Diabetes & Hypertension May Trigger Neurological Complications in Covid-19 patients

The novel coronavirus has taught us one thing: knowledge has no limits! Doctors and researchers around the world are trying to make a vaccine that can effectively prevent coronavirus.

As new symptoms of the novel coronavirus continue to turn up, we are getting more familiar with this virus with each passing day.

From getting headaches to loss of smell and loss of taste, we have been studying the symptoms of coronavirus closely!

According to the latest study, people who have diabetes or hypertension or both, experience brain-related complications if they are positive for the virus.

In this article, we will tell you everything about it.

What are the neurological complications experienced by some covid-19 patients?

According to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, some covid-19 patients had neurological complications when their MRI tests and CT scans were done. These tests were conducted because some people had problems with speech and vision. The most common neurological complications experienced by some patients were brain haemorrhage and stroke.

Although the target organ of the virus remains the lungs, recent studies show that the effect of the virus spreads to different parts of the body as well.

When several studies were conducted to discover the cause of neurological complications in some patients, it was observed that patients who developed neurological disorders had a history of type-2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) or hypertension.

How are Diabetes and Hypertension linked to each other?

Diabetic patients are often affected by High blood pressure (Hypertension). The combined effect of both diabetes and hypertension can, however, be dangerous for the Heart. Therefore, if a person suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, he will most likely develop cardiovascular diseases in future. Hypertension and Diabetes are mainly caused by the way you lead your lifestyle. The causative factors chiefly involve smoking, taking an unhealthy diet, stressing and lack of physical activity.

It also involves genetic factors. i.e. if you have a family history of Diabetes and Hypertension, you might also be a potential victim. Moreover, Diabetes type 2 is particularly believed to be caused by genetic factors. These conditions affect your heart and may even cause heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, if you lead a healthy lifestyle, you will reduce the chances of getting a heart attack.

Neurological complications of Covid-19

Inflammation of Brain and stroke are the most common neurological complications observed in covid-19 positive patients having a history of Diabetes, Hypertension or both.

Brain inflammation

Brain inflammation or Encephalitis is usually caused by a virus. Its symptoms can be as severe as hallucinations, seizures and complete or partial loss of sensation. Its common symptoms include developing headache, fever and pain. It can eventually result in coma or even death.

Brain stroke

It is caused by the formation of a blood clot in the brain. As a result, blood clot causes blockage in the artery. A computerized tomography (CT) scan is performed to test a brain stroke. Studies suggest that women are more prone to getting a brain stroke as compared to men.

There are many other neurological complications associated with diabetes and hypertension in covid-19 positive patients. Scientists are still trying to decode the extent of severity and extremity of this virus. Several studies are currently being conducted to know more about the neurological complications caused by this virus.