicate reflexes, but when these reflexes become weak due to a viral infection like COVID-19, this balance is disturbed, which leads to symptoms like feeling a lump in the throat, clearing the throat and coughing. Research published in JAMA Otolaryngology explains this topic in detail. It states that the baroreflex in particular does not work very well in the brain of patients with an infected throat.

Risk of heart attack and stroke

According to Reza Nourei, this disease can affect our longevity in the coming years patients with low baroreflex function will be most likely to have a heart attack or stroke. This study of Southampton University included 23 patients admitted for nose, ear, and throat (ENT) surgery. These patients had symptoms such as suffocation, chronic cough, and difficulty in swallowing. The heart rate, blood pressure, and baroreflex sensitivity of these patients were compared with 30 patients suffering from digestive disease admitted to gastroenterology.