Millions of Americans are suffering from what we call brain fog and they often worry that it is dementia. But brain fog is when the brain’s ability to think quickly or to respond to more complex tasks or speed of remembering something is compromised; just like the processor speed of a computer that is running too many applications. Dementia is a general symptom of several diagnoses and only impedes memory. We are going to delve into the most common causes of brain fog and how you can work to make sure your brain is protected and working at its best possible speed.
What are common reasons for brain fog to occur?
Menopause
Reaction to allergen’s – food or seasonal
Hormone shifts
Early Alzheimer’s or Dementia
Extreme Stress
Lack of regular sleep (often due to not getting 6-8hours a night)
Depression and anxiety
Medications
Blood sugar dis-regulation
What are the symptoms?
The definition of brain fog is temporary diminishment of the mental capacity, reasoning and memory. Here are the things you can expect someone to say who has brain fog:
- Repeating the same question because their brain doesn’t actually take the time to wait and listen to the answer
- Trouble remember details of an event or daily life
- Trouble remembering names and even faces
- Getting distracted in the middle of a task and not being able to come back to that previous task to complete it.
What is the difference from brain fog and dementia?
Brain fog effects several areas of the brain such as, conscious reason, confusion, poor spatial awareness (clumsiness), memory and lack of concentration; while dementia only effects the memory part of the brain. Brain fog can be brought on by a lot of different causes such as stress, whereas dementia is most often symptomatic of a more serious disease such as Alzheimer’s.
How do I prevent Brain fog or dementia?
By knowing that brain fog or dementia runs in your family, you can create ways to prevent it from progressing or effecting your life.
- Get regular sleep of 6-8 hours
- Manage your blood sugar by making sure you eat protein with food even snacks
- Get exercise which improves blood flow to the brain and to the body
- Reduce stress
- Remove any vitamin deficiencies
- Learn new things
Once I have dementia or brain fog is there anything I can do?
Even though diminished brain function can’t always be reversed, you can recover significant amounts of ground through correcting imbalances in neurotransmitters, nutrient deficiencies, hormones, digestion and work – stress balance, and here is how:
- Take B- vitamins, especially B6 which is very important in the function of nerves and the brain
- Take nutritional sleep aids if you are having trouble sleeping such as melatonin, phospatidylserine etc. (please always consult a doctor first)
- Detox from either heavy metals or toxins to help the brain function better
- Fix digestion issues since the brain and gut function on an axis that is necessary for them both to work
- Avoid food’s that tend to cause brain inflammation or what we call molecular-mimicry, such as wheat which molecularly looks like the cerebellum and can cause brain fog and other issues
Huperzine and lion’s mane can be very helpful in improving cognitive function by improving neurotransmitter levels. (consult your doctor before use)
Brain exercises can be done through programs like Luminosity.com or taking a class and learning something new to you. Do what you are not good at -for example, an athlete will take an art class or an artist will take a sports class.
Exercise 20 minutes a day to improve blood flow and function of the heart as well as the brain.
Anti-inflammatory supplements and diet can also help if auto-immune disease is present such as fish oil, turmeric, boswellia and gluthione etc.
