Medical issues are on the rise due to COVID-19

Medical providers are seeing an increase in health problems as a direct result of pandemic-era living. Temporary halts to annual doctors’ appointments also played a role.

Dr. Motameni explains that delaying routine care can have damaging effects due to worsening of your current underlying conditions and missing opportunities to catch a new or developing disease early in its course. Delaying preventive care that can reduce one’s chance of developing a disease,

Main items interrupting plan of care in COVID time are:

1. Eye Issues: digital eye strain ― dry, tired, sore, watery eyes, blurred vision and headaches ― due to increased time in front of smartphones, computers and TVs in adults and kids as a result of working and schooling from home during COVID-19. Every 20 minutes, remind yourself to take your eyes off the screen and look at something that’s at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds and turn down the brightness level.

2. Neck And Back Pain: Kitchen counters, soft couches and even beds have been the go-to workstations for many people, and the effects of the repetitive stress caused by poor posture are starting to rear their ugly heads a year later. Dr. Motameni recommends frequent stretching, shoulder shrugs and, in some advanced cases, physical therapy.

3. High Blood Pressure: Pandemic has prevented many patients from seeing their doctor and receiving primary care. For others, it’s due to a worsening diet and a lack of exercise in their work-from-home routine. Intense work demands and social isolation can seriously take their toll on the body.

4. Diabetes And Heart Disease: Extreme weight gain, stress and increased alcohol use, combined with missed physicals, can put people at a higher risk of not catching and properly addressing both of these issues.

5. Mental Health Conditions, Such As Depression And PTSD: Dr. Motameni comments that there is huge increase in anxiety, depression and increased OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] symptoms due to COVID. The social isolation, income loss, working from home with kids and being a caregiver can also all caused or contributed to this stress disorder.

6. Cancer: As direct result of delayed care and blood work, with patients reluctant to seek medical attention due to COVID-19 concerns, cancers are not detected in advance and early stages. Keeping up with preventative screenings, such as colonoscopies and mammograms, is key.