No one likes being forgetful. But sometimes, you just can’t help it. You can’t think of the right word during conversations. You forget why you walked into a room or what time your doctor’s appointment is. You may even have difficulty remembering your phone number on the spot.
If any of these happen to you, chances are you’re struggling with “brain fog.” It’s an all-too-common problem, particularly in women going through perimenopause and menopause.
From misplacing your keys to struggling to determine your restaurant tip without a calculator, brain fog can make everyday life more of a challenge. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to regain your mental clarity and fight back against cognitive fatigue.
In this blog, we’ll explore what brain fog is, how it’s related to menopause, and what you can do to keep your brain sharp.
What Is Brain Fog?
Brain fog, or mild cognitive impairment, is when your ability to think clearly, concentrate, remember, and focus is impaired. The symptoms can feel similar to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, but in this case, they aren’t a result of damage to healthy cells in the brain.
When you’re struggling with brain fog, your mind feels cloudy. Everyday tasks that require thinking—from solving simple puzzles to recalling memories—suddenly become more of a challenge. This can impact your ability to hold a conversation, follow instructions at work, or stay on top of home and car maintenance.
Symptoms that you’re experiencing brain fog can include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling forgetful or confused
- Mental exhaustion or fatigue
- Losing your train of thought
- A slowed reaction time
- Thinking more slowly
Brain fog can happen for a number of reasons, often as a result of stress, illness, poor quality sleep, or an underlying health condition like arthritis. But it’s more common with age. Research has shown 60% of individuals between 40 and 50 experience difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and slowed mental processing.
Considering how many people develop sleep difficulties and health problems with age, it’s no surprise brain fog is a common struggle for older adults. But if you’re a woman, you’re at an even higher risk of developing this symptom thanks to menopause. According to research, brain fog, menopause, and perimenopause often go hand in hand. Let’s explore why.
4 Ways Perimenopause & Menopause Can Cause Brain Fog
When you think of menopause, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably hot flashes. But mood swings, dryness, and night sweats are just a few symptoms you can experience when your hormones change with age.
As many as two-thirds of perimenopausal women struggle with forgetfulness, memory problems, and difficulty concentrating. This brain fog typically continues throughout menopause and then lessens after menopause ends.
So why do menopause and perimenopause impact your mental clarity? It comes down to 4 things: your hormones, your sleep, your stress, and your diet.
1. Fluctuating Hormones
Hormone fluctuations are the trademark effect of perimenopause and menopause. During perimenopause, ovulation begins to slow, which leads to unpredictable rises and drops in estrogen levels. Perimenopause typically begins 8-10 years before menopause, often starting in your 40s.
Meanwhile, during menopause, your ovaries stop producing eggs entirely, which causes your estrogen levels to plummet. This period usually lasts around 1 year. However, your hormone levels will stay low for the rest of your life.
According to research, fluctuating estrogen levels are associated with brain fog in both perimenopause and menopause. When your estrogen levels are unstable, your ability to learn new things, memory, concentration, and overall cognitive function decreases. It’s unclear why exactly this happens, but some researchers suspect estrogen may play a key role in the brain’s neurotransmitter system, which is responsible for sending signals to the areas related to memory.
2. Poor Quality Sleep
You have likely experienced firsthand how a bad night’s sleep impacts your thinking. Well, this is even more of a problem during perimenopause and menopause. As your estrogen levels change, you may experience several problems that make it harder to get a good night’s sleep, including:
- Night sweats
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
According to one study, 85% of women (around 143 million) struggle with night sweats, and they don’t always end when menopause does. Some women can experience hot flashes for decades.
3. Increased Stress
Stress can directly affect your cognitive capacity. When you experience chronic stress, your adrenal glands release cortisol, putting you in “fight or flight” mode. High cortisol levels cause brain fog, making it harder for you to think clearly or sleep well throughout the night.
Our cortisol levels naturally increase with age, but they can also increase during perimenopause and menopause due to decreased quality of sleep and hormonal fluctuations.
Besides brain fog, other signs your cortisol levels may be off the charts include:
- Abdominal weight gain
- Craving sweets
- Anxiety and mood swings
- Fatigue and insomnia
- Hair loss
4. Changes In Diet
We all know we need to eat well to feel well, but did you know eating well can help you think well, too? When your body doesn’t have enough essential nutrients (like B vitamins, omega fatty acids, vitamin K, and vitamin E), your brain cannot work at full capacity.
As we age, our circulatory system slows down, providing less oxygen to essential brain cells. Menopause is also associated with several nutrition-related conditions, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
A diet full of refined sugars, like processed snacks and carbohydrates, increases inflammation in the brain. This can impair brain function, making everyday tasks that much harder.
How To Combat Perimenopausal & Menopausal Brain Fog
1. Try Hormone Replacement Therapy
The best thing you can do to fight brain fog when you’re in your 40s or older is bio-identical hormonal replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy treats the root cause of brain fog: fluctuating estrogen levels.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy works by restoring your low estrogen levels and keeping them balanced, regardless of your stage of life. It reduces frustrating menopause symptoms like night sweats, mood swings, low energy, and more.
It can also improve your overall health by reducing your risk of osteoporosis and protecting your heart from heart disease.
2. Follow a Healthy, Nutrient-Dense Diet
Your brain needs glucose, healthy fats, phospholipids, vitamins, and minerals to stay sharp. But the way you get those nutrients greatly impacts your cognitive health. Taking supplements while following a sugary, high-fat diet won’t help keep brain fog at bay. This is because refined sugars like processed snacks and carbohydrates increase inflammation in the brain.
The best way to ensure you get the nutrients you need without increasing inflammation throughout your body is to follow a diet like the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet focuses on healthy fats, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein sources. In general, the diet includes:
- 1 serving of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with every meal
- At least 3 servings of seafood, nuts, and legumes each week
- A limit of 1 serving of poultry, low-fat dairy, and eggs per day
- A limit of 1 serving of red meats and sweets per week
Changing your diet can be daunting, but the Mediterranean diet can have a significant impact on your brain health. Research has shown sticking to the diet not only improves your cognitive performance but also reduces your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
3. Stay Active
Exercise isn’t just good for improving your physical health. It also can boost your cognitive health. This is because exercise helps:
- Improve circulation in the brain
- Sharpen neuron signals
- Stimulate the production of new brain cells
- Boost your brain volume
- Enhance your quality of sleep
For many, exercise becomes more difficult with age. Maybe you have aches and pains that keep you from hitting the gym. Perhaps you’re busier than ever and can’t seem to find the time. Or maybe you’re just out of the habit and struggle to stick with it.
Whatever the case may be, exercise isn’t something to put off. In fact, it becomes even more important the older you are. If you find yourself having a hard time exercising regularly, a personal trainer could be a good option.
You might also consider a program like Trim & Fit that combines weight loss with nutrition, supplements, and natural peptides to help you improve your overall health under the guidance of a trusted physician.
READ: Could Working Out Improve Your Memory & Cognition?
4. Cut Bad Habits
The older we are, the harder it is to change our habits. Unfortunately, some of those habits can significantly impact our memory and quick thinking. Some of the worst habits for your brain health include:
- Smoking
- Excessive drinking
- Staying up too late
Breaking bad habits is easier said than done, of course. Approximately 70% of smokers want to quit but struggle to kick the habit. If you find yourself in this position, one simple yet effective solution is to replace your bad habit with a good one.
For example, you might swap beer for herbal tea in the evenings, or end your day with a hot bath at the same time each night to avoid missing too much sleep. Check out this blog to learn more.
5. Exercise Your Brain
If brain fog is keeping you from living life to the fullest, you can also try brain games. Studies have found that stimulating your brain with simple exercises or games can improve memory, cognition, and concentration. Think about it like any muscle in your body: The more active your brain is, the better it functions.
Keeping your brain active can be simple and add some fun to your day. Recommended exercises include:
- Sudoku, word searches, or crossword puzzles
- Using your brain instead of a calculator as much as possible
- Learning new activities like knitting, woodworking, or painting
- Memorizing shopping lists rather than writing them down
- Playing chess or bridge with friends and family
Don’t Let Brain Fog Keep You From Living Life Your Way
Whether you’re in your 40s or your 70s, brain fog can be frustrating. You may find yourself feeling like you’re “dumb” or worrying about mental decline. But chances are, your brain fog is an unintended consequence of the natural hormonal shifts that occur during perimenopause and menopause.
The good news is that you don’t have to settle for brain fog. If you find yourself experiencing memory problems, struggling to stay focused, or having a hard time thinking on the spot, The Resurge Clinic has your back.
With bio-identical hormone replacement therapy from The Resurge Clinic, you can balance your estrogen levels and stop brain fog from holding you back. Unlike traditional hormone replacement therapy, our bio-identical hormones are identical to the hormones your body naturally produces. They are only a bit larger than a grain of rice and are proven to reduce the uncomfortable side effects of aging and menopause.
Get your life—and your brain—back. Schedule a consultation with The Resurge Clinic today!
