Brain fog may mean you feel forgetful, find it hard to concentrate or communicate, experience mental fuzziness, or live with persistent mental fatigue. Causes of brain fog may include chronic conditions, exhaustion, or lifestyle choices.
Brain fog affects your ability to think clearly. It isn’t a medical condition but may be a temporary or recurrent symptom of one.
Brain fog may refer to challenges in:
information recall or learning
concentration and focus
communication
task performance
mental energy levels
“Brain fog” isn’t a formal medical term. Some people may use it to describe the difficulties mentioned above or any other cognitive concerns.
What does brain fog feel like?
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Everyone will experience brain fog differently depending on the cause. Research from 2022 suggests that people may use brain fog to describe symptoms like:
Forgetfulness: For example, this may occur when you can’t recall someone’s name or can’t remember who told you something.
Difficulty concentrating: This may be when you are reading and feel you don’t understand or can’t take anything in.
Feelings of disassociation: This is when you feel disconnected from your thoughts, memories, feelings, or identity — for example, when you are out with friends and feel as though you are watching the scene from outside of your body.
Mental “slowness”: When you find that mental tasks that were easy for you now require lots of effort — for example, if you are trying to solve a problem at work and it takes you longer than it usually did.
Trouble communicating: This may be when you forget words or may have a difficult time forming a sentence or expressing an idea.
Mental fuzziness: For example, this may occur when you are trying to watch a movie but cannot follow the plot.
Mental pressure: This is when you feel overwhelmed by the simplest tasks — for example, you have a deadline coming up at work and feel overwhelmed with everything you have to do.
Fatigue: You have an important task but just can’t seem to find any motivation to work on it or feel exhausted when doing it.
Brain fog usually involves feeling like something has changed with your mental ability. Experiencing one or more of these symptoms may be a new experience for you, and they may last a few hours or persist over a long period of time.
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Causes of brain fog may range from not getting enough sleep to being overworked or developing health challenges. Sometimes, it may be difficult to identify the cause of brain fog and your doctor may recommend a variety of lab tests.
Some common causes may include:
Lifestyle choices
Research from 2021 suggests that brain fog may be more likely with certain lifestyle choices. For example:
Not getting enough sleep:Experts highlight that not getting at least 7–9 hours of quality sleep each day may lead to cognitive concerns.
Unbalanced nutrition:Research from 2022 indicates that the food you eat can affect how your brain works. Eating a nutrient-dense diet may reduce your chances of experiencing brain fog.
Certain medications: Brain fog may be a side effect of some medications. If you experience brain fog shortly after starting a pharmaceutical treatment, let your healthcare professional know.
Alcohol consumption:Research from 2019 suggests that drinking alcohol regularly and in high quantities may affect your ability to think clearly.
Chronic inflammation
Brain fog may be a result of inflammation in the brain and the rest of the body.
A 2022 study found that brain fog was common among people who had COVID-19. When they looked closer, they found that these people had high levels of inflammatory compounds in their blood and more fluid around the brain and spine compared with those who had not had COVID-19.
Another study from 2019 found that high inflammation markers in the body usually correlate with a lower ability to think. Decreasing chronic inflammation may improve mental clarity.
Physical conditions
A range of medical conditions have been linked to brain fog. Conditions that could trigger brain fog as a temporary or persistent symptom may include:
Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are associated with higher chances of experiencing brain fog. Chronic stress and burnout also cause brain fog in some people.
Medical treatments
Pharmaceutical and medical treatments and procedures, like chemotherapy, may lead to brain fog. Some medications may also change your brain’s chemistry and lead to mental fuzziness.
Hormonal changes
Research from 2018 suggests that hormonal changes may affect your ability to recall information, learn new things, solve problems, and focus on specific tasks.
For example, brain fog may temporarily happen during pregnancy and menopause for some people.
Is brain fog permanent?
How long brain fog lasts will depend on what causes it. You may experience temporary brain fog if it is a result of sleeping a few hours or drinking alcohol. If brain fog is a symptom of a chronic mental health condition, it is likely that you will experience it until the root cause is addressed.
Some experts suggest that COVID-19 causes long-term changes to your brain cells, and this may cause persistent and prolonged brain fog in some people. Research is limited regarding how long the symptom remains after the virus infection is resolved.
How is brain fog treated?
No treatment is available for brain fog specifically. Managing signs of brain fog typically requires addressing the underlying causes.
As there are so many causes of brain fog, the treatment will vary greatly:
Mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression: Treatment may involve talk therapy and medications, such as antidepressants like sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), and venlafaxine (Effexor XR).
Other medical conditions: The treatment will vary according to the condition. For example, iron supplements may be recommended for anemia or levothyroxine (Levoxyl) for hypothyroidism.
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What lifestyle changes may help?
Whether you know the cause of brain fog or not, experts suggest lifestyle changes could help you improve cognitive functions.
These changes may include:
taking regular breaks from work tasks
practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation
getting 7–9 hours of sleep every day
limiting processed foods and added sugar
eating fruits and vegetables
getting regular physical activity
limiting alcohol
Summary
Brain fog describes a range of cognitive challenges like poor memory and difficulty focusing on tasks. Brain fog may make you feel mentally fuzzy, forget things, or find it hard to communicate clearly.
Causes of brain fog may include chronic stress, medical conditions, or medication side effects.
Addressing the root cause of brain fog may be the most effective way of managing related symptoms.
