What Causes Brain Fog and How Can I Treat it?
If your days are made difficult by forgetfulness, mental exhaustion, and a persistent fuzzy feeling in your head, then it’s likely you’ve stumbled across the term ‘brain fog’.
Brain fog symptoms can be stressful and confusing, especially when you aren’t sure what the cause is. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to get rid of brain fog – and we’re here to help you.
In this article, we‘ll look at what brain fog is, what causes it, how you can manage brain fog yourself, and when to see a GP about your brain fog symptoms.
What is brain fog?
Brain fog itself isn’t a medical term. It’s a common phrase used to describe select symptoms that negatively impact your memory, focus, and thinking.
You may experience a fuzzy feeling in your head with brain fog, as though you’re watching yourself go about your day, instead of actually living it yourself. For example, you may forget you already made a cup of tea, or you might find it particularly difficult to pay attention during meetings or conversations.
However, brain fog symptoms can manifest in other ways too, and you might also experience some of the following:
Fatigue: Beyond just a bad night’s sleep, brain fog often leaves a dull and numb feeling.
Forgetfulness: Usually short-term, can be stressful for those with brain fog.
Processing thoughts slower: People with brain fog often report ‘mental blocks’ and listlessness.
Reduced reaction times: Speech might be slower and thought processes take longer.
Feeling confused over simple tasks: This can lead to feelings of mental exhaustion.
Losing your train of thought: Concentration levels can often dwindle when experiencing brain fog.
Getting lost in conversation: This could cause those with brain fog to feel stressed during social encounters.
Struggling to find the right words: This can make people feel powerless in face-to-face situations.
If you notice any of these brain fog symptoms in you or someone you know, then try not to worry, as you might be able to manage it yourself from the comfort of your own home.
What causes brain fog?
Knowing some of the potential brain fog causes can help identify the best approach for managing it.
Brain fog can be a symptom of pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, and it’s often a symptom of neurodivergent conditions like ADHD or autism. Additionally, you may notice you experience brain fog after a particularly long period of illness or following a Covid-19 infection.
Brain fog is also present in some autoimmune disorders such as coeliac disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and depression and anxiety. If you are affected by any of these disorders then it is best to seek ways to manage the symptoms, rather than treat it as its own disorder.
You may also be more likely to experience brain fog if you’re going through – or have previously gone through – any of the situations below:
Consistent lack of sleep: Prolonged sleep deprivation impairs our brain cells’ ability to communicate with each other, which can make it harder for us to retain information. Additionally, our ability to accurately perceive what we see slows down with a lack of sleep, in turn, making our reaction times slower.
Poor mental health: Brain fog is a common side effect of both anxiety and depression, but these mental health conditions can also cause shortness of breath. Levels of CO2 in the blood can increase with shortness of breath, and an excess of this chemical can cause brain fog symptoms, such as a lack of concentration and struggling to follow a train of thought.
Menopause: Brain fog during menopause is just one of its common symptoms, which is the result of hormonal changes, such as oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen is responsible for stimulating the brain, while testosterone helps to strengthen nerves in the brain. As a result, when the level of these two hormones start to decrease, there is a greater chance of brain fog symptoms like struggling to find the right words and getting confused easily.
Lack of nutrition: Not following a healthy and balanced diet to reach your daily calorie count can leave your body lacking the energy it needs, which could lead to brain fog. Additionally, skipping meals can cause your blood pressure to drop, depriving the brain of energy and causing brain fog.
How can I manage brain fog?
While you may be tempted to try to clear brain fog instantly by drinking lots of caffeine, excessive caffeine can actually aggravate brain fog symptoms.
In general, it’s important not to look for a quick solution to brain fog, as managing it effectively involves making considered lifestyle changes. These changes may be easy to implement, but they can take a bit of time to become part of your routine properly.
Keep reading, below, for four ways to get rid of brain fog:
1. Eat a brain-friendly diet
Eating a healthy and balanced diet is a great way to improve your overall health, but did you know that you can help get rid of brain fog by eating brain-friendly foods too?
Foods that are good for brain fog include those high in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the antioxidants found in vitamin A, C, and E. To get more fatty acids, look to eat more foods like salmon, sardines, and walnuts, while cantaloupe and broccoli are great foods for vitamins both A and C. To get more vitamin E, incorporate more spinach and red peppers into your diet.
In fact, spinach, salmon, and walnuts are all good examples of healthy and nutritious superfoods. Foods like these are not only great when coping with brain fog, but they’re also beneficial for energy, your immune system, and overall health as well.
2. Manage stress levels
Excessive stress can impact everything from sleep and appetite to blood pressure and gut health – and it can cause brain fog too.
Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol contain pro-inflammatory substances. When we are left feeling stressed for too long, this can lead to brain fog. And while there isn’t one exact reason why inflammation leads to brain fog, it’s believed to be linked to the effect stress hormones have on blood sugar, insulin production, and heart rate.
To cope with brain fog a little better, try to lower your stress cortisol levels where you can. You can look to do this by practising mindfulness techniques, such as breathing exercises, journalling, and meditation. Staying physically active is another fantastic way to clear up brain fog and de-stress, along with giving you a “feel-good” endorphins boost.
3. Improve sleep hygiene
Most of us are aware of the myriad benefits of regularly getting a good night’s sleep, but continual poor quality sleep could induce brain fog that is difficult to manage.
If you think your brain fog could be caused by poor sleep, then improving your sleep hygiene could help make this first step to alleviating brain fog that much simpler. To do this, try implementing the following steps into your bedtime routine:
Avoid electronic devices: Blue light makes your brain think it’s daytime, and as a result, your body stops releasing the sleep hormone melatonin into your system, which keeps you awake. To remedy this, try to stay away from electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed.
Don’t eat too late: If your body is still digesting when you’re trying to sleep, it can keep you awake. It’s best to eat your final meal earlier in the evening, leaving at least 3 hours for your body to digest properly before you go to bed. Stimulants like alcohol or caffeinated drinks can also affect sleep patterns, so avoid them well in advance of going to bed.
Get a supportive bed: When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, everyone has a different idea of comfort. That’s why it’s important to choose a mattress and pillows that feel the most comfortable for you and offer the best support for how you like to sleep.
4. Stay active during the day
Staying active is good for both the mind and body, with some studies suggesting that exercise actually releases proteins that nourish your brain.
As a result, exercise is a great way to help get rid of brain fog symptoms, such as forgetfulness, losing your train of thought, and the general fuzzy feeling in your head. Even a brisk 10-minute walk can boost your mood, but it’s recommended by the NHS to get a total of at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, through things like yoga, stretching, and jogging.
When to see a GP about brain fog?
While most cases of brain fog are nothing to worry about and can often be treated at home, there are some instances where it may be best to see a GP.
Brain fog can make your day to day tricky, but it shouldn’t make it impossible. If your brain fog symptoms aren’t reducing despite your best efforts, and they are now causing significant impact to your day as a result, then it might be best to see a GP.
As a Benenden Health member, you can get access to 24/7 GP Helpline from day one and book an appointment for a telephone or video consultation with a UK-based GP for you or your immediate family anytime.
Now you know how the brain fog symptoms to look out for and how you can treat it, you might now be looking for more advice around protecting brain health. For tips on being more mindful or improving your mental wellbeing, head over to our Be Healthy blog.
Medically reviewed by Cheryl Lythgoe in September 2024.
