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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Kaisha Langton

Woman, 31, shares little-known Covid side effect which makes it hard to eat

A woman, 31, suffering from Long Covid since testing positive for the virus in July has struggled to eat ever since.

Marianna Cisneros from California, US, has suffered from a condition called dysphasia since contracting the virus.

The condition means she has trouble swallowing food.

In a TikTok video describing the "torturous" ailment, she said: "Doctors don't know why."

She said it could be down to neurological damage and adding it is a side effect which is not being discussed enough.

Marianna, an ICU nurse said there are a few reasons why she may be suffering the condition, including her autonomic nervous system because she has Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), or peripheral neuropathy, which she has on her entire right side.

She said: "Do you know how torturous it is to be this young and have to drink Ensure for most of your calories and on a good day mashed potatoes?

"I've been dealing with this for over a year now and I'm frustrated because I want to eat.

"I'm hungry a lot of the time and I just can't because I risk food getting stuck or aspirating on it."

The ICU nurse has documented her journey and recovery from Covid on TikTok - starting from when doctors initially believed she had a stroke after testing positive.

Marianna said: "I could hardly walk and I was having a lot of weird neurological conditions.

"That's why I fight so hard to bring awareness to it because a lot of people didn't believe [me]."

The mother-of-three previously shared her struggles with trying to walk after she was diagnosed with Covid.

She told NBC San Diego: "I did not expect to get knocked down as much as I did.

"My symptoms from the very beginning started out neurological, I started losing vision in the right eye and I developed pretty high blood pressure."

Marianna added: "It's just been a whirlwind. I'm you know numb on the right side, and sometimes it's very difficult to walk.

"It just comes in waves. I have good days, and I have bad days."

ONS data has revealed that 1.3 million people in the UK are estimated to be experiencing self-reported long Covid (AFP via Getty Images)

Recent Office for National Statistics data shows an estimated 1.3 million people living in the UK are suffering from self-reported Long Covid.

The figures, valid from November 9 to December 6 means around two percent of the UK have the condition.

Those at greatest risk of getting self-reported Long Covid including those aged 35-69, females, those living in more deprived areas, those working in health, social care, teaching or education, and those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability.

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