What is brain fog and how do you get rid of it?

“Brain fog” is a loose and familiar term when you are feeling dizzy and mentally deficient.

The term is used extensively in the medical research literature where it is used to capture experiences of cognitive (i.e. mental) difficulties described by various patient groups, from people with chronic fatigue syndrome to patients undergoing chronic fatigue syndrome. chemotherapy (for which it is sometimes nicknamed ‘) to women going through menopause.

Recently, as you have probably heard, COVID-19 has also been accused of causing brain fog, including in the context of a long COVID after the initial infection subsided.

So if you’ve ever felt your head heavy, like you couldn’t concentrate – maybe you’ve been forgetful and accident prone too – then maybe you’ve experienced brain fog.

What causes brain fog?

Because “brain fog” is a catch-all term, it follows that there can be countless possible causes. For example, there is speculation that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 could reach the brain and directly interfere with brain function.

Likewise, there is provisional evidence that drugs used in chemotherapy could also have a direct harmful physical effect on the brain, thus contributing to brain fog. To take the context of menopause, it’s possible that hormonal changes directly affect brain function.

However, in all of these and other contexts, it is also possible that there are emotional and social contributors to brain fog. For example, it is telling that many people who were not infected with the coronavirus nonetheless reported feeling more tired and distracted than usual during the pandemic, possibly due to stress and the demands of containment and home work.

Likewise, one of the main causes of chemobrain is thought to be stress related to disease management and treatment. When it comes to menopause as well, there could be indirect contributors to brain fog, such as the effects of poor sleep or the general stress of going through a difficult phase of life.

In some situations, such as during pregnancy, the causes of brain fog might even be the mere expectation of mental retardation, fueled by popular beliefs, rather than the existence of a direct underlying harmful effect of pregnancy on. the brain, or even an objective impairment of cognitive function. In this sense, brain fog can be caused by a nocebo effect (a negative placebo effect).

Learn more about how the brain works:

How to get rid of brain fog

When the causes of brain fog are due to direct and physically harmful influences on the brain, some of the most effective ways to deal with it will be compensatory, such as using digital reminders to help support your memory, or by using more than normal lists and other planning aids.

If you think your brain fog may have more psychological or circumstantial causes – you may be feeling chronically overloaded with having to juggle work and parenting responsibilities, for example – it may help to go the extra mile to impose structure. to your life, so you’re not constantly multitasking. Focusing on one challenge or one responsibility at a time will help dispel the fog.

Likewise, basic lifestyle changes can improve your mental alertness, such as avoiding too much alcohol and fast food; practice good sleep hygiene (try to establish a regular bedtime routine and avoid working out or drinking caffeine too late at night); and set aside enough time to relax and unwind – even a quick nap can help clear your mind.

Typically, when we are in a better mood, our mental performance tends to improve, in part because we feel more energetic and motivated. One implication of this is that anything you can do to improve your mood is likely to have beneficial effects on your mental alertness, from meeting a friend for a conversation to a country walk.

Indeed, exercise is a well-known mood booster – aim for moderate intensity which is fun but not too strenuous. Running, in particular, is a fantastic way to optimize your mental function and clear the fog. Martial artists also show increased cognitive function compared to witnesses.

Find out what works for you, but any activity that you enjoy that gets your heart pounding is likely to help you eliminate that fuzzy-headed feeling.

Learn more about the brain: