Common physical issues
Because everyone is different, the way you are affected by an ICU stay might be very different to somebody else. People are admitted to intensive care for lots of different reasons and conditions, stay for different lengths of time, and come in with different levels of health and fitness.
In this section, we've provided some general information and advice on some of the common physical issues you may face after getting home. These include:
- muscle weakness
- difficulty walking and problems with balance
- breathlessness
- joint pain
- voice changes
- fatigue
- hair loss
- changes in taste and smell,
- difficulties with appetite or swallowing
- weight gain
- sleep apnoea
- bulky thick (keloid) scars
- A lump in your groin from a stitch for an ECMO cannula that wasn't removed
- sexual dysfunction - loss of libido or erectile dysfunction
- periods - abnormal or absent periods for a few months
- hearing loss
- poor eye sight