What is brain fog?
Have you ever felt like you’ve had difficulty concentrating? Now, of course, we can have difficulty focusing once in a while — especially in environments where we’re surrounded by distractions.
This inability to focus is a little different. It’s a state where you’re feeling a lack of mental clarity, where you’re unable to concentrate, and possibly even having trouble remembering things that typically take little thought to recall.
This type of mental fatigue is commonly referred to as brain fog. For some, brain fog is just an occasional disruption in an otherwise normal and clear state of mind. But for others, brain fog can be so profound that it begins to impede your ability to perform in situations that require your mental fitness, like at school, at work, or even in athletics.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, brain fog is described as “slow thinking, difficulty focusing, confusion, lack of concentration, forgetfulness, or a haziness in thought processes.”
Is brain fog a disease or a disorder?
No, brain fog is not a disease or disorder in and of itself, but it is typically an indicator of other medical conditions that can cause cognitive disruptions.
Surprisingly, there are a number of different health challenges that contribute to a person’s experience with brain fog.
What causes brain fog?
Though the sources of a person’s experience with brain fog are usually unique to the individual, some causes are more common than others. Contributing factors to brain fog include:
Poor sleep habits
It’s probably no surprise that a lack of sleep can lead to health issues. Many of us form unhealthy sleep habits in our early years, and maintain those patterns as we age.
On average, we should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Experts also recommend that avoiding electronic devices before bedtime, limiting our caffeine intake, and regular exercise can lead to better sleep, which in turn can help with our brain fog experiences.
Dietary issues
In the past several years, we’ve learned a great deal about how diet can affect just about every aspect of our lives, including brain fog.
Recent research has shown that food intolerance to things like artificial sweeteners and dairy can lead to brain fog, as well as deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin B12, can leave us feeling cloudy and off our game.
Maintaining a well-balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals and avoidant of processed foods can help maintain the clarity you need to tackle the day, brain-fog-free.
Stress
Is there any negative condition that stress doesn’t contribute to? Depression, weakened immunity, and perhaps most-related to brain fog, chronic stress can lead to an atrophy of brain mass, affecting our ability to remember and maintain cognitive functions.
Though there are a variety of ways in which we can reduce stress in our lives, some of the most common are exercise, meditation, and maintaining close contact with family and friends.
Brain fog isn’t limited to these conditions, however. Changes in hormones (like estrogen and progesterone), the side effects of certain prescription medications, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, migraine headaches, anemia, autoimmune conditions, and even viral infections like COVID-19 can lead to brain fog.
With so many health conditions and other factors leading to brain fog, one could easily believe that such disruptive experiences are unavoidable, but the professionals at 10X Health Systems are happy to tell you that there are things you can do to combat brain fog and lead a healthier, happier life.
How can I treat my brain fog?
Studies show that people who undergo Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) tend to showcase an increase in gray matter volume than those who do not.
Why is gray matter volume important? Because gray matter represents a space in the brain where neurons are present, enabling the processing and distribution of information throughout the body.
This gray matter and the neurons contained therein affect everything, including our ability to move, our emotions, and even our memories.
Where can I get Hormone Replacement Therapy for Brain Fog?
10X Health System has HRT specialists on staff who can help you better understand the state of your health, and what treatments to recommend to combat your feelings of brain health for optimal performance and state of mind, whether you’re in the classroom, the boardroom, or wanting to be more present with friends and family in social situations.
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Are you ready to finally emerge from the fog and live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life? Learn how Hormone Replacement Therapy can be the key to all of this and more by contacting 10X Health System to book your personalized appointment!
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34732544/
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/brain-fog-symptoms-causes-treatments
