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Brain fog
may be described as a state of confusion or lack of
clarity. It can feel like a cloud that reduces your
visibility or clarity of mind. It can cause you to
become forgetful, detached and often discouraged and
depressed.
Brain fog
is very common. It affects thousands of people,
children as well as adults. It contributes to school
and work problems, low self-esteem, accidents, unhappy
relationships and even crime and delinquency. Although
it is common, it is not a recognized diagnosis, either
in medicine or psychology. Some people have been this
way for most of their life and think this is normal.
Brain fog can have many causes - physical, biochemical,
emotional and even spiritual. Let us discuss these,
starting with the most common ones.
1. FATIGUE AND ADRENAL
BURNOUT
The most
common cause of brain fog is fatigue. Many, many people
with brain fog are simply tired. The brain requires a
tremendous amount of energy to function properly. When
fatigue occurs, the brain can be one of the first organs
to suffer. Many people are so used to pushing
themselves they may not even realize that seven or even
eight hours of sleep are simply not enough. This
includes thousands of children, not just adults. See
our article on Sleep and Rest.
Many
people have families to take care of or demanding work
schedules, so sleep takes a back seat. If you live in a
city, just the pace of life can be quite exhausting.
Cities also tend to have more air, noise, water and
electromagnetic pollution that wear people out, even if
one sleeps 10 hours daily. Fear, worry or anger can
also use up tremendous energy and result in fatigue.
If fatigue
is the main cause of your brain fog, your mind will
begin to clear if you allow yourself a vacation where
you just sleep and nap every day. However, many people
need a year or more of rest, as did I, as their sleep
deficit is so great. So even a monthís vacation may not
give too much relief. What is needed is a new
lifestyle! While you may not be able to implement it
immediately, you can decide this is what you are aiming
for, and keep moving in this direction.
Fatigue,
however, may be due to any number of causes, such as
chronic infections, nutritional depletion, glandular
imbalances or psychological imbalances such as fears,
worrying, or a stressful job or marriage. In these
cases, just a vacation or more sleep will not correct
the problem. Let us examine a common cause of brain fog
that looks like fatigue but is different.
Adrenal
Exhaustion or Burnout. Burnout differs from fatigue in
that it is a deeper derangement of the bodyís energy
system. It is incredibly common today. In fact, the
majority of mineral analyses I review show some degree
of adrenal exhaustion. On a hair mineral analysis, the
calcium and magnesium levels are elevated while the
sodium and potassium levels are very low.
Most
people are unaware of how unhealthy they are. They are
fooled by media pronouncements about how much better off
we are today, living longer and so forth. This is
manipulation of statistics. In fact, if a person made
it through childhood in 1900, their life expectancy was
about the same as today. Just look up the age of death
of some famous people to find the truth. For example,
both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams lived to the age of
84.
Burnout
cannot be corrected simply by having a few good nights
of sleep. Adrenal exhaustion, which may be diagnosed as
chronic fatigue syndrome or CFIDS, requires a complete
program of diet, nutritional supplements and rest. I
also highly recommend infrared lamp saunas to to help
rebuild the bodyís energy system. See the article on
Adrenal Burnout for more information.
In adrenal
burnout, the body is nutritionally depleted, toxic
metals have replaced vital elements, chronic infections
have often set in and many biochemical imbalances may be
present. These include impaired thyroid activity,
weakened adrenals, impaired digestion, heavy metal
toxicity, chronic candida albicans infection, chronic
viral infections and others. While the burnout itself
can cause symptoms, often it is these secondary
imbalances that cause symptoms. Let us discuss a few of
these.
Candida
albicans is a common fungus that often causes vaginal
and skin yeast infections. However, it may also
overgrow in the intestines and become chronic. It
produces alcohol and acetaldehyde, both of which are
toxic to the nervous system and often contribute to
symptoms of brain fog. A person may behave as if
slightly inebriated, although they consume no alcohol.
The symptoms are often worse if one eats a lot of
carbohydrates, especially sugars including sweet juices
and fruits. Starches and sugars feed the yeast
organisms. In extreme cases, the yeast can actually
invade the brain.
Occasionally, brain fog may be caused by yeast die-off. This may occur due to a dietary change or health program, or just a shift in metabolism. As the yeast die, they may release various toxins that induce temporary symptoms of brain fog. See the article on Yeast Infections for more information.
Low blood
pressure may occur. The adrenal hormones increase blood
pressure. Adrenal exhaustion causes reduced blood
pressure, which may impair circulation to the brain and
contribute to dizziness and confusion. Brain scans may
show hypoperfusion, which means reduced blood flow to
certain areas.
Hypoglycemia is another conditions associated with
adrenal exhaustion. When the level of glucose in the
brain become too low, the brain essentially starves for
fuel. The brain uses about one-third of all our
calories. Unlike the muscles, the brain does not store
any fuel. Therefore, it must have a continuous supply.
If for any reason the supply varies, it is like someone
varying the voltage on a delicate computer or other
piece of delicate electronic equipment.
Common
symptoms of low blood sugar include confusion,
irritability, forgetfulness and even blackouts. One
patient who called me during a hypoglycemic episode
could not remember her own name. Symptoms usually occur
several hours after a meal, and may come on suddenly.
Eating something that contains sugar usually relieves
the symptoms in about 10 minutes. Sweet cravings are a
symptom of hypoglycemia, and this can perpetuate candida
albicans and adrenal problems since a lot of sweets ,
even fruit, is not a healthful diet.
Many
people, including school-age children and many adults,
experience huge blood sugar swings all day long! Their
breakfast of sweetened cereal, donuts or juice drives up
their blood sugar. This is followed by a drop at
mid-morning that is relieved by a sweet snack, more
juice, soda pop or a cup of coffee. This rockets the
sugar up again, followed by a fall around noon.
Lunch may
include soda pop, sweetened ketchup, mustard, sweet
salad dressing, sweetened rolls, chocolate milk, fruit
or other sugary food. The sugar rises again, then falls
rapidly at mid-afternoon. It is time for another
pick-up, or maybe time for happy hour, since alcohol
will lift the blood sugar again for a short time. And
we wonder why many students have difficulty learning,
and why thousands canít think clearly?
2. FOOD AND CHEMICAL
REACTIONS
Cindy had
always had boundless energy and was ready to take on the
world. She ate a lot of salad greens, which she thought
were very healthful. However, two years ago she became
exhausted and developed brain fog. She finally traced
the problem to perchlorate, a chemical that was added to
the townís water and became very concentrated in leafy
green vegetables. It interfered with her thyroid. When
she switched to bottled water and reduced her salad
intake, her mind cleared and her energy returned.
Nutrasweet
(also labeled as Equal, Canderel, Spoonful, aspartame,
aspartic acid or phenylalanine) is notorious for causing
brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, depression and panic
attacks, to name just a few of its symptoms. It is
found in over 5000 products and affects some 25% of
Americans who use it. It is often hidden in
prescription medication, vitamins, toothpaste, breath
mints and all types of diet products. Everyone should
avoid this food chemical. See the article on
Caffeine and Sugar Substitutes. http://drlwilson.com/Articles/CAFFEINE%20%26%20SUGAR%20SUBS.htm
Other food
chemicals that affect sensitive people include
excitotoxins such as MSG (monosodium glutamate),
caffeine, pesticide residues, heavy metals, bacterial
and fungal toxins, fluoride, chlorine and hundreds of
other substances that either contaminate or are added to
drinking water and food. Caffeine and other stimulants
can give one a boost, but eventually contribute to
adrenal exhaustion.
Not only
the chemicals added to foods, but the foods themselves
can cause brain fog symptoms. The most common allergic
foods are wheat, spelt and cowís milk dairy. Anyone
with brain fog ought to try eliminating these foods from
the diet, as this will often help speed recovery.
Gluten-containing foods such as rye, oats, wheat, kamut,
spelt and barley also cause reactions in susceptible
individuals that may affect the brain.
A long
list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs can
cause mental confusion and other brain fog symptoms.
The list includes drugs for allergies, pain, high blood
pressure, heart arrythmias, glaucoma, infections,
depression, anxiety, inflammation and other disorders.
Many people are taking two to five of these drugs at
once. Combinations of drugs may be toxic in ways that
no one can predict. Combining medication with alcohol
or recreational drugs may also produce unusual symptoms.
If you must take medication, check the side effects and know that there may be side effects that are not listed on the label.
3. NUTRIENT
DEFICIENCIE
The brain
requires many nutrients, including proteins,
high-quality fats, many vitamins and two dozen or more
minerals. A range of amino acids are required for the
brain, as are essential fatty acids, antioxidants and
other nutrients. Among the most important nutrients are
calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, L-glutamine,
L-taurine, choline, thiamine, B6, B12 and other
B-complex vitamins. B-vitamin deficiency is known to
cause confusion, irritability, stupor and death.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency, for example, can cause symptoms
of brain fog and is quite common, especially in
vegetarians. Correction is quite simple and
inexpensive.
The author
recalls a 7-year old patient who had recurrent ear
infections. The ear infections cleared up on a
nutrition program. During a follow-up visit, her mother
mentioned the girlís school grades also went from Cs to
As. This is not an unusual story. Though part of the
reason may have been better school attendance, improved
brain function is often a side effect of nutritional
correction.
Electrolyte imbalance, as occurs after excessive
physical exertion or sweating, may also cause symptoms
of brain fog. This may be due to lowered blood pressure
with impaired circulation to the brain, metabolic waste
products in the blood or impaired cellular energy
production. The best way to obtain your nutrients is
first to eat well. I also recommend everyone use
digestive enzymes for a while, particularly GB-3 ñ a
product with ox bile and pancreatin.
Chronic
Infections. Nutrient deficiencies, along with fatigue,
often permit viral and other infections to take hold.
Many can directly or indirectly affect the brain such as
Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C and
many others. See the article on Infections for more
information.
4. TOXIC LEVELS OF
METALS
Toxic
metals often play a role in brain fog. Elevated copper
is strongly associated with feelings of confusion,
disorientation, racing thoughts, mood swings and
confusion. Some women feel this before the menstrual
period, as their copper level rises at this time of the
month. However, many people, both men and moreso women,
have elevated copper levels all the time. This can be
an important cause of brain fog.
Copper
excess affects the thyroid, female hormones, and
stimulates the production of important brain chemicals.
Copper imbalance does not show up on standard blood
tests. It shows up on hair mineral analyses as an
elevated copper, or an elevated calcium level, low
potassium level, high mercury level, or a ratio of
sodium to potassium less than 2.5:1.
Causes of
copper imbalance include weak adrenal glands, zinc
deficiency, stress, fatigue, birth control pills, copper
intra-uterine devices or copper contamination of water
supplies or food. Many children are born with copper
imbalance today. Vegetarian diets are high in copper
and low in zinc, a mineral that balances copper. These
diets are also often low in other nutrients essential
for the brain such as taurine, carnitine, essential
fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid, B-complex vitamins and
others. Many vegetarians believe their diet makes them
feel ëspiritualí, when in fact their feeling of
detachment is a symptom of brain fog brought on by their
diet.
Copper
imbalance is best corrected with a complete nutritional
program. Just taking copper antagonists or chelators
often does not work well. See the article on Copper
Toxicity Syndrome for more information about this common
problem.
Toxicity
with mercury, aluminum, cadmium , lead and other metals
may also cause symptoms of brain fog. Most everyone has
some excess of these metals today. Mercury toxicity is
extremely common, as it is found in large fish like tuna
and in dental amalgams.
Aluminum is added to table salt
and drinking water, and found in anti-perspirants,
anti-acids and many cosmetics.
Fortunately, sauna therapy and a nutritional balancing
program can slowly remove all these metals, along with
many toxic chemicals. See the article on the
Dangers of Toxic Metal
http://drlwilson.com/Articles/TOXIC%20METALS.htm for more information about this important topic.
Other
mineral imbalances definitely contribute to brain fog.
High tissue levels of calcium and magnesium frequently
cause diminished awareness, mental fatigue and brain
fog. The condition is called a ëcalcium shellí, as the
person is literally slightly numb, as though they live
behind a cement wall. Elevated tissue calcium raises the
voltage at which nerve cells fire, leading to mental
heaviness, numbness and brain fog.
Excessive
levels of other trace elements such as iron, manganese
and chromium may also affect brain activity and give
rise to symptoms of brain fog. Excessive iron and
manganese in biounavailable form is quite common.
Manganese is added to gasoline, while iron is added to
many white flour products, and often added to vitamin
pills and other health products.
5. LACK OF GROUNDING
This may
seem like an unusual cause of brain fog. However, many
people are in this group. They are usually
overstimulated, easily distracted and their attention
wanders. This can become a ëmental habití that may be
changed. Many bright, loving people are this way
because they are very sensitive and respond quickly to
many stimuli in their environment. Their weakened body
chemistry and high copper level in particular may make
them even more prone to this condition. In a tai chi
class, one would say their chi is in their heads.
The
solution to this problem, and it is recommended for
everyone, is to set aside time each day for a practice
such as meditation. Not any meditation will do, as many
types of meditation just keep one floating in oneís
head. We recommend an Observation-Meditation Exercise
because it is grounding and helps develop a quality
called the witness. This is most helpful.
Writing
each day in a journal is also helpful for some people.
Other techniques to assist grounding are gardening, slow
deliberate walking, yoga, tai chi or chi kung. One
should do these on a daily basis, as part of your
routine, to reap the benefit.
6. BOWEL TOXICITY
Toxicity
or sluggishness of the important eliminative organs will
cause symptoms of brain fog. If these organs do not
function well, toxic substances and end products of
metabolism such as ammonia, urea and others, may remain
circulating in the blood. The brain is one of the first
organs affected by these toxins, as it requires a lot of
blood and its functions are delicate and intricate.
Weak
digestion, intestinal infections, stress, poor eating
habits, negative emotions or an improper diet often
cause food to putrefy or ferment in the intestines. The
toxins produced are absorbed into the bloodstream.
These can easily overwhelm the normal detoxification
ability of the liver and kidneys. Constipation makes
the problem one hundred times worse. You may not be
aware of this toxicity, as you may not experience gas,
bloating or other digestive disturbances.
The
problem may be handled by your liver and kidneys if they
are functioning well. However, often the liver is
overwhelmed by all the chemicals in your diet and
environment, and is not functioning as well as needed.
Standard blood tests for liver function will not reveal
a congested or toxic liver. However, liver toxicity is
the norm today.
Drinking
inadequate water or worse, drinking soda pop, excessive
coffee and other irritating beverages can damage or
overwhelm the kidneys and impair their ability to remove
poisons from the blood.
Be wary of
cleansing programs such as fasts to correct liver and
kidney toxicity. These may give temporary relief, but
usually do not address basic causes such as food
allergies, toxic chemicals in the diet or environment
and nutrient deficiencies. Fasting can easily cause one
to become even more nutrient deficient.
The answer
for bowel toxicity is a slow regeneration of the
intestinal tract, which may easily take two or three
years. It begins with cleaning up the diet, eliminating
the chemicals and junk foods. Excellent eating habits
and lots of rest are important as well. Most everyone
needs digestive enzymes and I sometimes add
lactobacillus plantarum, what I call the life-changing
probiotic. A range of nutrients may be helpful, as well
as milk thistle and dandelion for the liver, and saunas
for detoxification. In other words, a comprehensive
program is generally best.
7. BRAIN PARASITES
This cause
of brain fog is due to lyme disease, other parasitic
diseases, or consuming pig products and other foods that
may contain parasitic organisms. I believe it can be
corrected with a complete healing program, especially
including infrared light saunas to slowly kill and
remove parasites from all areas of the body. Drug
therapy may be helpful at times, although I prefer not
to use it if possible, as it introduces more toxic
substances.
8. PSYCHOLOGICAL
CAUSES
One can
develop brain fog if in conflict or denial and a part of
you does not wish to think about or see something
clearly. This is more common than might be imagined. In
part, it is a grounding and spiritual problem, though it
can be due to information overload.
For
example, much of the prevailing wisdom taught in school,
churches, by parents or in the media is quite insane.
You may have learned from church that all divorce is
bad, yet the alternative is living in a hellish
marriage. You may have learned that grades are
everything in school, yet you see people who get ahead
who did poorly in school. Advertising would indicate
that people who drink Pepsi are slim and popular. Yet
reality is the opposite. You may have learned that guns
in private hands are bad, yet statistics clearly prove
they save thousands of lives every year. They are also
statistically extremely safe, much safer than driving
and much, much safer than going to a doctor.
Going into
brain fog is one way to deal with conflict or an
overload of information, especially if you have
difficulty sorting out what is true. Brain fog may also
be your way to deny reality when your life is not going
well.
I
recommend to always ask for and seek the truth, and
cultivate a belief that ìthe truth will set you freeî.
This does not mean the truth will be pretty. However,
seeing and accepting the truth about oneself and
everyone else does lead to clearer thinking and
happiness in my experience.
Another
psychological/spiritual aspect of brain fog has to do
with a belief that one is stupid and cannot think
clearly. This can be a result of parental or school
influences. While there are a few exceptions, I believe
the public school system, with its authoritarian style,
its emphasis on grades instead of on learning, its
one-size-fits-all approach and its lack of spiritual
focus damages thousands upon thousands of peopleís
brains. See the article Why is the School System in
Trouble?
Particularly the Indigo Children often suffer through
school. This includes many adults today. Many come to
believe they are stupid and may give up on clear
thinking. The school issue might not be so important
except that today 1) parents are often not helping their
children as much as in earlier generations because they
are exhausted, 2) televison and computers further
confuse the childrenís brains and 3) so many children
are not functioning well to begin with due to the causes
listed above. These factors make the negative school
influences that much worse.
There are
many methods for letting go of negative programming.
The most important is to make a decision that you are
loved by your creator, and that you have many gifts and
skills. Yes, it is first a decision and you will feel
it later. Also, counseling may be helpful to causes,
and there are many approaches to help release negative
programs from the mind. These include meditation, body
therapies, nutrition and energetic work like Spiritual
Response Therapy and Holographic Repatterning.
OTHER CAUSES
Although
less common, misalignment of the spine, or any
impingement on the cranial, cervical or other nerves may
cause symptoms of brain fog. Another common cause of
brain fog is reduced oxygen to the brain. This may be
due to clogged arteries, low blood pressure, shallow
breathing or holding oneís breath. Fear and worry can
cause shallow breathing. Sometimes a physical disease
such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema impairs
breathing.
Brain fog
is occasionally caused by an illness such as a brain
tumor, epilepsy, meningitis or encephalitis. Electrical
interference from computer screens or televisions can
cause brain disturbance in sensitive people. Vision
problems may affect mental clarity and cognition.
Dyslexia
and autism syndromes may cause confusion, though they
may also be the result of causes listed above. For
example, many autistic children improve when the factors
above are addressed. Emotional conditions such as
neuroses, paranoia or mental fixations may cause brain
fog as well.
WHAT TO DO
1. Rest
more. Most everyone with brain fog needs more rest and
sleep. Try for at least 9 hours nightly, if not 10.
This is not a waste of time. Often people with brain
fog are sensitive individuals who need the time for
processing and healing.
2. Improve
your diet and living habits. Eliminate the junk food,
excessive sugar and chemicalized foods. Eliminate
wheat, dairy and other foods that may be causing food
reactions. Substitute whole, natural foods. Do not
follow vegetarian regimens, as these can increase copper
toxicity. Drink pleny of healthful water. Exercise
gently each day. Eat relaxed, sit-down meals and sit
for 10 minutes after meals before returning to work or
other activities.
3.
Meditate on a regular basis. Use an
observation-meditation exercise such as the tape we
offer. This will help slow down your mind and assist
you to observe your thoughts. Affirmations and
visualizations are also fine, but are not the same.
4. Choose
to live consciously. Singles, couples and families need
to choose exactly how they will spend their time and
money. Besides healthful eating and good habits, it
should include wholesome activities and a spiritual
focus. Otherwise, the advertisers and the media will
dictate a rather unhealthy lifestyle.
Bill
Clinton or Al Gore, I believe, once referred to the
American people as customers of the government. You
are not a sovereign citizen unless you claim it. Many
of our leaders and media people view you as a consumer
or customer and they want you out of control so their
influence will be greatest.
In
addition, natural therapies can offer tremendous help
along the way. Detoxification methods such as sauna
therapy, colonic irrigation and coffee enemas can also
be very helpful for a while to eliminate stored toxins.
5. Natural
therapies can offer help. These include herbs,
vitamins, and detoxification methods such as sauna
therapy, colonic irrigation and coffee enemas. Coffee
enemas are particularly helpful and better than drinking
coffee. See the article on Sauna Therapy for more
details on this excellent detoxification method.
Detoxification Procedures are available on this site.
Note that most people need several years of
detoxification, not just a few weeks or months.
Go to a
competent chiropractor or osteopath to rule out
structural causes. If symptoms continue, (and they
often will), consider a nutritional balancing program
utilizing hair mineral analysis. This test can identify
nutrient deficiencies, toxic metals and many other
imbalances such as an unbalanced oxidation rate or
chronic fatigue. The test is used as a basis to
recommend more specific dietary suggestions and
supplementary nutrients
Many
people would benefit by meditation. The use of
affirmations, inspirational reading and other techniques
may also help to help control unwanted thoughts and
emotions. In addition, many other natural therapies may
also be helpful. I was helped greatly by the use of
coffee enemas, which help clear toxins from the
intestines. Each case is somewhat individual.
In a few
cases, more extensive testing for brain diseases may be
necessary. Physicians often begin with a CAT scan or an
MRI. However, in my experience, most cases of brain fog
will clear up without these costly tests by correcting
the factors discussed above such as diet, lifestyle,
infections, toxic metals, chemical toxicity and
psychological/emotional stress factors.
References
While
there are a number of references to brain fog on the
internet, I have not found much medical research on the
subject. This article represents my experience and that
of other clinicians with whom I have worked or whose
work I have studied.
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