The covid-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all aspects of human lives. The impact of Covid-19 on a person’s health might not necessarily go away with the end of the disease. Even after the patients recover from the disease, they are still haunted by some associated symptoms. These effects include chronic fatigue, dizziness, disrupted heartbeat, and brain fog.
What is brain fog?
Brain fog is basically the term used to describe a lack of focus and scattered thoughts in your brain. It is basically like your brain shutting down in the middle of something and the absence of sharp thoughts in your mind. Or it feels like your nerve tissues have been replaced by cotton candy. I can relate to a similar incident, I was visiting a thyroid specialist in Peshawar and was also diagnosed with brain fog.
Causes of brain fog
Brain fog is not a medical term but can interfere with a person’s ability to focus, cause mental fatigue and forgetfulness. Several things can cause brain fog including
- Nutritional deficiency or lack of particular nutrient in your food
- Bacterial growth
- An underlying medical condition such as thyroid disease
- Overeating
- Lack of physical activity
- Disrupt sleep schedule
- Chronic stress or depression
How to live with brain fog?
The next question that must be occupying your mind must be that is it possible to live with brain fog? So the answer is yes! You can definitely manage the brain fog. However, there are certain practices that can help to better live with brain fog. Some of these practices include:
1- Physical activity
One of the first things you can try to manage brain fog is practicing some workout. Physical activities are known to improve the attention span of your brain. Moreover, physical activity increases the release of hormones that can help to boost your mood and result in better memory. Any kind of physical activity that makes you feel better can help to rejuvenate your brain.
2- Improve your sleep pattern
One of the most common mistakes people make is to disturb their sleep schedule to complete a task in time or under work pressure. No matter what your circumstances are, the disturbance of your sleep schedule directly affects the cognitive ability of your brain. It is also important to note that sleeping is as dangerous as oversleeping. So, another effective way to deal with brain fog is to improve your sleep schedule.
3- Work on your diet
As mentioned earlier, overeating or eating nutritionally inadequate food can result in brain fog. To improve the situation you need to monitor what you are putting inside your body. If you are overeating that is affecting the working of your brain you should give your body a break. You can try intermittent fasting for some time that can help to improve your brain’s function. You can consult a dietician to help you to stop overeating.
I remember my uncle was getting treated at the northwest general hospital in Peshawar, for some hormonal issue and his dietician recommended, he take at least a 5 hours break between two consecutive meals.
4- Work on your brain’s food
The major food component of our diet is usually carbohydrates. However, it is important to notice that protein and fats are what our brain needs to function properly. So you can try limiting your carb intake and adding healthy nutrition elements to your food. These include
- Anti-inflammatory products
- Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acid
- Antioxidants rich foods
- Essential vitamins and minerals
5- Consult a physician
If your symptoms don’t go away with the passage of time or you experience an extended period it is advisable to go and visit a physician that can help you with an assessment of the root cause and can ultimately figure out the workable solution for you.
6- Stress management
Stress is your biggest enemy for obvious reasons. Other than disturbing your mental and emotional health, stress also has a biological effect. It can result in brain fog and can affect your brain’s performance.
In order to get rid of brain fog you can try;
- Identify the potential cause of your stress
- Try stress relievers or any other stress management therapy
- If you are unable to do it on your own, seek out help from a mental health expert.
7- Keep yourself hydrated
Water is one of the major components of your brain. Water deficiency can result. So, drinking enough water can also help to prevent.
Conclusion
Brian fog is not a disease or disorder itself but it can significantly interfere with your routine activities. Brain fog can be a side effect of some other disease condition. No medical treatment for exists however you can manage disease causes to get a fog-free life.