{"id":26094,"date":"2023-11-07T10:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T18:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=26094"},"modified":"2024-03-13T15:25:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T22:25:10","slug":"elevate-your-focus-with-tips-to-overcome-brain-fog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/elevate-your-focus-with-tips-to-overcome-brain-fog\/","title":{"rendered":"Elevate Your Focus With Tips to Overcome Brain Fog"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Elevate Your Focus With Tips to Overcome Brain Fog<\/h1>\t\t<time>November 7, 2023<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_3eece27b976108dfc2c426a1f61f0c2b\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Pacific Northwesterners know a thing or two about foggy skies. If you\u2019re patient, on many days the sun will melt the fog away. But brain fog is different, something that sunshine cannot dissipate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBrain fog is a term used to describe cognitive function rather than being a disease,\u201d said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/patients-visitors\/find-a-doctor\/klineburger-philip-1598389140\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Philip Klineburger, PhD<\/a>, of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/find-a-location\/samaritan-neuropsychology-albany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samaritan Neuropsychology &#8211; Albany<\/a>. \u201cA person may feel that their thinking is sluggish, or they aren\u2019t as sharp as normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-symptoms-possible-causes\">Symptoms &amp; Possible Causes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Symptoms vary among individuals, but can include fuzzy thinking, confusion, inability to focus or multi-task and feeling more forgetful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou may find it harder to pull off a task you can normally do with relative ease. Or you may be slower to absorb the content of a meeting or something you\u2019re reading. Actually, it can feel a lot like you haven\u2019t had enough sleep,\u201d Dr. Klineburger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lack of sleep, in fact, can be the problem, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHormonal changes that come with pregnancy or menopause, some medications, depression, chemotherapy, long-haul COVID, and some of the immune disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus and multiple sclerosis can also cause brain fog,\u201d explained Dr. Klineburger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMany people even in their 40s and 50s have had significant cognitive difficulties associated with long COVID that affect their personal and professional lives, but often only show up as very mild difficulties on neuropsychological testing,\u201d Dr. Klineburger added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-brain-fog-is-not-dementia\">Brain Fog Is Not Dementia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlthough your thoughts feel a bit cloudy, it is different from the cognitive problems associated with dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u201d Dr. Klineburger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease, which leads to dementia, affect not only memory but impact a person\u2019s ability to function in ways they always have. For example, if you\u2019ve always handled household tasks or the family finances and you\u2019ve stopped being able to do those tasks, we would want to know more about that.&nbsp;&nbsp;Coupled with memory loss, these functional changes could indicate more serious cognitive issues,\u201d explained Dr. Klineburger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ways-to-feel-sharper\">Ways To Feel Sharper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, brain fog can be managed with some lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-exercise\">Exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em><\/em>\u201cExercise is one of, if not the best, activities you can do to preserve brain health,\u201d said Dr. Klineburger. The exercise doesn\u2019t have to be rigorous for you to feel benefits either. Walking at a moderate pace or swimming can be helpful to not only activate the brain, but to also tire you out so you sleep better. \u201cIf you can make your exercise social, such as walking with a group or playing golf with a friend, it makes it all the better for the brain,\u201d he added.<em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sleep-well\">Sleep Well<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&nbsp;<\/em>The brain needs a good night\u2019s sleep every night to function at its best. If you aren\u2019t sleeping well, try to maintain a regular schedule of going to bed and waking at the same times each day. Keep your sleeping room dark, quiet and at a temperature you prefer. Avoid TV and digital devices before bed. Alcohol can also be problematic, noted Dr. Klineburger. \u201cEven one alcoholic drink at night can have a noticeable impact on your sleep quality \u2013 you might sleep as many hours, but you might not get as restful and restorative sleep your brain needs to feel sharp the next day,\u201d he said.<em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-keep-notes\">Keep Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If brain fog is affecting your work, try writing things down to capture details in meetings to help you remember. Use calendars and the reminder function on your computer to keep on track. \u201cAs you age, the earlier you begin to develop strategies like note taking, organizing, using cell phone reminders, the better,\u201d said Dr. Klineburger. \u201cThe earlier you learn those skills, the more likely they are to be retained and be useful.\u201d<em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eat-sensibly\">Eat Sensibly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A healthy diet is important to a healthy brain, noted Dr. Klineburger. \u201cRecent research is showing that diet-related inflammation can affect cognition,\u201d he said. To avoid inflammation in the body, incorporate lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains into your meals. Avoid sugary and high fat foods. Limit caffeine and alcohol.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If lifestyle changes aren\u2019t making a difference, and you\u2019ve been feeling foggy for a couple weeks or longer, you may want to speak with your doctor. Further tests may be needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe would need to pinpoint what the underlying condition is. This would likely involve blood work to see what\u2019s going on systemically,\u201d said Dr. Klineburger. \u201cOnce we know what\u2019s causing the brain fog, we can begin to treat it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any concerns about your health, contact your primary care provider for an appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Philip Klineburger, PhD, sees patients at Samaritan Neuropsychology \u2013 Albany. You can reach him by calling&nbsp;<a href=\"tel:541-812-5760\">541-812-5760<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/smiling-woman-in-her-home.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"A smiling, confident woman sitting comfortably in her home.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/smiling-woman-in-her-home.jpg 360w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/smiling-woman-in-her-home-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/smiling-woman-in-her-home-120x100.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Occasional forgetfulness or difficulties in staying focused are common for everyone. Psychologist Philip Klineburger, Samaritan Neuropsychology &#8211; Albany, explains the reasons for these moments and offers tips to enhance your mental acuity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":25297,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[293,290],"news-types":[270],"services":[245],"specialty":[],"class_list":["post-26094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-topics-wellness","news-topics-senior-health","news-types-feature-article","services-internal-medicine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26094"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=26094"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=26094"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=26094"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=26094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}