HEALTHY LIVING
Brain Fog or Something More Serious?
For most folks it’s part of normal aging process, but see a doctor if it starts to disrupt your life. ::
BY JUDY KOUTSKY Y
ou walk upstairs in your house to get something and as you reach the second floor, you forget
why you went there. Or you run into a friend, someone
you see pretty regularly, but no matter how hard you try, you can’t remember their name. Welcome to brain fog, a not- uncommon condition, especially for those over 50.
WHAT IS IT? Brain fog is a term used to describe mental sluggishness, difficulty remembering, concentrating, finding words, and paying attention, says Roula al-Dahhak, M.D., a neurologist and founder of The Memory Training Center in St. Louis. Symptoms include an inability to
think clearly, trouble finding words, slow processing of information, forgetfulness, mental exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Some doctors describe it as
being fuzzy in the brain or mentally sluggish. For most people brain fog is part
of the normal aging process, notes al-Dahhak, especially for women during menopause. In addition, brain fog may be due to stress, lack of sleep, a poor diet, or dehydration.
WHAT YOU CAN DO “Good sleep hygiene, healthy
82 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | JUNE 2025
nutrition, adequate hydration, and regular daily physical activity are all things that can help,” she notes. Other helpful tips include taking
short breaks throughout the day, writing notes to keep track of things, and being mindful (staying in the present instead of worrying about the future or ruminating about the past). Plus, it’s good to stay mentally
active by reading current events, doing daily puzzles, and having an active social life by connecting with people in your community. All of this, notes al-Dahhak, supports cognitive function.
UNDERLYING CONDITIONS It is important to identify if health conditions or medications are responsible for your brain fog. “There can be other things
at play that could be causing or affecting the brain fog, including depression, certain medications, and undiagnosed medical conditions including diabetes, thyroid disease, and anemia,” says al-Dahhak. Before chalking it up to age, make
sure to see your doctor and have an open and honest conversation about what’s going on to rule out certain
Brain fog may be due to stress, lack of sleep, a poor diet, or dehydration.
conditions and address challenges. “If it’s a vitamin deficiency, your
doctor may prescribe supplements; if you’re not sleeping well, your doctor might suggest a sleep study to see if you have apnea; or if it’s depression or anxiety, cognitive therapy could be helpful,” says Paul Daidone, M.D., medical director at True Self Recovery in Arkansas. Talking to your doctor is
important because there’s a difference between mild forgetfulness — such as putting things down and not being able to remember where or having trouble remembering names — and something seriously wrong. “If memory impairment disrupts
daily life, gets worse over time, or occurs with confusion, personality changes, or trouble with activities that were once routine, it could be an indication of something serious, like dementia,” says Daidone. For some people, a big red flag is
when it starts affecting a person’s ability to do their job. According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, the lifetime risk for Alzheimer’s disease at age 45 is 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men. While there is no single test to
definitively diagnose dementia, doctors use cognitive evaluations, neurological exams, and brain scans to assess and diagnose dementia and to rule out other health conditions.
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