It happens to most of us at some point. We have trouble concentrating or remembering things. We do experience memory problem, lack of mental clarity, poor concentration and inability to focus.

Yes, it is something concerning because it is directly related to your brain health.

In general, the condition is called as brain fog. Though brain fog is  not a medical condition itself, but it describes a set of systems related to other health issues that can affect your ability to think and remember. 

Understanding brain fog

Brain fog is a subjective experience of inability to think clearly and feeling disoriented or foggy. A cloudy headed feelings of brain fog can be discomforting and frustrating.

This umbrella term is used for thinking and cognitive difficulties that can make you feel unlike yourself, affect your work and relationships, and leave you feeling destabilized.

Brain fog interfere with daily activities

When you suffer from brain fog, it feels like you are in some kind of haze. You keep forgetting what you were doing in the middle of doing something. You are unable to understand what other people want to communicate and therefore, have to ask him/her to repeat something. You are unable to pay attention and therefore, find it difficult to take in new information or learn or recall information. You feel particularly spaced out due to extreme fatigue or exhaustion.

You can feel confused or disorganized. Your thinking isn’t as clear as it should be or you suddenly can’t remember things. Persistent experience leads to profound and often frightening disruptions to daily living.

No matter how hard you try to concentrate, you’re not able to focus. You start to feel sluggish and loss your ability to multi-task. A foggy state of mind hampers your ability to make decisions or commitment.

Major causes for brain fog are insufficient sleep, psychological stress, anxiety, dehydration, hormonal changes, chemotherapy and underlaying medical conditions.

Now, brain fog is identified as a complication of long-term COVID too. While the vast majority of people suffering from COVID-19 make a full recovery, many of them linger with symptoms of brain fog.

Breaking through brain fog

Despite the scientific understanding of brain fog’s causes, there are no medications currently available to treat it. 

If you take a look at the causes of brain fog, you will notice that to a certain extent, unhealthy lifestyle is responsible for symptoms of brain fog.

Having said that, isn’t it wonderful to make lifestyle modifications to reduce symptoms of brain fog?

This may include things like stress management, getting right amount of sleep, regular exercise, healthy diet enriched with vitamin B-12, enjoying some sunshine, limiting alcohol consumption, nurturing mental health, socialising, taking uninterrupted night sleep for 7-8 hours, getting engage in creative activities, improving your social interaction and doing brain boosting activities such as challenging puzzles.

Seeking professional help

Consult your doctor if you have underlaying medical condition responsible for your brain fog. Depending on the underlaying cause, your doctor may recommend treatment strategy.

If medication is the reason for brain fog, talk to your doctor about lowering the dosages or switching to another drug.

If the signs of brain fog still persists for long, it can impact the quality of your life. It will be better to consult your doctor to know root cause and get proper treatment.

The bottom line is that brain fog is not a sign of laziness. However, addressing the underlaying causes of brain fog can help to improve focus. 

Disclaimer 

Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.