90% of people will have at least one instance in their life where they have trouble concentrating, forget things, or feel mentally drained. This is commonly referred to as “brain fog.” Brain fog is not a medical condition, but of course, brain fog is a symptom that can affect cognition and mental clarity. Temporary brain fog can be cured with rest, but if brain fog becomes frequent and more irritating, it could be a signal of a serious health condition, and could even be a sign of a neurological condition.

Knowing the causes of brain fog and the potential signals that it could be a serious health condition will help you get the early diagnosis you need to move forward with a treatment.

What is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is a common term for the loss of mental clarity. People may feel mentally sluggish, and their thoughts may feel slower than normal. Foggy brain mentality can make the most mundane everyday tasks more frustrating.

Brain fog may develop at any age, and even be triggered by prolonged stress, illness, or sleep deprivation. While brain fog will normally bounce back, it is important not to ignore symptoms that are persistent.

Brain Fog Symptoms

Some common symptoms of brain fog include:

• Concentration becomes difficult
• Forgetting things
• Thinking slowly
• Memory loss
• Poor decisions
• Short attention span
• Mental fatigue
• Losing focus

Brain fog symptoms can decrease quality of life and affect self-esteem and productivity.

What Are the Causes of Brain Fog?

There’s no definitive causation for brain fog, and some causes aren’t even brain-related.

Here are some common causes of brain fog:

• Having poor sleep
• Chronic stress and anxiety
• Clinical depression
• Dehydration
• Having a poor diet
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Side effects from certain medications
• Hormonal changes
• Some viral infections

In many situations, brain fog can be alleviated by improving the affected individual’s quality of lifestyle. Persistent brain fog can be indicative that you need to see your doctor for a more thorough evaluation.

When Brain Fog Becomes a Neurological Concern

On rare occasions, brain fog can be a symptom of certain neurological disorders.

Some of these neurological disorders are:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Having a stroke
• Dementia
• Migraines
• Epilepsy
• Brain injuries of any kind

If the symptoms of your brain fog are accompanied by other symptoms such as weakness, numbness, loss of balance, trouble talking, or changes to your vision, you need to be assessed by a doctor without delay.

Diagnosing Brain Fog

Since brain fog is a symptom of a greater issue, detection of brain fog is mainly for diagnosis of the root cause.

To do this, a neurologist will do or request the following:

• Get a comprehensive patient history.
• Do a complete physical and neurological assessment.
• Do a cognitive and memory assessment.
• Do a blood test to find deficiencies in vitamins, or assess for thyroid disease or infection.
• Request a CT or MRI to rule out a neurological disorder.
• To assess for other significant disorders and treat accordingly.

Treatment of Brain Fog

Treatment is primarily based on the cause of brain fog. If causes are related to lifestyle, poor sleep, stress, and dehydration, evaluation of lifestyle changes can treat brain fog.

Consider the following recommendations:

• Aim for quality sleep of 7-9 hours nightly.
• Consume an appropriate, healthy diet.
• Stay well hydrated every day.
• Stay active and exercise regularly.
• Practice relaxation techniques to help reduce stress levels.
• Limit alcoholic beverages and abstain from smoking.
• Keep yourself mentally active with reading, puzzles, or learning new skills.

Once a neurological condition has been determined, a specific treatment plan will be developed by your neurologist. Continued visits are important to monitor your condition and make any needed changes to your plan.

When to See a Neurologist?

You should see a neurologist for persistent brain fog lasting weeks or returning multiple times and impacting your work, school, or daily activities. A neurologist should also be seen for brain fog with a combination of symptoms such as loss of memory, difficulty speaking, loss of balance, weakness, numbness, and severe headaches. The earlier brain fog and these symptoms can be evaluated, the cause will be discovered, and treatment will improve.

Conclusion

Brain fog is an often temporary condition that can impact memory, focus, and mental clarity. Temporary changes that are temporary and can be caused by stress, sleep, or other changes in daily activities should not be ignored. Brain fog can also be a sign of a new, undiagnosed neurological condition and can benefit from an early and specialist evaluation.

Royal Care Neurosciences provides assessment and specialist care for a range of neurological conditions. Our experienced team of neurologists will help discover the cause of your brain fog and improve affected cognitive skills with evidence-based treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is brain fog disease?

Brain fog is not a disease; it is a symptom. Brain fog can stem from many different lifestyle choices, medical conditions, or symptoms of many different neurological disorders.

2. Could brain fog stem from a neurological disorder?

Yes, brain fog can stem from many different causes. Stress, sleep deprivation, neurological disorders, and many other situations can cause brain fog. Some of the other disorders brain fog can stem from are dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and stroke.

3. When should I go to a doctor for brain fog?

You should go to a physician to discuss brain fog if the brain fog is becoming more consistent and lasting weeks. Also, if the brain fog is accompanied by memory loss, weakness, severe headaches, loss of speech, or balance issues.