Trouble Thinking Clearly?

Brain fog has existed for a long time. Many people experience it without knowing what it is. It can result from everything from lack of sleep to taking certain medications, even eating a large meal can cause it. Recently it has come up a lot more due to COVID-19. Brain fog can be one of the symptoms of long covid is brain fog. It is important for people to learn the symptoms and look for them if they have had COVID-19 since it can last for a long time.

 

Brain fog is marked by cloudy thoughts, trouble thinking clearly, forgetfulness, and difficulty completing basic tasks. Brain fog is usually short lived however occasionally can last a lot longer. There is currently no cure but there are ways to treat it. The best ways to treat it are getting a good night's sleep and aids to help remember tasks.

 

Brain fog can last a long time after an illness like COVID-19 or after a stress event. Some people may have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Using strategies to help with executive functioning can help treat it. People will never be able to return to their normal lives. Learning the symptoms and how to treat it will be extremely important as more people become ill with long covid.

 

Source of Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/well/mind/brain-fog-treatment.html

 

Owen Bradley(1)

Comments

  1. Victoria LeongSeptember 27, 2022 at 12:02 PM

    Brain fog sounds very difficult to deal with, especially since there is no cure for it. Since COVID-19 is a precursor to brain fog, I was wondering how exactly does COVID-19 change the brain to cause brain fog? I read that there are some noticeable hallmarks of the syndrome, including reduced cerebral blood flow in the brain. Apparently research has been done to compare the cognitive capabilities of people with and without brain fog. For them to perform similarly, increased cerebral perfusion and activating more parts of the brain were necessary to perform at the same level to make up for the decreased baseline of cerebral blood flow caused by brain fog. I hope there will be some kind of conclusive research into finding cures for this illness in the near future, as there must be a lot of people suffering from this illness because of COVID-19.
    https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2013.00063/full

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2022 at 8:54 PM

    It is crazy to think that an at most two week long virus that you can survive can leave you with lifelong scars. We do not know the longterm impacts covid has on people yet, because it just came about. Living through scientific discovery can be very unsettling. People did not know the longterm impacts of smoking cigarettes years ago, and the shock came when it was already too late. Brain fog seems to be very difficult and life altering. Having to deal with that for the rest of your life would be immensely frustrating. Have we found any ways to combat this yet?
    Elizabeth Hardy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haya UsmaniSeptember 28, 2022 at 9:39 AM

    Hi Owen! It was interesting to learn about how brain fog is caused and how covid also plays a large role in causing it in patients. It is unfortunate how covid can give you brain fog, which you have to deal with since there is no known cure other than treating it with other methods. What are scientists currently studying in order to find a cure for brain fog?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gina PasqualeSeptember 28, 2022 at 10:18 AM

    I remember experiencing brain fog when I got COVID-19 last semester and it made it difficult to get my work done efficiently. What other conditions cause symptoms of brain fog? You mentioned how for some people brain fog can be short lived while for others it can last a lifetime. Why is it that some people experience worse brain fog than others?

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  5. Caitlin HooperSeptember 28, 2022 at 10:25 AM

    Hi Owen! Brain fog is such a new concept to most that was introduced primarily during COVID, and although the research is a bit limited now it is definitely a real thing. I have seen it firsthand affect the people around me, and since it is so new there is obviously no real treatment or cure for this yet. How much research has been done so far on this, and what exactly has been discovered for potential cures?

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  6. Sneha MageshSeptember 28, 2022 at 10:26 AM

    I always used to think of brain fog as something regular that would happen to everyone. Now that I know it is actually a significant issue that can happen because of things we do not even realize effect it, I wonder what specifically cause the brain fog. What is a common factor between all the things that cause it?

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  7. Lydia LitvakSeptember 28, 2022 at 10:59 AM

    Hi Owen! I have never considered brain fog as a serious symptom of COVID, nevertheless all other possible causes you mentioned. I always thought brain fog was sort of overlooked by medicine as a symptom and pin pointed on certain changes within medications. However, I agree with you that more people should be aware of the symptoms and how to deal with them as to mitigate its severity.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2022 at 1:07 PM

    I never have looked into brain fog but have definitely experienced this phenomenon many times before. I always thought it was a mental aspect instead of a physical one as you’ve talked about here. I really believe that this should be more talked about in our communities because there are definitely a lot of students who suffer from it but are unaware of what’s happening.
    - Kelly Pham

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2022 at 1:23 PM

    I never knew that brain fog was a symptom of long COVID before reading this article. It's crazy that there are so many different post-COVID impacts that at times seems even, at times, worse than the actual virus. Another part that I found interesting was that brain fog can be caused by lack of sleep. I know there are many people that stay up all night studying or for work. To know that overtime, this could actually reduce neurological functions is something that I had never considered before. I wonder if there are any other contributions to the length that someone experiences brain fog?

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2022 at 5:09 PM

    Hi Owen! I've just recently heard more people talking about brain fog so I was really interested in your post. I feel that I often experience brain fog as well and I wonder if there are ways that you can relieve symptoms of it or further prevent it from occurring. Brain fog seems like it can impact daily living so I definitely feel like it should be something that is talked more about or researched.
    Alissa N

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  11. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2022 at 10:54 AM

    Hi Owen! Your article sparked my interest as I had very bad brain fog when I had covid. I remember I was taking a chemistry course online and found it took me 5x the amount of time to complete a simple assignment. It probably lasted for a couple of weeks and then I was back to normal thankfully. It is crazy to think that some people are still suffering from it. I also lost my sense of smell and taste when I had covid in 2020 and still do not fully have it back! Before covid I had never heard of any other type of illness causing these symptoms in people. Are there any other illnesses that cause brain fog?
    Brenna MacDonald

    ReplyDelete

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