As an Ayurvedic Practitioner, I pay deep attention to patterns. The doshas of vata, pitta, and kapha are essentially patterns that can reveal a lot about both health and disease.

So when I observe patterns of disease developing among several of my clients, I pay close attention. I get curious, and ask questions.

In the last couple of years, there are certain patterns that have emerged since our widespread exposure to COVID. We’re obviously still learning a lot about the long-term consequences of this virus. But there are at least three disease patterns I’ve noticed that appear to be linked to COVID infection, some of which may be related to each other.

These are:

1. Vagus Nerve Dysfunction (Dysautonomia). Disruptions in the functions of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary physiological processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and digestion, are common following a COVID infection–even a mild one. This can result in panic attacks, abnormally fast or slow heart rate, irregular heart rate, POTS syndrome, brain fog, blurry vision, digestive symptoms, fatigue, headaches, vertigo, joint pain, and autoimmune symptoms. The cause appears to be linked to inflammatory damage to the vagus nerve–the largest nerve in the body, whose main function is to control autonomic responses.
2. Insulin Resistance. Insulin Resistance occurs when the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. This can lead to inflammation, high cholesterol, weight gain (especially around the belly), and type 2 diabetes. This study found that, “Long COVID is associated with new-onset IR [Insulin Resistance], which may contribute to onset of depressive symptoms due to long COVID by enhancing overall neurotoxicity.” The connection to the nervous system also points to this symptom perhaps being related to the above pattern of dysautonomia.
3. Cancer. More of my clients have been diagnosed with cancer in the last 2 years than in the twelve years I’ve been seeing clients. It’s worrying, to say the least. According to this study, “One of the most worrying long-term effects of infection is the potential to induce malignant neoplasms, which will be a major health concern over the coming decades.” And this article suggests that it will likely be years “before answers emerge about COVID and cancer.”

So what can you do? I believe that Ayurvedic Cleansing (Panchakarma) is still one of the best preventative methods for healing your body from the effects of COVID. Cleansing detoxifies and soothes the nervous system, which can help to repair the vagus nerve. It supports metabolic health, which may be able to reverse metabolic issues such as insulin resistance and high cholesterol. And it reduces systemic inflammation linked to cancer.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth, residential panchakarma experience, join me and Dr. Zohreh Sadeghi in India in May 2025.

Have you had health issues that developed following COVID? If so drop me a line and tell me your story.