Are you feeling tired and can’t focus? When you feel anxious, tired all the time, and unable to concentrate, forgetting important life details, you may have something referred to as brain fog. And it may be difficult to figure out the root cause.
Do you want to get enough knowledge about brain fog and other associated illnesses? Keep reading this article till the end.
What is Brain Fog?
Brain fog can be caused by multiple health conditions comprising of both physical illnesses and mental health problems. Brain fog is typically a secondary symptom of something more complex. Depending on the type of doctor you visit, they may have different ideas on the cause of brain fog. In the psychiatry industry inability to focus is most commonly linked to stress, depression, and brain fog in ADHD or attention deficit disorder. If you cannot cover your daily life activities due to brain fog for days or weeks at a time, you should consult your doctor.
Brain fog may result in:
- Unable to complete everyday activities on time.
- Easily Distracted
- Feeling overly tired after small efforts.
- Needing extra time to complete work.
What are some symptoms?
Brain fog is a symptom itself. Brain fog or symptoms can be different in different people and range from general to specific. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Feeling confused.
- Inability to focus
- Fatigue and pain
- Distractions and troubles.
- Unable to solve simple problems.
- Forgetting your tasks, what to do.
- Troubles in thought and activities.
Can ADHD cause brain fog?
Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD is known to be one of the most treatable conditions when properly identified. Classic symptoms of ADHD include inability to focus, inattention, difficulty retaining written information, poor drive or motivation. Untreated ADHD can have significant functional impairments which should be properly evaluated. The problematic repercussions of poorly managed symptoms include increased risk of substance abuse, flunking out of college/poor performance at work, missing deadlines, racing thoughts, reckless driving, impulsive behavior, among others. If you feel like you have brain fog and also symptoms listed above, you may be a candidate for ADHD treatment.
Curious? Take our free screening tool for ADHD here.
Can anxiety cause Brain fog?
Having anxiety actually expends quite a bit of energy. Those with consistently elevated anxiety are subject to increased risk of numerous negative health problems. Elevated anxiety causes the stress hormone cortisol to raise which have further metabolic consequences that are hard on the body.
How do you test for brain fog?
Brain fog is a vague symptom which can be associated with either mental or physical causes. A single test is not enough to diagnose brain fog, but rather your doctor may run some routine blood panels to check if everything is running smoothly and perform an examination. Your physician may ask you to determine your inability to focus:
- Mental health
- Level of physical exercise
- Sleep patterns
- Weight
- Alcohol intake
- Usage of medications and supplements.
- Diet etc.
Your doctor may choose to run some basic labs to test your general health. Common labs for brain fog include:
- Liver and kidney condition.
- Inflammatory disorders.
- Infections etc.
- Nutritional defects.
Based on these, a physician lets you know about the whole scenario and tells you either you have brain fog or not.
How long does Brain fog last?
If you got brain fog due to covid-19, there is no specific time for recovery after getting recovery from covid, but some scientists say that brain fog may last weeks or months.
How is Brain Fog treated?
As we know brain fog is not a medical diagnosis but a symptom, so no one can treat it exclusively. Managing your anxiety, stress, tension, and depression may treat brain fog.
Some treatments are:
- Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, and stimulants for ADHD work a lot.
- Talk to your psychologist about the problems that give you stress and anxiety.
- Explore deep breathing exercises, meditation and grounding, and exercise.
What are some tips for Brain Fog?
Social care and some other tips may help:
- Join support groups.
- Evaluate your time management for improvements
- Proper sleep and setting time to relax.
- Drink enough water.
- Eat a proper and well-balanced diet with limited sugars (bread counts)
- Adjustments at work or school etc.
Brain Fog and Covid-19
Brain fog can be caused after covid-19 infection because coronavirus enters your cells by angiotensin-converting enzyme (2) receptor (Graham et al., 2021). Coronavirus enters your brain tissues and damages them by causing encephalopathy, which may lead to brain disorders and cause brain fog. The term “long-hauler” is a person experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 for over 3 months in duration – brain fog is a common symptom (Graham et al., 2021).
The psychological effects of lockdowns of lockdowns are still to be seen. It is possible brain fog anxiety may have been linked to social events recently transpired.
The Bottom Line
Brain Fog is a stressful and alarming condition for the person who is suffering. The first step if possible is to identify the underlying cause or causes and work toward a happier and healthier life. Some medications and psychological treatments help if your inability to focus is linked to anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, or other psychiatric conditions.
If you suffer from brain fog, it can be frustrating to find the right treatment. New Age Psychiatry will help get your memory and attention back on track with a customized brain fog treatment plan that is just right for you! Call today to schedule your appointment at (877) 769-5206 or book online now!
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