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Symptoms and changing symptoms
The topics covered in this section include: Common symptoms Changes in symptoms Younger children’s symptoms Common symptoms In this section we explore the most common...
In the absence of available agreed or authorised treatments for Long Covid, many people were self-managing their symptoms. Here we discuss family experiences of managing children and teenagers’ symptoms at home.
This section includes the following topics:
See further discussion of self-management of Long Covid in Adults.
Families we talked to found that too much exercise or vigorous activity caused a ‘crash’ or a relapse in their symptoms.
As Catherine explained, social activity or too much noise could also lead to a crash, so this was not just physical activity that had to be carefully managed. While the progress of the illness and recovery could be very unpredictable, many children were learning to pace themselves and allow ample time for rest, and how to prioritise activities that really mattered to them.
Evie described this as learning to recognise “the boom and the bust”, saying, ”so even if I’m having a really good day and I do feel like I can go and… go for a run or… or do something more, it’s about thinking, ‘is this what is best for me?’ and trying to not have such highs and lows, and just sort of even it out a little bit and having… maintaining a sense of sort of stability and slowly building.”
Hina said that her mum would sometimes give her a massage, or she would try light exercises (such as rolling and stretching) to help manage the pain.
The families we spoke with tried a range of over-counter medications to help manage their children’s symptoms, such as paracetamol or cough mixtures, though they were unsure if they were helping. People mostly needed rest to get through the day, in the absence of available treatment.
Ben explained that he was relying on “mainly just rest; just resting between even small things, and icepacks for my headache, and hot water bottles and stuff for my muscles. Because we tried paracetamol and things like that, but they don’t seem to help, so just, mainly just resting.”
Harry had tried using magnesium salts in the bath to relax and get him ready for the day.
Families were trying different diets and vitamin supplements to help manage their symptoms. Some children and teenagers we talked to had cut down on sugar, as they felt that it made their symptoms worse. Others ate small portions to reduce nausea, increased their water intake, avoided gluten or dairy products or generally tried to eat a healthier diet with more fruit and vegetables.
Others tried using multivitamins, such as Lissie who was using magnesium and vitamin D. Malaeka was taking a multivitamin that was specially formulated for teenagers and had increased the amount of water she drank to help avoid dehydration headaches.
Families have relied on family support to self-manage their symptoms and draw strength from one another. Family ‘teamwork’ was described as an important way of working together to support the family member with Long Covid.
Those with religious or spiritual beliefs sometimes drew on their beliefs, within a wider community, for support and hope that things would improve.
Others found it useful to distract themselves from their symptoms with hobbies or play. Some families have really appreciated their pets as additional family members who could provide comfort, like Maryam and Zohaib.
The topics covered in this section include: Common symptoms Changes in symptoms Younger children’s symptoms Common symptoms In this section we explore the most common...
We asked young people with Long Covid and parents caring for young people with Long Covid about the emotional impact it has had on their...