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Brain fog – Symptoms and Causes

This kind of disease is common to many people around the world. Brain fog is not a recognized medical term. This term means that people who are suffering from brain fog are having more feelings such as lack of focus, mental clarity, confusion and forgetfulness. This term is associated with your thoughts. You cannot think clearly and make right decisions. [1,2] You will be confused all the time. Following are the symptoms and causes for the same:

Symptoms and Causes of Brain Fog

Here are the signs and symptoms of this disorder:

  • People who are suffering from brain fog are not having focus
  • People who are suffering from brain fog are having difficulties with following directions
  • They are having problems with their concentration
  • People who are suffering from brain fog are having problems with their memory and they cannot think clearly
  • Usually they are having problems with orientation. This means that people who are suffering from brain fog can easily be lost in some place.
  • People who are suffering from brain fog are having problems with their thoughts. They cannot think fast; they are having slow motion thinking.
  • When people are suffering from brain fog they are feeling like they are in clouds; they have problems with their memory
  • People who are suffering from brain fog can be easily distracted; they cannot concentrate on their life and work.
  • They are having problems with their memory; they are feeling like they have made many pauses in their thoughts; they cannot talk clearly and cannot think clearly

Causes of brain fog

There are many causes for this disease such as

  • When women are in their period of menopause, then they are having increased chances to get brain fog. [3]
  • People who are suffering from cancer are exposed to chemotherapy. This type of therapy is very negative for people because can cause them a brain fog. [4]
  • As people are growing older they are thinking that losing mental clarity is normal because it comes as they are aging. But in many studies are shown that not always the age is reason for the loss of the mental clarity. [5]
  • Brain fog also can be caused if you use some medications which will result with loss of your memory.
  • Also you can have food allergies, seasonal allergies, dehydration, low blood sugar, not having enough sleep and electrolyte imbalance which can be reason for brain fog. [6]
  • If you are abusing some substances, then they can cause you mentally frazzled effects in your brain.
  • In some cases the real reason for brain fog is coming from serious diseases such as Lyme disease, hormonal imbalance, thyroid conditions, poisoning, depression and fibromyalgia. [7]
  • Lack of sleep: People should get enough sleep because brain will be functioning normal. People who are suffering from sleeping and who are not having quality sleep, then they are having increased chances to get brain fog. Patients are having experienced brain fog in the morning when they are wake and they are walking. In many cases people are trying to beat this disorder with one cup of coffee. In some cases this product has positive effect on the brain. But people who are constantly having problems with their sleeping usually have a fog which stays in their brain for long period. [8]
  • Stress: This situation is reason for many types of serious diseases. It is affecting people on many ways (all of them are negative ways). Also the stress can cause a brain fog. The normal every day stress should not be a reason for brain fog (such as when some person who we have loved have passed). But when people are having brain fog every day, when they are feeling constantly stress, then this can be reason for other serious problem which should be seen by a doctor. This can be a reason for some underlying disease. If you are feeling stress constantly, then you should not doubt to visit your doctor. Not always the coffee can help you. [9]
  • Diabetes: People who are having diabetes are having increased risk to get brain fog. People who are suffering from diabetes are having increased fluctuating glucose levels in the blood which can affect negatively on their health and to result with brain fog. [10]
  • Nutritional deficiencies: When people are having low levels of amino acids. Vitamin B12 and magnesium, then they are having increased chances to get brain fog.

References:

[1] Davis N. ‘Brain fog’: the people struggling to think clearly months after Covid. The Guardian. 2020. Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/09/brain-fog-the-people-struggling-to-think-clearly-months-after-covid

[2] Ocon AJ. Caught in the thickness of brain fog: exploring the cognitive symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Frontiers in Physiology. 2013;4:63.

[3] Gava G, Orsili I, Alvisi S, et al. Cognition, mood and sleep in menopausal transition: The role of menopause hormone therapy. Medicina. 2019;55(10):668.

[4] Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Chemo brain starts during cancer’s progression, not just after chemotherapy. Science Daily. 2017. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171121095143.htm

[5] National Institute on Aging. How the aging brain affects thinking. Retrieved from www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking

[6] Theoharides TC, Stewart JM, Hatziagelaki E, Kolaitis G. Brain “fog,” inflammation and obesity: key aspects of neuropsychiatric disorders improved by luteolin. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2015;9:225.

[7] University of Birmingham. Link between inflammation and mental sluggishness shown in new study. Science Daily. 2019. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191115190337.htm

[8] Walton AG.  Why your brain feels so foggy from sleep deprivation. Forbes. 2017. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/11/07/why-your-brain-feels-so-foggy-from-sleep-deprivation/?sh=5b4c689f26ad

[9] Messinger H. Coping with COVID stress: From pandemic brain fog to building (and studying) resilience. Penn Medicine News. 2020. Retrieved from www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2020/june/coping-with-covid-stress

[10] Park A. How diabetes harms the brain. Time. 2015. Retrieved from time.com/3948705/diabetes-harms-the-brain/

Hanan Marshal
Hanan Marshal
Hanan, a medical student (MBBS) having passion for writing and is very much interested in holistic living along with nature. He is very much interested in doing community service and watches anime and play PS4 during his free time. You can reach him through [email protected]

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