brain fog is not in your head
We have all experienced it. Going through the motions, getting things done while feeling hazy and out of it. Struggling to complete basic tasks and sometimes having difficulty remembering things like names and passwords. There is a medical term for it- brain fog. And there are a lot of different reasons it occurs.
During my time doing intakes for a functional medicine practitioner, I would estimate that 90-95% of patients mentioned “brain fog” as a chronic condition. (In fact, I would remind my co-workers of this when they became frustrated with overwhelmed and confused patients.) I often have brain fog myself, for reasons including inflammation from severe back pain and allergies. As I tell my kids, “I’m in pain, and my pain makes me stupid.” A little harsh, but true.
Brain fog symptoms can include difficulty with short-term memory, slow mental speed, unclear thoughts and trouble with concentration and focus. It has come to light recently as a frequent symptom of long-COVID, which is no surprise given COVID’s association with inflammation. Inflammation hinders the production of neurons, making neural communication difficult and slowing down the brain overall.
What are some other conditions associated with brain fog? Here are some:
Irritable bowel syndrome. While it seems counterintuitive, the gut and brain have a huge connection. The gut bacteria manufacture 95% of your body’s serotonin, and serotonin is vital for mood and overall brain function. If your gut is impaired in any way, you can bet that your brain will be affected.
Leaky gut and food reactions. Why are these two things grouped together? When you have a leaky gut, the junctions in the intestines that are supposed to be tight become loose, and irritants “leak” into the bloodstream. So while someone with a healthy gut may pass questionable foods without incident, those with a leaky gut will feel adverse effects such as fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, and diarrhea or constipation. The leakier your gut, the more food reactions you have. And the foggier you become.
Hormones. Ever hear of “pregnancy brain?” Progesterone and estrogen levels can cause pregnant women to have difficulty with short-term memory. Menopause can have the same effect. Low testosterone causes mental fatigue for both men and women. And thyroid hormones work directly with the brain to regulate energy and metabolism, so hypo-or hyper-thyroid issues can definitely affect cognitive function.
Allergies. This is a big one for me. Histamine produces all kinds of inflammatory reactions in your body, which affects the brain. (This makes more sense than what I used to say, which was that my brain was so full of mucous that I couldn’t think.)
Pain. You may have pain all over or in a specific area, but the result is the same: inflammation. Not to mention, pain is distracting in its own right. And it would make sense that anything that affects the spinal cord/nervous system, such as a herniated disc or arthritis, would affect the brain. I often do “dumb” things out of stubbornness, such as spending hours hunched over weeding my garden, and as a result become “dumb” from the pain. This is a really fun circle, I can promise you.
Insomnia. Who hasn’t struggled mentally after a night of poor sleep? It has been found that a “cleaning” process happens in your brain while you sleep. And, lack of sleep affects the brain cells’ ability to communicate with each other. This one is also a vicious circle, as cognitive struggles can make you desperate for sleep, and the resulting anxiety often leads to more insomnia.
Anxiety, trauma and depression. Anxiety and trauma can promote the “fight or flight” response that puts your body and brain into a different mode. Changes occur in the brain that literally shrinks certain areas and enlarges others. Depression can have the same effect. These changes can obviously interfere with the cognitive process and cause brain fog.
If you have brain fog, it is a good idea to check in with your doctor to try and determine what is generating it. As a functional medicine health coach, I can also help address some of the root causes. Viome testing can help provide insight into the health and integrity of your gut, with the report providing recommendations for dietary adjustments and treatments. An Elimination Diet is a great way to find out exactly what foods are causing an inflammatory reaction in your body, which can also help settle down the stomach.
Certain supplements can also help with inflammation, such as turmeric, ginger, boswellia and quercetin. One of my favorite supplements for inflammation, Inflammatone from Designs for Health, includes all of these. (You can find this for 25% off on Wellevate.)
It is important to know that brain fog stems from a real, physical response and you are NOT losing your mind. Living with it can be difficult, but knowing the cause can help in addressing, and hopefully lessening its effect on your day-to-day life.
