March 30, 2021– The one time I got tested for COVID-19, I wound up in the emergency room– but not since I evaluated positive. I didn’t believe it would trigger the worst headache I have actually ever had. I have actually had migraines for years, so I understand from headaches.
I’m far from alone in having a COVID test with an unsightly aftermath. Hattey Lennerman, a nurse in Lexington, KY, needs to get regular monthly tests due to the fact that of her work. At her really first one back in April 2020, “I felt a sharp pain and my eyes watered. I end up grasping the chair, reeling back from the pain,” she says. She had a burning experience and pain in her jaw. Within 15 minutes, she had the worst headache she had actually had in years. “I had to turn out the lights in my workplace and just sit there. Ibuprofen didn’t touch it.” And at her 2nd test, Lennerman’s nose bled.
Aside from headaches, teary eyes, and nosebleeds, some individuals have passed out. Others describe the test as feeling “like I was cleaned up from behind my eyeball,” “ wild agonizing,” and as if it “ reached to the back of my skull and after that went back for more” One person’s eye started jerking, and another stated she believed she was being lobotomized
The Nasopharyngeal Swab
Hundreds of countless COVID tests have actually been carried out in the U.S. over the last year. Tests utilizing the nasopharyngeal swab– the one that seems like it might scrape your brain— are thought about the gold requirement.
” Believe about the millions who’ve been swabbed– you hear about every one that has a bad experience,” says Andrew Lane, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Sinus. “It’s exceptionally, incredibly uncommon.”
Those bad experiences can stem from numerous problems, thanks to the number of things included. And human anatomy varies widely– your nasal passages may be broader or narrower than the individual standing next to you, or you might have a deviated septum
The property of the test itself is another part of the problem. And your nasal cavity is surrounding to your eye and your brain,” Lane states.
To do the test, a specialist inserts a versatile, soft-tipped, 6-inch swab into your nostril.
Explaining Those Responses
The challenge, according to Lane, is that no two noses are the very same. “The goal with the swab ought to be to get to the nasopharynx without hitting anything along the way,” he states. “Unfortunately, the geometry of the nasal passages is various from individual to individual.”
The mucous membrane that lines your nose has a lot of nerve endings.
That triggers uncontrolled, hard-wired reflexes. “Some individuals get gagging, coughing, sneezing— it’s all part of the exact same reflex,” he says.
As for nosebleeds, that membrane (called the mucosa) is delicate and has lots of blood vessels, states Philip Chen, MD, an associate professor of otolaryngology– head and neck surgery at the University of Texas Long School of Medicine.
Fainting has a similarly simple explanation: “It’s what’s called a vasovagal occasion. This can take place whenever the body has a really strong reaction to a scenario such as psychological distress or pain,” says Chen. “For some people, the stress and anxiety of having the treatment or the real discomfort can result in fainting“
Scraping the Brain?
Although some state the test feels like having your brain tickled or stabbed, the swab can’t actually get near your grey matter.
” There are three layers of security in the nose. There’s the mucosal lining, which covers the within the nose. There’s the olfactory epithelium (associated with sense of smell). The within, the dura mater, which indicates ‘difficult mother,’ is a tough lining of skin around the brain. It’s tough to penetrate through (it) without something sharp,” Shawn Nasseri, MD, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Los Angeles, told U.S.A. Today
In an extremely small number of cases around the globe, screening has actually caused leaking cerebrospinal fluid A minimum of one of those was found to be due to a previously unidentified birth defect. “I believe individuals who have this happen had an irregularity, a protrusion of brain tissue through a hole in the bone,” says Lane. The swab itself is versatile, so it’ll bend before entering bone.
” It’s such a low risk, I wouldn’t be scared,” he says. “Your danger of having COVID and not knowing is much higher.”
There is one group that may be at a greater threat for this kind of trouble: “People who have had extensive sinus surgery ought to not be evaluated with nasopharyngeal swab,” says Chen. He’s the lead author of a research study that took a look at the requirement for cautioning such patients. That sort of surgery often includes eliminating a bone between the nasal cavity and the base of the skull, which might enable the swab to survive.
Tips for a Pain-Free Swab
Because anatomy and pain tolerance vary, there’s no way of knowing if you’re most likely to have a bad experience. But these tips may lessen your pain:
- If you’ve got a stuffy nose, attempt a spray decongestant like Afrin, Lane recommends. Lie down and put one drop in each nostril, 30-60 minutes before the test.
Position your head as directed, so they can put the swab at the proper angle. “Wherever they inform you to put your head, put your head in that spot and keep it there,” states Lane.
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