Brain fog is a common complaint from my patients with dizziness and vertigo. Very often the brain fog will clear up as I successfully resolve their complaints of dizziness or vertigo with vestibular physical therapy. However, this does not happen in all cases.
Sometimes brain fog is related to vestibular problems, such as dizziness and vertigo. But other times, the brain fog remains after the dizziness or vertigo is gone.
This blog is about healthy habits for better brain health.
Exercise Your Body
Physical activity and exercise are important to maintain your healthy brain with fresh blood flow. For recommendations on how much exercise is right for you, check out these guidelines from the CDC on physical activity.
Exercise Your Brain to Help Brain Fog
When you were younger, your brain developed because you were studying, learning new skills, and being exposed to new situations. Learning and practicing new skills built up the myelin sheath on your neurons, making the neural connections in your brain go faster and faster! The myelin on your neurons can slowly go away over time if you are not training using the brain or learning new skills. This can make the neural connections slow down and may cause brain fog.
If you are just watching TV all day, then your brain can gradually get foggy due to lack of use. Strategies such as puzzles, games, reading books, and playing a new instrument may keep your brain connections at top speed. I suggest that you perform a cognitive puzzle or activity for at least 30 minutes every day. this can really help you manage your brain fog
My gramma used to play solitaire on her computer. You can find other online card games or brain puzzles. Some people like to play Mahjong or play bridge in groups.
I play board games and card games with my family. I also write poetry, compose music, sing, drum, and play guitar. These cognitive activities and challenges can keep your brain sharp.
Sleep
During our history taking phone-call, I usually ask all my patients about their sleep. I want to know three things about their sleep.
- How many of hours of sleep do you get each night?
- Do you wake up feeling rested?
- How would you rate your quality of sleep? (excellent, good, ok, fair, poor, extremely poor)
One of the key components of brain health is at least seven hours of sleep every night. If you do not get enough you may suffer from brain fog.
Some people need more than that. Medical doctors who are board-certified in Sleep Medicine may be helpful if you are having trouble with sleep. They specialize in sleep disturbances and disorders that can affect sleep.
Laugh and Relax Can Help with Brain Fog
Laughter and relaxation are two of the best tools to help your nervous system heal and to stop brain fog. Are you a high stress individual? Do you work in a high-stress job? Do you worry frequently?
Then stress management is key to your healthy brain function. When you are not relaxed, your brain can feel foggy. Clear thinking can be difficult due to stress.
Strategies like spending time with friends and family members you like can help reduce stress and brain fog. Try to do light-hearted activities and have fun times, instead of always engaging in serious conversation.
Watching funny videos – such as animal videos online, sitcom TV shows, stand-up comedians, and comedy movies – are great ways to laugh and relax.
Watch What you Eat
Certain foods can promote inflammation and affect brain health and brain fog. Sugar is one such example of an inflammatory food. Some people are sensitive to gluten, soy, dairy, and nightshades. This can cause inflammation for people as well. Spikes in blood sugar can affect your overall health and cause dizzy spells.
Some food choices that support brain health by reducing inflammation include:
- Omega 3’s
- Low glycemic sweeteners
- Diet rich in colorful veggies and lean meats
For more information on the gut, click here.
I hope these five tips for better brain health were helpful to you!
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational purposes only. The content and any comments by Dr. Kim Bell, DPT are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that Dr. Bell might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
Hi I’ve recently been diagnosed with menieres and it is driving me crazy … has anyone got any tips on how to stop/ reduce vertigo attacks it takes me days to feel ok after an attack .., the ear fullness is driving me mad too … I do have cervical spondylitis and my shoulders creak and crack
Hi Sue,
I am sorry to hear this!
I wrote this blog to help people who are diagnosed with Meniere’s. This page and this page may be helpful also.
This blog talks about dizziness with head turns, which correlates with the neck issues you are sharing.
If you want to find a provider to assess your vestibular system, I suggest the directories linked in this blog article.
If you want to find a provider to assess your neck, I suggest this Provider Directory.
I hope that helps!
Best wishes,
Kim Bell, DPT
Hi! I felt dizziness and I knew it was vertigo.. I have problem of sleep.. I can’t sleep well. If I woke up middle of the night, its hard for me to sleep back. Dizziness attacked me 3 times.
Can vertigo cause brain fog, headache, confusion?
Yes definitely vertigo may be a cause.
However, that symptom cluster may be caused by a number of different health issues.
Seeking individual medical attention is important to determine root cause.
I broke my neck in a car accident and have never be the same. The brain fog, dizziness, lightheadedness, vision problems, severe balance issues, numbness, tingling.
I have been told it’s cervical instability, MS, lack of cerebral blood flow, Dysautonomia, but nothing definitive and absolutely no treatment or help what so ever.. there are days I can’t get up and when I lay on my left side I feel I’m going to pass out.
I’ve broken my leg, knee, and ribs in falls due to this. I just can’t do this anymore!
Is there any legitimate help for me?
I also have 2 Brain aneurysms, haven’t had a scan in awhile so hopefully they are still small.
Hi Carla,
Wow! That sounds like a really tough situation.
It sounds like you will need a multidisciplinary team approach that includes an orthopedic physical therapist (OCS) to address the muscle weakness and cervical issues, along with any pain after those fractures.
Your rehab team may need to include a neurological physical therapist (NCS) to address the balance problems, brain aneurysms, MS, dizziness, etc.
You may benefit from oversight by a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) doctor if possible due to the dysautonomia and complexity of your case.
You may also benefit from a consultation with an occupational therapist to ensure safety and efficiency while bathing, dressing, toileting, and doing your other daily activities. This may help reduce the risk of future falls.
If you can find such a multidisciplinary team, I think they will be able to give you a realistic idea of what you could do to improve.
If certain things cannot improve, those professionals can help you find strategies or tools you could use to live a higher quality of life than you are now.
Can you look for a local hospital that has an inpatient rehabilitation center for trauma patients?
That type of rehabilitation center may have physical therapists and occupational therapists, as well as doctors, on their staff that are very experienced in the type of issues you are dealing with.
You may be able to get referred there as an outpatient to get a multidisciplinary team approach, or perhaps you need to go there and stay as an inpatient for awhile to get a maximal recovery.
It is also possible that you could receive multiple therapies in a home health setting, if your doctor is able to make a referral.
You can discuss options regarding finding a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team with your current doctor.