“Why do I have brain fog?” Here’s how Naturopathic medicine in Kirkland can help
How to treat brain fog holistically with Naturopathic medicine
Brain fog can be mild and annoying, or it can be severe and debilitating. The foggy brain experience can come with sluggishness, slow mental processing, trouble recalling words, memory problems, and difficulties focusing. No matter the severity, brain fog is not normal; it's a sign of imbalance and inflammation in your brain.
Unfortunately, there is no test or objective criteria for diagnosing brain fog. It is a subjective symptom that only the patient can measure. However, brain fog is caused by underlying imbalances, some of which can be tested for, diagnosed, and treated.
Most notably, brain fog is a sign of increased inflammation in the brain. This can be the result of a variety of conditions, and we'll discuss the most common causes in detail below. Some of these include blood sugar imbalances, viral or bacterial infections, hormonal imbalances, autoimmunity, digestive dysfunction and disease, reaction to environmental toxins, and unresolved head injury. It's crucial to identify the cause of your brain fog in order to begin the correct treatment that will help you recover.
What are the main causes of brain fog?
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
If you've had a head injury that caused concussion, also known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and you still have brain symptoms since the injury, then start here. This root cause needs further evaluation from a practitioner who specializes in brain injuries. Post concussive syndrome (PCS) and TBI require a very specific and comprehensive treatment approach typically including Naturopathic or medical doctors, physical therapists, and sometimes neurologists.
Blood sugar imbalances, food reactions, inflammation
If your brain fog happens after eating, this could be due to a few different causes. Post-prandial brain fog may be the result of blood sugar imbalances, reactions to foods, and digestive tract inflammation. Elevated insulin levels are a very common cause of foggy brain and lethargy after eating. A Naturopathic approach to gut health and blood sugar balancing will help to address these causes.
Perimenopause
Brain fog around the time of perimenopause is often multifactorial but is spurred on by the highs and lows in estrogen levels as the ovaries stop responding to the brain's signals. Estrogen and other steroid hormones play a significant role in brain structure and function; drastic changes in the levels of these hormones can result in cognitive and emotional symptoms.
The Gut-Brain Axis and Intestinal Permeability
You've probably heard of the gut-brain axis, or even that the gut is considered the second brain. Did you know that there is a direct "highway" between the digestive tract and the brain? Nerve signals are sent from the enteric nervous system (gut nervous system) through the vagus nerve all the way up to the brain. Compounds such as your neurotransmitters serotonin and acetylcholine are physically shuttled from your gut to your brain. The state of your digestive tract highly impacts your brain.
When you have inflammation in your digestive tract, this will directly contribute to inflammation in your brain and can contribute to symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, depression, and memory loss. Sometimes this inflammation happens when your immune system is reacting to the foods you're eating. Sometimes there is an autoimmune reaction. In many of these cases, your digestive will have increased intestinal permeability (also known as "leaky gut"), which directly increases the chances of blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability (how readily it allows compounds to enter and leave the brain). This permeability can lead to increases in brain inflammation that worsen brain fog.
How Naturopathic Medicine can help you with brain fog
There is no widely-accepted or standard medical treatment for the symptom of brain fog. To treat brain fog, naturopathic medicine starts by looking to the root cause.
We can use routine blood testing and functional labs like hormone testing and comprehensive stool testing to gather information about your hormonal balance, microbiome, and digestive function.
We can test for food intolerances using a simple bloodspot (finger poke) test to see if you're eating any foods that your digestive system can't properly breakdown causing inflammation that impacts your brain.
In addition to addressing the root causes of your symptoms, a Naturopathic approach will help you to establish the foundations of health so that your body is better equipped to move in the direction of healing. We will seek to balance your nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, and other key contributing factors to your well-being.
Integrative and natural remedies for brain fog
While we work together to establish the foundations of health and investigate the root causes of your symptoms, we can consider using natural therapies to reduce the symptoms of your brain fog.
NAC and guanfacine
Recent research shows that some patients experience improvements in brain fog with the combined use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and guanfacine.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil, algal oil, and omega-3-rich foods will give your brain the building blocks it needs to lower inflammation and rebuild after injury.
L-glutamine
The amino acid L-glutamine can help to decrease brain inflammation by lowering inflamamtory cytokines and repairing the damaged gut lining to address intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
Botanical medicines
Potent anti-inflammatory herbal compounds including turmeric, boswelia, green tea and anthocyanins can be used to dampen the inflammatory response and therefore decrease the symptoms of inflammation.
CBD
Some individuals with mental and emotional symptoms experience significant improvement with use of high-potency, high-purity cannabadiol (CBD) oil taken once or twice daily. I personally use, and recommend to family and friends, Blue Sky CBD. Click here to access the discount code.
When should you seek help for brain fog?
You should not have to live each day tolerating brain fog. If you’ve been dealing with this symptom without improvement for some time, reach out for help. If you’ve seen a couple of doctors and they haven’t given you any new ideas or treatment options, seek a second opinion. And if you haven’t yet met with a Naturopathic doctor for help with this symptom, consider doing so. Naturopathy has a lot to offer and a wide variety of treatment types to choose from.
Brain fog treatment in Kirkland
Get started today with Dr. Savannah, a Naturopathic Doctor in Kirkland
With a Naturopathic approach to your health, you can address the root causes of your brain fog, rebalance your foundations of health, and begin to find relief from your ongoing symptoms.
Though some supplements can help to decrease inflammation quickly, there is no long-term "quick fix" solution for brain fog. Most chronic symptoms will require dedication to making healthy changes and a commitment to seeking a greater understanding of your health and the role you play in creating it. You may alter how you eat, sleep, move, and take care of your body on the path to clearing your brain fog.
Are you tired of dealing with brain fog? With the right treatment plan you can expect improved focus, clearer thinking, a calmer mind, and better memory. If you're curious about what this healing path might look like for you, we can help you uncover the root cause and restore your energy naturally. Click the button below to schedule a consultation today and explore your treatment options.
Dr. Savannah Bukant is a Naturopathic doctor servicing Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Bellevue, Kenmore, Woodinville, Cottage Lake, and surrounding areas.