7 Potential Causes of Brain Fog [+Symptoms & Solutions]

Occasionally feeling confused, distracted, or forgetful isn’t a cause for alarm. But when this absent-mindedness starts affecting your life, you may be dealing with a common syndrome of modern times called brain fog.

Much like its name implies, brain fog is vague and manifests itself in various ways. As a result, it can be challenging to recognize and effectively treat.

However, our team of experts delved deeper into the topic and discovered some common symptoms and causes of brain fog, as well as how to minimize its impact on your daily life. In this article, we will review their findings.

Key Takeaways

• Brain fog is a cluster of symptoms that include mental confusion, issues with memory, poor concentration, and cloudiness of the mind.
• The term gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was established that brain fog was one of the symptoms of the virus.
• Common causes of brain fog may be hormonal imbalances, stress, lack of sleep, burnout, and medical and mental conditions.
• You can relieve the symptoms of brain fog by exercising regularly, improving your sleeping schedule, meditating, or eating healthy.

What Is the Meaning of Brain Fog?

What Is the Meaning of Brain Fog?

Brain fog is a vague sense of not being fully mentally present and feeling as if your mental acuity has significantly decreased. Those who suffer from this condition describe it as the cloudiness of the mind, resulting in a lack of focus, forgetfulness, and general confusion.

Although the number of people suffering from brain fog is on the rise, it isn’t recognized as a real medical condition. In fact, medical professionals typically classify it as a symptom of other health concerns, stress, poor sleep, or bad lifestyle habits.

In other words, it’s a syndrome characteristic of modern times that has brought about an ever-increasing pace of life, rising levels of stress, and a prevalence of sleeping disorders.

Brain Fog and COVID-19

The term “brain fog” has existed for a while, but its use skyrocketed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients who had suffered from the virus discovered that their mental acuity never quite returned, even after recovering.

This prompted medical professionals to look into the syndrome and attempt to discover the mechanisms behind it.

In the case of COVID-19, brain fog may be caused by the presence of microglia, an immune cell in the brain that remains active for weeks after the infection. When it’s active, the brain struggles to stay on top of its regular tasks, which results in fogginess and confusion.

Of course, this exact mechanism doesn't apply to all instances of brain fog. In fact, the specifics largely depend on the cause of the condition.

What Causes Brain Fog?

Brain fog can be caused by hormonal changes, lack of sleep, stress, burnout, or various medical and mental conditions. We will examine some of these causes in more detail below.

#1. Hormonal Imbalances

Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone can lead to poor concentration, forgetfulness, and other symptoms of brain fog. As a result, women in menopause, perimenopause, and pregnant women often complain of not being able to think as clearly as before.

However, men aren’t immune to brain fog caused by hormonal imbalances either. Testosterone deficiency is also linked with decreased cognitive function and mental cloudiness.

The good news is that brain fog caused by hormonal imbalances usually clears once hormone levels stabilize, after which cognition returns to normal.

#2. Stress

Although some degree of stress can benefit your cognition, forcing you to work better and think faster, prolonged stress can significantly impact your physical and mental health.

In fact, frequent exposure to stress is recognized as one of the leading causes of cognitive fatigue and brain fog.

You’ve probably noticed it yourself—whenever you’re stressed, you have a harder time thinking, focusing, and making level-headed decisions. Your brain may feel as if it’s overheating and unable to take in any more information without first taking a break.

#3. Lack of Sleep

an image of a person lacking sleep and holding his head up

Studies have shown that patients with insomnia have an increased likelihood of developing dementia compared to the rest of the population. That by itself says enough about the importance of sleep for cognitive development and health.

However, even if we disregard the worst possible scenario, it’s well known that lack of sleep leads to temporarily impaired cognition and brain fog. Consider the last time you didn’t get enough sleep—you likely had a harder time focusing and felt that your brain couldn’t reach its full potential.

#4. Burnout

Burnout is often considered to be similar to stress, especially when it’s work-related. However, there is a difference between these two concepts. Namely, burnout is the state of extreme mental, physical, or emotional exhaustion often caused by prolonged stress.

When you’re burned out, you can’t properly think, focus, or meaningfully engage with your surroundings. Even the activities you’d normally enjoy may feel like a burden, and you might find yourself overwhelmed by hopelessness, frustration, or depression.

Unsurprisingly, this state isn’t particularly conducive to clear thinking. On the contrary, your brain fog may be worse than if you were only stressed.

#5. Medical Conditions

We’ve already mentioned that COVID-19 can cause brain fog, but it’s not the only medical condition that can lead to it. In fact, many other viral, bacterial, and fungal infections can result in mental cloudiness and confusion.

Aside from infections, the following medical conditions can be responsible for brain fog:

• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Migraines
• Hypothyroidism
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Autoimmune diseases

#6. Mental Disorders

Mental disorders can cause you to feel as if you are in a daze, unable to think and speak clearly, and struggling with even the simplest of tasks.

For instance, brain fog frequently accompanies ADHD, which makes it difficult to focus and keep up with daily responsibilities.

However, ADHD isn’t the only mental condition characterized by brain fog—depression and anxiety can be, too. Although brain fog isn’t how these disorders primarily manifest themselves, it can result from excessive worrying, feelings of hopelessness, and mental exhaustion.

Finally, brain fog is a common sign of autism, usually present when people who have it feel overstimulated by their surroundings. In such cases, brain fog may lead to dissociation, difficulty engaging with others, and an inability to adequately express your thoughts.

#7. Medication

an image of medications as a cause of brain fog

If no other causes of brain fog fit your specific situation, take a look inside your medicine cabinet. Many commonly used medicines cause brain fog, but since it’s not a severe symptom, it often flies under the radar.

For instance, pain medication and sleep aids can cause confusion, memory issues, and impaired cognitive function. As a result, you should avoid taking them without a prescription and let your doctor know if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms. Then, they can adjust the dose or switch the medication accordingly.

As mentioned before, depression can cause brain fog, but so can medication used to treat it. Many antidepressants are linked with impaired cognitive function, so it’s important to work with your doctor to find what kind suits you.

5 Brain Fog Symptoms

Brain fog symptoms tend to be vague and slightly different from one individual to another, which is why the syndrome may be somewhat difficult to recognize. However, they commonly include confusion, poor concentration, difficulties memorizing, and mental fatigue.

The following five symptoms will clarify what brain fog feels like and help you recognize it when you experience it.

#1. Confusion

an image holding his head confused from what causes brain fog

Brain fog is often described as a vague sense of confusion, which may impact your daily life by reducing your efficiency and impairing your ability to think and communicate clearly.

Although it’s difficult to precisely define what this confusion entails, those who suffer from brain fog often report feeling lost, disoriented, and finding it difficult to turn thoughts into words.

As a result, you may experience frustration, irritability, and mood swings, especially once this confusion becomes noticeable and starts affecting various areas of your life.

#2. Memory Problems

If you notice you’ve become more forgetful than usual, often losing your belongings or needing constant reminders to complete specific tasks, brain fog may be to blame.

Generally speaking, being occasionally forgetful isn’t a big deal. But if it starts happening to such a degree that it negatively impacts your life or affects those around you, it’s worth looking into it and discovering what’s causing these memory lapses.

#3. Poor Concentration

Poor concentration doesn’t necessarily indicate something is wrong; it can just as easily mean that the tasks you’re focusing on aren’t particularly stimulating. Sometimes, there’s no particular cause either—just one of those days when everything seems to distract you.

But if such days turn into weeks, the issue may be deeper than you think. Difficulties focusing on your tasks, conversations with people, and things you normally enjoy doing could be a symptom of brain fog and underlying conditions that may be causing it.

#4. Trancelike State

Brain fog may make you feel like you’re in a trance or a dream, going about your day with slightly decreased awareness. Although you won’t be entirely oblivious to what’s happening around you, you might find it impossible to take note of the details or clearly remember conversations.

In addition, you’ll be much more likely to set out to accomplish a specific task only to realize you forgot what it was. Similarly, you’ll keep forgetting what you were about to say and display many other signs of uncharacteristic absent-mindedness.

#5. Fatigue

an image of a person covering his eyes from fatigue

Fatigue, which can be physical, mental, or a combination of the two, frequently goes hand in hand with brain fog. Overall, you’ll feel a persistent sense of tiredness, a constant need for sleep that can never be satisfied, and an inability to take in new information or effectively process your surroundings.

As a result, you’ll be prone to irritability, mood swings, withdrawal from social interactions, and depression. If this state lasts longer, it can seriously affect your life and mental health.

The 5 Best Ways to Treat Brain Fog

The best way to treat brain fog is to try to identify its cause first. After all, an appropriate brain fog treatment largely depends on the underlying conditions that may be responsible for your impaired cognition.

However, if you can’t define the exact cause, you could try treating the symptom first.

Here are a few methods to help you clear brain fog:

• Fix your sleep schedule. It may be easier said than done, but getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night can do wonders for your cognition and mental health. Avoid caffeine before bed and develop a healthy nighttime routine for the best results.
• Exercise. Not only is exercise great for your body, but it also gives your brain the necessary boost. As your heart rate increases, it pumps blood faster, increasing circulation and bringing more oxygen to your brain. As a result, your mind will feel sharper and more focused.
• Try meditation. Take fifteen minutes every day to breathe and reconnect with yourself, away from all stress and responsibilities.
• Visit a mental health professional. If you suspect that your brain fog is caused by anxiety, ADHD, or other mental disorders, consult a professional. They can advise you on how to proceed with treatment and prescribe medication to help with brain fog, if necessary.
• Improve your diet. Keep an eye on your vitamin intake and avoid refined sugar—it leads to severely fluctuating glucose levels, which may result in brain fog and mental confusion. The healthier you eat, the better your cognition!

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Final Thoughts

Since there are no official tests for brain fog or guidelines for its treatment, this condition can be difficult to spot and deal with. In fact, some have been dealing with it for years before realizing that something is wrong.

So, remember to keep an eye on your cognitive and mental health and prioritize those needs. That’s the only way to preserve your mental agility and acuity for many years to come.