How oftendoes it happen that you forget what you wanted to pick from another room? Mugdha Pradhan tells us why it happens and more
Have you ever had a time where you frantically look for something, only to find that you were holding it in your hand all along, or maybe you wear glasses on the top of your head and yet search for them all over the place? Sometimes you might go from one room to another to do something, and when you actually reach that other room, you completely forget why you entered the other room.
These are not just random occurrences, and there is actually a term for it. It's called brain fog, a symptom that clouds your judgment and affects your short-term memory. People often think that this is a sign of aging; however, it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your age.
Symptoms
Trouble remembering information or inability to focus or concentrate are some of the symptoms of brain fog. You might feel disoriented or confused. Sometimes you might forget a particular word that is utterly common in your language, but you’re seemingly unable to recollect.
Deficiencies: These symptoms can be attributed to something as basic as B complex, magnesium, Vitamin D, or omega-3 deficiencies. Hypothyroidism, under-functioning of thyroid, or underactive thyroid can also cause brain fog. Of course, it can also be triggered due to something as common as lack of sleep on a particular day or if you're someone who has been chronically under sleeping and not getting essential seven to eight hours of good quality sleep.
Infections: We've seen this with long COVID or other kinds of infection like H Pylori infections. Residence of any type of infection in your body can cause your brain to not function, as all your body’s optimal level of energy and all the crucial resources are going into fighting the persistent infection. Thinking and Phonetic Skills are put on the back burner at that time.
Stress & Medications: Long term stress like chronic, mental or emotional stress can trigger brain fog. Some medications, especially anti-allergy meds, antihistamines, antidepressants, and a lot of over-the-counter medicines taken to cure fever and flu, can cause brain fog. Even prescription medicines given for treating blood pressure can initiate brain fog symptoms. A lot of people already know this; heavy alcohol consumption, even on a single day, can trigger brain fog, known as a hangover.
Reversing it
Well, first, of course, find the root cause. Based on what you find, start countering that root cause which will ultimately help to get rid of Brain Fog.
You can also overcome this by making a lot of changes to your diet like eliminating seed oil, sugar, processed food, and junk food. Just stick to good quality proteins like eggs, meat products, and foods like oats and honey. Anything that would help bring down the inflammation incurred by the food you generally consume would be beneficial and help in removing brain fog.
The writer is Functional Nutritionist, CEO and Founder of iThrive