A lot of people feel that their brain is foggy. They are not sure why this happens. Brain fog is similar to the way a room appears after you have been smoking cigarettes. Brain fog often occurs due to certain lifestyle habits or as a result of some medical conditions.
Typical explanations for brain fog that is given by traditional physicians include:
- Brain function depends on good blood flow and oxygenation throughout the brain, which can be disrupted by poor cardiovascular health. This means that heart disease may contribute to brain dysfunction.
- Brain fog can also come from getting older and simply feeling tired because you are doing too many things at once. There is no one single cause for brain fog; rather it results from several sources working together.
- Brain function depends on good blood flow and oxygenation throughout the brain, which can be disrupted by poor cardiovascular health. This means that heart disease may contribute to brain dysfunction.
- Brain fog can also come from getting older and simply feeling tired because you are doing too many things at once. There is no one single cause for brain fog; rather it results from several sources working together.
But, foggy brain feelings may also come as a result of various other factors, such as vitamin deficiencies or chronic stress. Brain fog can also be a symptom of anxiety or depression. If you’re experiencing that your brain is fogged, it’s important to explore other reasons including blood work and potentially brain imaging.
Lets look at some factors that may cause brain fog.
- Poor sleep. Sleep deprivation, especially chronic commonly causes foggy feeling.
- Obesity may cause sleep apnea, which in turn will disturb sleep and cause considerable impairment of brain function.
- Stress. Brain fog is often the result of chronic stress, which may come from work or home life.
- Lack of physical activity can lead to brain fatigue and hamper thinking processes. Allowing your mind time every day to relax will benefit you greatly in reducing that feeling that your brain is not very clear. You need this
- Nutrient deficiencies. Lack of certain vitamins, like vitamin B12 has been linked to poor memory and feeling of fogginess in the brain. Other vitamin deficiencies may contribute too.
- Environmental factors. Heavy metal exposure may commonly cause brain fog. Poor EMF (electromagnetic fields) may disturb sleep and cause the brain fog as well
- Other medical conditions may contribute: Lack of oxygen to the brain may result from conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can cause brain fog as a symptom as well as affect other body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure, leading to poor circulation in general.
- Multiple medications have been linked to brain fog. The most common offenders are antidepressant medications and seizure medications. Pain medications such as narcotics and gabapentin are also commonly associated with this issue.
As you can see from this list, treatment will depend on the cause. More commonly than not, patients have a combination of factors that contribute to brain f og. It is always advised to comprehensively review sleep and stress as a first priority. We have discussed new way of stress and sleep management in the recent post.
Medications and supplements review is also very important. Blood work, checking your vitamin levels, thyroid hormones, inflammatory markers would be a good start - up laboratory tests.
And do not forget to feed your brain. Our brains are mostly fat and protein. Is it reasonable that our diets are low in both fats and proteins? Not really. Sugar-processed foods aren't the brain's favorite meal. Stick to a balanced whole food diet (mostly vegetables, adequate protein, and always good fats). Get enough omega-3 fatty acids (for their anti-inflammatory and pro-brain health properties), a lot of antioxidant rich foods (essential for energy), and boost your body’s natural energy production and regeneration with foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin B.
Ultimately, you can also look at your cellular metabolism, using advance integrative medicine tests.