In a crisis, most of us can readily identify anxiety as the culprit behind our poor mental functioning. In these situations, we can usually forgive ourselves for our temporary brain-lock and move on. I’ll bring someone along to any important medical appointment because I know that my mind is apt to race, go blank, flood or freeze. Also, my sense of direction, shaky in the best of circumstances, is especially vulnerable to the brain-numbing effects of anxiety. You’ve probably observed that when you feel anxious, your thinking center may shrink to the size of a pinto bean. Often we can identify a high level of anxiety as the culprit responsible for a temporary brain glitch.

Symptoms and Causes

Try to remember that the people who care for you probably want to help in whatever way they can, even just by listening. When you’re already functioning at full capacity, thinking about a big job you have to get done can make you feel as if your brain is ready to shut down. You’re already mentally exhausted, so a new project may seem too daunting for you to even make a start. Once you get your physical needs met, take a look at how you’re going about your tasks.

How are brain diseases diagnosed?

• If you are already trying to do it all, don’t try to do it all yourself.
• Strokes occur when a blood vessel supplying your brain with the nutrients it needs gets blocked or, less often, bursts.
• When your brain is fried, it’s harder to retain and recall all that information you’ve spent hours studying.
• When you were born, you had many more of these neurons than you do today.

The corticospinal tract carries movements from the brain, through the spinal cord, to the torso and limbs.81 The cranial nerves carry movements related to the eyes, mouth and face. Some are quite common, while others occur in only a few hundred people each year. Your healthcare provider will evaluate you closely to determine what’s causing your symptoms and provide an individualized treatment plan. If you or a family member have experienced a brain injury or disease, follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for treatment and long-term management. Therapy, medications, lifestyle changes and proper support can help you live the fullest life possible. Let a healthcare provider know if brain fog affects your day-to-day life.

What are brain diseases?

Like electrical wires, nerve cells have insulation covering them. Multiple sclerosis attacks this in your brain, spinal cord and the nerves going to your eyes. There are less common autoimmune brain diseases that mimic MS. There are others, like autoimmune encephalitis, which irritate your brain, causing confusion and involuntary movements.

Brain Fog: What Clears a Cloudy Head Feeling?

When we are tired, we don’t have the mental energy to take advantage of the glorious abilities of our pre-frontal cortex. This wise part of the brain allows us to deal with subtlety and context, consider others’ feelings and make nuanced, rational decisions. The amygdala is far less concerned with subtlety and far more concerned with survival.

If you are already trying to do it all, don’t try to do it all yourself. Be brave enough to share that you are struggling and to ask for some help. Sometimes it will be beneficial to chat with a friend, a trusted colleague or a family member. Sometimes talking may not help -you may just need a hug and for someone else to clean the kitchen. If you are struggling to sleep, you will find a range of helpful guided mindfulness exercises in Session 9 of the Brain Food section or by downloading the Mindarma companion app. We have biological limits and there comes a point where working longer hours, sleeping less and squeezing in more simply doesn’t work.

What are the symptoms of brain disease?

The bones in your body are actually made up mostly of minerals, like calcium, which give them strength and hardness. If you bonk your head on something, the bone in your skull is a great material to help protect your squishy brain. The brain may be soft but it is surrounded by a tough layer called the dura mater to help protect it. I also found out the brain actually floats around in a kind of liquid. This liquid helps keep the brain from touching the bone of your skull.

• Sleep is an immensely precious commodity that can do wonders for your brain and body, so don’t sacrifice it for phone scrolling, Netflix or anything else which isn’t incredibly important to you.
• The findings of this examination direct what other tests may be needed.
• Your limbs might feel heavy, your eyes droopy, your energy zapped.

Energy use

Sleep is an immensely precious mush brain commodity that can do wonders for your brain and body, so don’t sacrifice it for phone scrolling, Netflix or anything else which isn’t incredibly important to you. If possible, it is best to have a regular sleep routine and avoid screen time and stimulating substances before hitting the hay. If you perform shift work, you may need to take further measures to make sure you get enough of the good stuff.

What are the causes of brain fog?

Your limbs might feel heavy, your eyes droopy, your energy zapped. You should not ignore your symptoms because, if left untreated, brain fog can impact the quality of your life. Sometimes, relieving brain fog is a matter of correcting a nutritional deficiency, switching medications, or improving the quality of your sleep. You should let a doctor know about other symptoms you might have.

Don’t be afraid to say no

Ben’s migraines were indeed from hell, but this diagnosis was a huge relief. But what exactly is this phenomenon we colloquially refer to as “brain mush”? Is it just a fleeting inconvenience, or could it be a sign of something more serious?