What is Brain Fog?

If you aren’t familiar with brain fog at this point in your life, lucky you!

And…chances are you will be familiar with it at some point in the future.

Brain fog is a commonly used term that describes a loss of mental clarity, in which sufferers experience difficulty with memory, word recall, and concentration. While there are a host of conditions that can cause brain fog, studies have shown that hormonal imbalance is an important factor to consider.

During menopause as well as the transition into menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decline, leading to a host of symptoms including a loss of mental clarity. Estrogen receptors have been found throughout the brain and estrogen has been shown to improve cognitive function by promoting neuroplasticity (among other things).

Put simply, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to changes and to optimize neural connections.

Estrogen also promotes antioxidants and helps to control glucose metabolism. All of that said, estrogen is one very important little hormone when it comes to our ability to focus, think clearly, and function efficiently in our daily lives.

Brain fog can feel different to everyone, but has commonly been described as difficulty making decisions, an inability to focus on the task at hand, difficulty with word recall, trouble learning new things, or finding yourself in a room and not remembering why you are there or what you went there to do.

It can feel as though everything is a little bit harder to accomplish. Maybe you used to be really good at multitasking and now each task demands your full attention to be completed. However brain fog shows up for you, it’s usually extremely frustrating. Luckily, there is often a solution.

If you’re experiencing brain fog, I’m here to help!

I love supporting my patients through all life transitions, including menopause and hormone optimization. While declining hormones can be the cause of brain fog, it is important to have a full workup to rule out any other or more concerning causes of a decline in brain function/memory loss.

Dr. Hana Paterno is now accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment please contact our front desk at 503-406-8748, or schedule online.

Hana Paterno, ND
Naturopathic Doctor Portland
Inspire Your Health
503.406.8748
Follow us on Facebook