What’s that word again? Where did I put my phone? Who was I supposed to call? Why am I in this room? Am I losing my mind?
The answer to the last question is: Yes and no. Your mind is still there. It’s just filled with fog. Brain fog!
Yes, brain fog exists. No, it is not the same thing as dementia or Alzheimer’s. It’s typically a temporary condition that can be treated. So, let’s cut to solutions- before you forget what you’re reading!
What Has Invaded My Brian?
“Brain fog” isn’t technically a medical condition. It’s a term that describes certain symptoms that can affect your ability to think and your short-term memory. If you’ve got it, you already know the symptoms.
Common symptoms of brain fog include:
- You’ve got memory issues.
- You can’t focus or concentrate.
- Processing information is a b*****.
- Problem-solving? Forgetta ’bout it.
- You have mental fatigue, feel confused, or are disoriented a lot.
- Your calculation skills have gone to crap.
- Visual and spatial skills? What visual and spatial skills?
- Trouble finding…what’s that word? Oh, words.
How Did This Happen?
It may have snuck up on you over time, or it may seem like your brain broke overnight. Either way, there are a number of reasons that you may be struggling with brain fog. We’re going to focus on three here:
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
- Oh yeah, hormone imbalance. (What isn’t caused by hormone imbalance???)
Sleep
Again? How many times do you have to hear that sleep is your problem? Despite what our 24-hour work culture wants us to believe, it turns out that sleep is actually crucial to your survival. If you don’t get enough of it, your human growth hormones get out of whack, which can cause major problems. Not to mention that little to no sleep affects your brain, causing you to feel foggy and have difficulty concentrating and all the other brain fog symptoms.
7 to 9 hours of sleep per night is your goal. Avoid caffeine and alcohol after lunch. Keep the computer and smartphone out of your bedroom.
Use that discipline that you use in the gym or at work to get to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If that doesn’t work, you may need an assist to get your sleep regulated.
Stress
Are you tired of hearing about how stress can kick your a**? Well, then it might be time to address the stress problem. Constant stress will kick your cortisol levels up- that’s why it got its nickname: “Stress Hormone.”
Cortisol can wreak havoc on your cognitive abilities. Cortisol, dopamine, and serotonin can get into a dance party that’s bad news causing you to feel sluggish, sad and remain in a whirling dervish of emotional upheaval. This naturally leads us to the next cause of brain fog.
Brain Fog and Hormones
Pregnancy or menstrual cycles are connected to a hormone imbalance and can cause memory loss and inability to focus. Your hormones regulate pretty much everything, and when one gets out of balance, the rest follow. It’s like a domino effect that can’t be stopped until you know what’s going on. A mild hormonal imbalance may not show any symptoms at first, but it will.
Hormones like to work in teams. A team of hormones works together to keep your mind clear, and if one of the players isn’t holding up its end of the deal, then in comes the brain fog.
If you leave the underlying cause untreated, this can lead to anxiety and depression.
What Hormones Are We Talking About?
If you’re constantly in the stress cycle, you probably have a cortisol imbalance. High cortisol levels can affect your dopamine and serotonin levels. If you’ve got the fog and you’ve been dealing with stress lately, then you’re going to want to get your cortisol level tested. If they are high, you’ll need to get treatment.
An imbalance in Thyroid levels can also cause brain fog. You can get a thyroid test to check the levels and get hormone optimization treatment to restore them to healthy levels.
Then, of course, we have the sex hormones. Optimizing testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen levels have been shown to clear the fog. These hormone levels can also be tested, and if you have low levels of any of them, they can be optimized using hormone optimization treatments.
Evidence that DHEA, pregnenolone, and vitamin D has also come up that suggests that these hormones also have a role to play in central nervous system processing and can cause symptoms of brain fog.
Getting Out of the Fog
You can get your brain back! The underlying cause determines the treatment. But often, treatment for brain fog requires a multi-faceted approach, especially if stress is the problem. A combination of supplements, lifestyle changes, and hormone optimization is your best bet to maintain your mental clarity.
I Forgot, What Is Hormone Optimization?
You may have heard it called “Hormone Replacement Therapy,” except there is one key difference. With hormone optimization, you aren’t just replacing hormones. You are optimizing them for the best results. If lab tests show that your hormones are below their optimal threshold, then you can have those very same hormones added to your body via injections, pellets, creams, etc.
The great thing about hormone optimization is that it may also relieve symptoms connected to other health issues that you may have been ignoring or putting up with, like:
- Sexual disfunction
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Unexplained weight gain
- Muscle loss
Brain Fog Is Thick and Hard to Navigate. Need a Hand to Find Your Way Out?
While you’re struggling to make it through the fog, the best thing to do is keep things as simple as possible. That’s why we set up Elite Health Online the way we did.
We wanted to make it as simple as possible for you to get the best quality hormone optimization as quickly and easily as it can be delivered. Contact us for a free 15-minute phone consultation today, and we’ll take care of the rest
