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Eyes don’t lie 🧵
The eyes of Long COVID patients show significant nerve damage.
They display notable nerve degradation.
Their corneal nerve fibers are sparser, branching is stunted, and the nerve lengths are curtailed.
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The eyes of Long COVID patients show significant nerve damage.
They display notable nerve degradation.
Their corneal nerve fibers are sparser, branching is stunted, and the nerve lengths are curtailed.
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The complex network of corneal nerves in the human eye is like a spiderweb.
Within the elegant structure of this web, each silken thread represents a delicate neural pathway, connected to maintain stability and harmony.
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Within the elegant structure of this web, each silken thread represents a delicate neural pathway, connected to maintain stability and harmony.
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This web is specifically designed to optimize its function – catching insects – just as the corneal nerves are designed to relay sensory information efficiently.
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Now, picture this masterpiece under siege by a tempest—SARS-CoV-2.
Each gust of wind and drop of rain symbolizing the virus's assaults on our systems.
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Each gust of wind and drop of rain symbolizing the virus's assaults on our systems.
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Yet, this storm's most insidious challenge isn't just the overpowering wind or torrential rain, but the barrage of debris it carries—twigs, leaves, and foreign particles, all disrupting the web's meticulous design.
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This debris is reminiscent of the inflammatory dendritic cells that proliferate in the corneas of Long COVID patients.
Dendritic cells, under typical physiological conditions, play sentinel roles in our immune responses.
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Dendritic cells, under typical physiological conditions, play sentinel roles in our immune responses.
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However, in the eyes of those enduring Long COVID, these cells undergo a transformation.
They proliferate in excessive numbers, their morphology shifts, and they become hyperactive.
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They proliferate in excessive numbers, their morphology shifts, and they become hyperactive.
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Just as debris might clog and tear at the spiderweb, these altered dendritic cells disturb the corneal neural landscape.
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They can initiate cascades of inflammatory reactions, leading to the degradation of nerve fibers, manifesting as reduced corneal nerve density, stunted branching, and abbreviated nerve lengths.
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Post-storm, the spider attempts to repair.
However, some parts of the web develop abnormalities: knots and clumps in place of the former sleek strands.
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However, some parts of the web develop abnormalities: knots and clumps in place of the former sleek strands.
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These are analogous to the microneuromas detected in Long COVID patients.
While they are a result of the body’s attempts to heal, they don’t fully restore the original structure or function.
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While they are a result of the body’s attempts to heal, they don’t fully restore the original structure or function.
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In this damaged state, the web’s overall efficiency and structural integrity are compromised.
The aftereffects of SARS-CoV-2 aren't subtle.
Plainly put, the virus throws a wrench into the machinery of our eyes, causing inflammation and obvious nerve damage.
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The aftereffects of SARS-CoV-2 aren't subtle.
Plainly put, the virus throws a wrench into the machinery of our eyes, causing inflammation and obvious nerve damage.
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Long COVID's grip on the nervous system doesn't just let go.
It lingers, causing deep-rooted, ongoing damage.
13/13 mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/2…
It lingers, causing deep-rooted, ongoing damage.
13/13 mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/2…
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