Feeling Mentally Cloudy? Know What Brain Fog Is and How to Clear It Up

Brain fog - a word we hear all too often and yet many of us don’t fully understand what it means. To put it simply, when you have brain fog, you feel less sharp, less alert, and less intellectually equipped to perform your job. People with brain fog symptoms may experience numbness and find it more difficult to complete even the simplest daily chores in the most extreme cases!  

Some even describe it as a thick veil that makes accessing their ideas or intentions so difficult that it takes all their energy to go through everyday life. Feeling distracted, fatigued, and confused are also part of this problem! With our modern lifestyles and work environment, brain fog is becoming more and more common, so let’s take a look at this problematic issue and see how you can deal with it.   

What is Brain Fog? 

Brain fog or brain cloudiness refers to a variety of symptoms that induce cognitive impairment in a person and make an impact on the clarity of thought, focus, memory, and overall attention span of that person. As the name implies, these symptoms fog your mind and make it difficult to accomplish ordinary tasks, such as maintaining a conversation or recalling the process of anything you're doing, no matter how simple or rote they are. 

Brain fog can occur as a result of an illness, a side effect of certain treatments such as chemotherapy, or an indication of an underlying problem! But don’t worry too much yet, a healthcare expert can help you figure out what's causing your brain fog and offer treatment to get you feeling more like yourself. 

On a molecular level, brain fog is thought to be caused by excessive levels of inflammation and hormonal changes in your body that affect your mood, energy, and concentration because hormonal imbalances disrupt the entire bodily system. Each individual's experience of brain fog may differ slightly, but almost all people affected by this condition experience the following symptoms when they have brain fog: 

• Forgetfulness 
• Mental fatigue 
• Difficulty concentrating  
• Confusion 
• Slow cognition and reaction times 
• Tiredness  
• Losing your stream of thoughts  
• Trouble paying attention  

What Causes Brain Fog? 

There are various reasons why brain fog symptoms might occur, however, once your healthcare provider has identified the underlying cause, you may start taking appropriate actions to get better.   

• Stress - Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, depression, and mental weariness, and when your brain is weary, it gets more difficult to think and concentrate. 
• Poor sleep quality - Poor sleep quality can impair brain function no matter the person’s age, so you must aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night since sleeping too little often results in poor attention and foggy thinking. 
• Medical conditions - Mental weariness can also be caused by medical disorders such as bodily inflammation or blood glucose level fluctuations! Brain fog can also be a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a condition characterized by persistent weariness over time, and according to a study, patients with fibromyalgia may also suffer comparable fogginess on a regular basis. Other illnesses that might produce brain fog include anemia, depression, diabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and viral infections like COVID-19.  
• Certain medications - If you experience brain fog while taking prescription medicine, remember to speak with your doctor because certain drugs, such as those used to treat insomnia and pain have been linked to brain fog. Lowering your dose or switching to a different medication may help your symptoms, and in some cases, they might totally go away with a medication change! 
• Hormonal changes - Hormonal shifts, especially during pregnancy, might also contribute to brain fog! During pregnancy, progesterone and estrogen levels increase, and this alteration can have an impact on memory and lead to short-term cognitive impairment in the pregnant woman, however, this is obviously not permanent. Similarly, a decline in estrogen levels after menopause can result in forgetfulness, poor attention, and hazy thinking, and if that happens it is best you consult with a doctor. 
• Diet - Dietary factors can also contribute to brain fog, but how much it affects the person can vary to a great degree! However, vitamin B12 promotes healthy brain function in every single person, and a recent study discovered that a vitamin B12 shortage might impair cognitive performance and cause brain fog. If you have food allergies or sensitivities, brain fog might also occur after eating specific meals, that’s why, it's best that you remove trigger food items from your diet to help alleviate these symptoms. 

What are the Treatment Options for Brain Fog?   

Brain fog is a symptom, not a medical diagnosis, hence there is no particular brain fog treatment that works on everyone! However, here are a few common therapy options that may help the affected person:  

1. Cognitive Therapies 

Mindfulness, which is a meditation practice of focusing on one thing and being present, has been linked to stress reduction, decreased sadness, and relief from menopausal symptoms, all of which can cause brain fog! Other than mindfulness, brain-stimulating activities such as reading novels, solving crossword puzzles, and playing musical instruments might also help you manage brain fog to a great level. 

2. Lifestyle Changes  

Brain fog is very common when you're overworked, so if it begins to impair your quality of life, you should seek expert medical help without delay! Your doctor will take a medical history and potentially do some blood tests, as well as ask you questions about your lifestyle to assess your habits regarding physical exercise, food intake, stress management, and sleeping patterns. After that, your doctor will recommend the necessary lifestyle changes to help you overcome brain fog. 

3. Learn to Manage Stress  

Choose your preferred stress-management approach that you can do regularly without getting bored! Go for a morning stroll, practice yoga, start a new hobby, or make time to take short vacations at regular intervals, all of these can help you manage your stress levels and prevent frequent brain fog occurrence. You should also exercise regularly, and if you're in good health, aim for at least 120 minutes of moderate to intense physical exercise every week because exercise stimulates the brain.   

4. Maintain a Healthy Diet 

Inflammation is known to be linked to brain fog, so an anti-inflammatory diet can be helpful since it can counteract inflammatory effects in the body! This includes minimizing or eliminating highly processed foods and red meats, as well as eating a plant-based diet rich in antioxidants and good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids. 

Final Remarks  

There is no set period for how long you will feel brain fog; you could feel it for a few days/weeks, or you may continue feeling like this for months in rare circumstances! Remember, if brain fog is interfering with your quality of life, always consult a healthcare specialist because medical intervention may be needed in certain cases especially if there are underlying causes behind the condition. Your doctor may suggest a blood test or other test to find out if any specific underlying conditions are affecting you and causing brain fog.  

Contact Pathkind Labs to get the tests done by trained medical experts with years of experience! No more worrying about receiving inaccurate lab results since Pathkind Labs uses cutting-edge technology for the tests and prepares the reports with utmost care and timeliness.