“I seem to have left an important part of my brain
Somewhere…
In a field in Hampshire
Oh right”
The lyrics from this tune by Pulp keep going round in my head…
And not because I’ve been with 20 thousand people in a field, sorted for Es and Whizz.
Like the singer whose name escapes me…
Nope. I’ve not been partying.
Rather it’s because frigging hormones are kicking my arse.
I have a real bad case of brain fog.
Who can relate? Oh my god!
For example, I used to glance at the session’s programme and just know it.
Now I need my crib sheets. And even then, I’m forever calling exercises by the wrong name.
I forget people’s names. Even if I’ve known them for years…This is quite embarrassing!
I enter a room and have absolutely no idea why I’m there.
Or, random thoughts pop into my brain when I’m supposed to be focussing on something else.
Jarvis Cocker, that’s his name.
Where was I going with this?
No idea.
Brain Fog – yes. Let me explain.
Why it occurs
There’s plenty of reasons it might occur: chronic fatigue syndrome, poor sleep, medication, illnesses and COVID. But for the purpose of this, we’re gonna focus on the most likely culprit for me and, um other middle aged women. Perimenopause.
In one study, researchers found that some 60 percent of middle-aged women report difficulty concentrating and other issues with cognition. Diminished ability to concentrate might be due to lack of sleep (due to hot flushes) but some studies suggest they could be quite separate.
In essence though, researchers don’t fully understand why brain fog occurs. We do know that oestrogen is neuroprotective (it protects nerve cells against damage and degeneration). We know it boosts the immune system and helps protect neurons from harm while also promoting new nerve connections. And we know there are various oestrogen receptions in the brain. But, we don’t fully understand the pathway between between oestrogen and brain fog.
We also know that brain fog can be linked to inflammation. And that both oestrogen and progesterone are key for managing inflammation. Having relatively high levels of oestrogen relative to progesterone as well as oestrogen decline overall can increase inflammation, which could make brain fog worse (as well as dampen immunity, cause joint pain or muscle soreness).
What might help
Sleep
Oh the irony. Probably the best thing to help brain fog is to get enough good quality sleep. I mean, what a joke right?
Because most women who have brain fog due to hormones are likely to be experiencing other symptoms. Like hot flushes or night sweats. Yup, that’s me. I wake up most nights in a puddle of sweat. Hurray!
And then struggle to get back to sleep.
Having a good sleep routine will help for sure. And having a good strategy to get back to sleep too. I wrote more about sleep here.
Supplements
Supplements might help too, particularly anti-inflammation ones. I talk about curcumin and Omega 3 – key anti inflammation supplements – here. And there are adaptogens that might help too. We learn about these in detail in my upcoming Menopause course.
General Good Healthy Habits!
And all the usual can help too:
- Good nutrition. Prioritise protein and fruit and veg.
- Exercise and movement
- Reducing alcohol and caffeine
- Managing stress.(If you saw me last week you might correlate my brain fog and numerous, hilarious, errors with a high-stress situation of 9 days of solo parenting!)
- Of course HRT is an option too. But that’s an entire topic for another day!
The other thing is, be upfront about it. We’re lucky to live in a time when it’s no longer inappropriate to talk about menopause.
And so it goes like this:
…I’m really sorry, I’ve momentarily forgotten your name because my brain feels like cotton wool.
…Bear with me, I have no idea what comes next because my brain has NOW decided to remind me that I forgot to take something out of the freezer.
If nothing else it’ll help you stress less about it, AND make it clear that you’re not drunk or hungover!
