What Is Brain Fog? Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Integrative Treatment of Brain Fog for Clear Thinking and Focused Days

If there was one feeling that disrupts workdays, weekends, and the energy to simply live—and affects you, me, and everyone in between—it's brain fog.

Do you often spend hours staring at a blank page, struggling to start?

Does showing up in the office feel like a series of yawns and headaches?

Do you lose the chain of thoughts in conversations and find it difficult to connect the dots?

Whatever the case, brain fog goes beyond feeling tired or having an off day. It is as real as any other medical condition, yet difficult to zero in on and treat. With limited options and only symptomatic treatments available, integrative treatment of brain fog offers multiple natural ways to detect the condition early and treat—not just the symptoms—but you and your thoughts holistically.

What is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is both a colloquial and a scientific umbrella term for different cognitive dysfunctions related to problems with attention, memory, thinking abilities, and language, causing fatigue.

It's connected to, but not the same as, actual thinking ability. Feeling low or tired can make brain fog worse and affect mental performance. Different brain patterns suggest that brain fog can have many causes.

Brain Fog Symptoms—Do You Have It?

Brain fog symptoms often start with too many sluggish days, not feeling up-to-the-mark at work and otherwise. If you experience one or more of the following symptoms on a regular basis, it is best to consult a healthcare practitioner:

• Low energy and fatigue;

• Sluggish days and lethargy;

• Mental fatigue—usually disguised as burnout;

• Lack of focus and concentration at work, in conversations, or on personal goals;

• Losing track of thoughts;

• Short attention spans;

• Forgetfulness: unlike in dementia, the mind-skips of brain fog do not affect the brain structure and can be reversed, irrespective of age;

• Confusion, difficulty understanding concepts, and slow processing of information;

• Chronic headaches.

Brain Fog Causes—What You Need to Know

Thus, brain fog is essentially a symptom of inflammation in the body caused by underlying health conditions, making it difficult to identify specific causes.

If you consider your brain to be a computer, brain fog is a transient issue with the software that slows down your system. The root cause of brain fog is low-grade, chronic inflammation in the body that has multiple contributing factors, such as -

• Chronic stress: Stress, anxiety, and mental tension can eventually impact physical and mental health, contributing to brain fog.  Chronic stress can result in brain exhaustion, mental fatigue, and brain fog. It has long-term effects on cognition, brain function, and mental health, potentially raising the likelihood of depression and other mental health concerns.

• Poor sleep hygiene and quality: Sleeping less may cause a decrease in cognitive capacity with each hour. A lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep, can cause poor concentration, difficulty focusing, memory issues, and confused thinking.

• Poor mental health: Low mood, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety can all increase the likelihood of brain fog. In fact, brain fog is widespread in those with depression.

• Diet and nutritional deficiencies: Vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and flavonoids are all essential for brain function. B vitamins, notably vitamin B12, are critical for brain function and help reverse brain fog.

• Food sensitivities: Food sensitivities and allergies may lead to cognitive problems via increasing inflammation in the brain. We are talking about potential sensitivities to dairy, peanuts, eggs, shellfish, gluten, casein, aspartame, and MSG. You might, however, be sensitive to or allergic to other uncommon foods or components.

• Hormonal imbalances: Hormone levels may affect nervous system interactions and cognitive functions; memory and focus can be impacted by perimenopause, menopause, stress, aging, PMS, menstruation, pregnancy, and other hormonal abnormalities.

• Blood sugar imbalance: Your body uses glucose for energy. However, if your blood sugar levels fluctuate, rise, and drop, you may experience poor focus, memory problems, and other symptoms of brain fog.

• Gut dysbiosis: The gut-brain axis, a bidirectional interaction between the gut and brain, can influence gut microbiome health. Gut dysbiosis, a major cause of brain fog, may impair brain function and mental health, increase the risk of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hormone imbalance, and autoimmune issues.

• Mitochondrial dysfunction: The mitochondria function as the cell's powerhouse. Its health and function influence your energy levels, brain function, and overall well-being.

• Medical conditions: Brain fog can indicate other comorbidities like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other health issues, including headaches, migraines, thyroid issues, histamine intolerance, autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, depression, anemia, and dehydration.

• Medicines: Thyroid medication, long-term benzodiazepine use, sleep aids, and psychiatric medications can increase brain fog risk. Lowering doses or switching medications may improve symptoms.

• Post COVID-19: Brain fog can develop as a long-term symptom of long-hauler syndrome after COVID-19 and post-viral syndrome from other viral infections like flu, pneumonia, and Epstein-Barr Virus, according to a 2022 study.

Can Conventional Brain Fog Treatment Fall Short?

Conventional medications and treatment plans are necessary to reverse brain fog in most cases. However, they traditionally treat symptoms and the underlying disease alone—overlooking YOU as a person.

As a result, despite brain fog treatment, the effects are short-lived, and the condition reverses and continues to relapse. 

Integrative Treatment of Brain Fog—An Alternative Worth Trying

Integrative medicine brings together the best of both worlds—traditional medication and natural therapies to treat brain fog—holistically. Integrative treatment for brain fog focuses on 3 key elements:

• Understanding the root causes of brain fog and the interplay of factors contributing to this disabling condition.

• Building a personalized treatment plan keeps you and your body's needs at the core of the therapy.

• Reduce the dependency on pills and conventional treatments and highlight lifestyle modifications, diet, and physiological processes in the body. 

Testing for Brain Fog With Integrative Medicine

All integrative medicine techniques to reverse brain fog are based on scientific tests and records, such as - 

• Detailed medical history
• A comprehensive understanding of your lifestyle - at work and home.

Lab tests like: 

• Routine blood profile

• Micronutrient testing for nutritional deficiencies.

• DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones): A complete test for a detailed hormone profile is crucial for understanding conditions like adrenal fatigue and sex hormone imbalances, which enable targeted treatments.

• GI-MAP + Zonulin Test to assess gut microbiota, linked to brain health. 

And there are more…to help us understand your body and develop a tailored treatment plan.

Key Integrative Treatments for Brain Fog

Here is an overview of how integrative medicine takes a whole-person approach to treat brain fog:

Gut Health for Brain Fog

The gut-brain axis is a two-way street. The gut microbiome produces signals and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) for the brain and is involved in producing mental health-boosting hormones like dopamine and serotonin. 

Incorporating probiotics and prebiotics into diets can balance the microbiome, support neurotransmitter production, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Increased fiber intake can promote bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids, addressing intestinal permeability and cognitive challenges, highlighting gut health's role in brain function.

Sleep and Brain Fog

Sleep is so much more than rest—it is a brain detox—where the body repairs and regenerates. Poor or disrupted sleep means toxins pile up, and cognitive function suffers.

Whether it's poor sleep hygiene, sleep apnea, or high stress disrupting your rest, addressing sleep quality is crucial in any brain fog recovery plan.

Simple Lifestyle Changes for Brain Fog

Sometimes minor changes in day-to-day lives yield bigger results. This includes:

• Stress reduction ways like meditation, breathing techniques and mindfulness practices.

• Setting screen and digital boundaries.

• Taking frequent breaks and rewinding sessions between work.

• Getting a daily dose of movement—workout sessions, afternoon walks in nature, dancing sessions, etc.—works best.

• Reduce snacking, sugar, refined carbs and anything that disrupts the gut microbiome.

• Staying hydrated.

• Spending time in nature all help reset the nervous system

Nutritional Interventions for Brain Fog

What you eat fuels how you think. Thus, nutritional supplements are critical to clear brain fog. These may include:

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are known to support cognitive functions and upregulate genes that are needed to keep nerves and brain tissues working and flexible. A diet high in whole foods, colorful vegetables, healthy fats, and brain-boosting nutrients like curcumin promotes energy, memory, and concentration.

Functional foods such as turmeric, green tea, and berries may also help to reduce inflammation and improve brain health.

When to Seek Integrative Medicine for Brain Fog

Brain fog can be subtle and get overlooked at times. If you have been having too many ‘off-days,’ don’t feel up for most tasks, and find it challenging to complete tasks with full vigor, then it’s time to take a look within. Our team of healthcare practitioners helps you do just that. 

By integrating natural methods with traditional techniques, integrative treatment for brain fog clears the symptoms by healing you from within. 

If you are looking for a holistic approach that heals more than brain fog—but also your physical and mental health—feel free to connect with us at +1 866 362 4246 or schedule an appointment with us to know more.