Long COVID sufferers urged to seek help

cleaning your tongue, you’re allowing bacteria to have a home in your mouth so the cleaner you keep your tongue the better! Simply use your toothbrush to brush the tongue surface for 15-30 seconds after brushing your teeth. Dr Quintus Van Tonder, Clinical Director at Zandielle Dental Clinic in Attleborough says, “Many common dental issues are preventable or at least delayable by cleaning your teeth and mouth effectively. Most people know to brush their teeth but too few include interdental and tongue cleaning. By adding these important areas to your oral hygiene routine, you will save both your money and your smile.”

Changing your dental routine habits to include interdental care is a small change that adds up and can save on the bigger cost of dental treatment. So brush up your oral care routine for 2023 and be sure to “clean between” – your smile and your wallet will thank you!

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Q. How much of the bacteria in your mouth does the tongue harbour?

chronic fatigue, loss of taste, muscle and joint pain, and ‘brain fog’ – the unofficial term for confusion, loss of concentration and memory issues.

Dr Peter Holloway, GP and Joint Clinical Lead at SNELCAS, said,

Clinicians in Suffolk and north east Essex are launching a media campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of Long COVID and the treatment and support available. They’re concerned that the patients they are seeing in the Suffolk and North East Essex Long Covid Assessment Service (SNELCAS) are not fully representative of the population likely to have the condition.

Joint Clinical Lead at SNELCAS and respiratory physiotherapist, Sarah Fowler, said, “We know COVID-19 itself took a huge toll on people of minority ethnic heritage and people in deprived areas, but for some reason we are not seeing very many of these patients in our clinic. “We hope our campaign will reach those who may be suffering with symptoms they can’t explain and encourage them to come forward for the support we can give them to greatly improve their quality of life. Long COVID is the name given to a wide variety of symptoms which people continue to experience more than 12 weeks after catching COVID-19.

2,154 patients across Suffolk and north east Essex have been referred into SNELCAS to date, with symptoms including breathlessness,

“We encourage anyone who thinks they may have Long COVID to call their GP surgery. They should fully explain their symptoms to the receptionist, say how long they have had them and how long ago they were infected with the COVID-19 virus.

“The receptionist will make an appointment with a clinician who may look at the patient’s general health and order some tests to see if any other conditions might be making them feel the way they are as it is important to first rule those out.

“Long COVID can be extremely debilitating and patients referred into SNELCAS will receive help to manage their symptoms with the aim of recovering to the point where they can carry out their usual daily activities again.” n A webpage has also been set up to support the campaign: https://sneewellbeing.org.uk/long-covid