Is your memory noticeably declining? Are you having a hard time remembering names and phone numbers? Or is your ability to focus noticeably declining? If you've experienced any of these situations, you may ultimately be experiencing brain fog.
What is Brain Fog?
Brain fog is not a health issue but rather a symptom of other injuries or conditions. It is a cognitive dysfunction involving:
- memory problems
- lack of mental clarity
- poor concentration
- inability to focus
Several people can also experience brain fog as mental fatigue. Based on the seriousness of brain fog, it may ultimately interfere with work, school, or any other regular tasks. However, it doesn't have to be a permanent problem in your lifetime.
What Causes Brain Fog?
There are many reasons why brain fog happens. By identifying the underlying reason, you may fix the health issue.
Stress
Chronic stress can raise blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and trigger anxiety, depression, and other mood changes. It can also result in fatigue. It becomes more difficult to think, reason, and focus when your mind is tired.
Lack of Sleep
Poor sleep quality may also interfere with how well your brain works. Try to get between 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep, or sleeping too little. may ultimately lead to poor concentration and cloudy thoughts, among other symptoms.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes can also activate brain fog, including increased levels of estrogen and the growth of the hormones progesterone. Memory can also be affected by hormonal changes and may cause short-term cognitive impairment.
Similarly, a drop in estrogen levels during menopause can cause forgetfulness, poor concentration, and cloudy thinking.
Diet
Diet may also play a part in brain fog. Vitamin B-12 supports healthy brain function and a vitamin B-12 deficiency can result in brain fog. Similar to food allergies or sensitivities, brain fog can also develop after eating particular foods, including:
- MSG
- aspartame
- peanuts
- dairy
Eliminating trigger foods out of your diet and consuming more anti-inflammatory foods can ultimately improve symptoms.
Medications
If you begin to experience brain fog whilst taking any types of drugs and/or medications, talk to your doctor. Brain fog may be a side effect. Reducing your dosage or switching to different medications may also help improve your symptoms.
Moreover, brain fog can also happen after certain cancer treatments. This is most commonly known as the chemo brain.
Other Health Issues
Other health issues associated with inflammation, fatigue, or changes in blood sugar levels, can also cause brain fog as well as mental fatigue. By way of instance, brain fog is a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome, which involves mental fatigue. People who have fibromyalgia can also experience brain fog. Other health issues that may cause brain fog includes:
- anemia
- depression
- diabetes
- Sjögren syndrome
- migraines
- Alzheimer’s disease
- hypothyroidism
- autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis
- dehydration
Brain Fog Diagnosis and Treatment
Talk to your doctor if you have a persistent absence of clarity that worsens or doesn't improve. A test can't diagnose brain fog. Brain fog may indicate an underlying problem. Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and discuss your:
- mental health
- diet
- level of physical activity
- current medications or supplements
You should tell your doctor about any other symptoms you may have. By way of instance, people with hypothyroidism may also have weight gain, dry skin, and hair loss. Blood work can also help identify brain fog. A blood test can also determine:
- abnormal glucose levels
- poor liver, kidney, and thyroid function
- nutritional deficiencies
- infections
- inflammatory diseases
Based on the results, your doctor will decide whether to investigate the diagnosis further. Diagnostic tools may include imaging tests to look within the body, such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scans. The doctor can also conduct allergy testing or a sleep study to check for a sleeping disorder. Keeping a food diary can help you determine if your diet contributes to brain fog.
Brain fog treatment is dependent upon the cause. By way of instance, if you are anemic, iron supplements may boost your production of red blood cells and reduce your brain fog. If you're diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, your doctor may suggest a corticosteroid or alternative medication to help decrease inflammation or to suppress the immune system.
Furthermore, relieving brain fog may ultimately be an easy matter of simply correcting a nutritional deficiency, altering medications, or even improving the quality of your sleep. Home remedies to help improve brain fog can include:
- sleeping 8 to 9 hours per night
- managing stress by knowing your limitations and avoiding excessive alcohol and caffeine
- exercising
- strengthening your brainpower (try volunteering or solving brain puzzles)
- finding enjoyable activities
- increasing your intake of protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats
Brain inflammation has been associated with a variety of symptoms, including brain fog. Inflammation is an essential function of the immune system, however, excess brain inflammation, can cause brain fog and a variety of other symptoms. In the following article, inflammation and brain fog, can be caused due to a variety of causes. Although brain fog may be a frustrating symptom, relief is possible with proper treatment. - Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
In honor of Governor Abbott's proclamation, October is Chiropractic Health Month. Learn more about the proposal.
Has it become harder for you to learn new things? How often do you have a hard time remembering your appointments? Or is your temperament generally getting worse? If you've experienced these situations, you may have brain fog. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topic Discussion: Chronic Pain
Sudden pain is a natural response of the nervous system which helps to demonstrate possible injury. By way of instance, pain signals travel from an injured region through the nerves and spinal cord to the brain. Pain is generally less severe as the injury heals, however, chronic pain is different than the average type of pain. With chronic pain, the human body will continue sending pain signals to the brain, regardless if the injury has healed. Chronic pain can last for several weeks to even several years. Chronic pain can tremendously affect a patient's mobility and it can reduce flexibility, strength, and endurance.
Neural Zoomer Plus for Neurological Disease
Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate neurological diseases. The Neural ZoomerTM Plus is an array of neurological autoantibodies which offers specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. The Vibrant Neural ZoomerTM Plus is designed to assess an individual’s reactivity to 48 neurological antigens with connections to a variety of neurologically related diseases. The Vibrant Neural ZoomerTM Plus aims to reduce neurological conditions by empowering patients and physicians with a vital resource for early risk detection and an enhanced focus on personalized primary prevention.
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