Your ‘Brain Fog’ Could Be a Result of Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol begins affecting a person’s brain as soon as it enters the bloodstream. In a healthy person, the liver quickly filters alcohol, helping the body get rid of the drug. However, when a person drinks to excess, the liver cannot filter the alcohol fast enough, and this triggers immediate changes in the brain. While you might not feel up for your typical Sunday morning spin class, a walk around the block helps when you have a hangover.

Women’s Health

• Adolescents are more susceptible to brain damage from alcohol use than adults.
• If you’re getting menopausal hormone therapy and you experience fewer memory lapses, that could be because the additional hormones reduce the number of hot flashes and night sweats, which allows you to get better sleep.
• Two general approaches have been used to separate recovery from the effects of practice.

Dementia is a disease that affects memory but also your ability to function in life – to work, socialize and take care of yourself. If your memory issues are keeping you from functioning, then you may want to talk to your health care provider. However, you do have a higher risk of dementia if you have your ovaries removed several years before the typical time when most people go through menopause (sometime between the age of 45 and 55). This suggests there may be a link between how your brain functions and the hormones your ovaries produce and release. But you can take steps to improve your mental and physical health to reduce your risk of symptoms becoming bothersome. If these tips don’t resolve brain fog, a healthcare provider may address specific symptoms with medications like antidepressants or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among others.

Long-term effects

In contrast, any task that requires processing new information, abstracting, or problem-solving, whether verbal or visuoperceptual, still is impaired during the first week or two after drinking ceases. Some sensorimotor functions (e.g., sensitivity to touch) also may be deficient during this period. Other factors, such as age alcohol brain fog and drinking history, also affect time-dependent recovery. Two general approaches have been used to separate recovery from the effects of practice. In one case, each matched group of alcoholics is tested for the first time at different time lags after stopping drinking, followed by repeat testings also at different times.

Recovery Support

Sometimes, brain fog is less related to slow brain function and due more to overactive brain activity, such as over-analyzing a simple situation or obsessing about a problem. One way to let go of nit-picking or ruminating thoughts is to channel your energy into a creative activity, like drawing, needlepoint or cooking. Specifically, one study revealed that English walnuts “reduce the oxidant and inflammatory load on brain cells” and improve the transmission of neural messages in the brain, as well as aid in the removal of toxic proteins. They may lose the energy they acquire from food or rest by thinking about a difficult subject. There is no set of symptoms that all people with brain fog experience. They may find conversations hard to follow, or they may not be able to pay attention to presentations.

It is characterized by memory loss, confusion, and difficulty thinking clearly. Many people report feeling “fuzzy” or “out of it” the day after drinking heavily. Do you ever feel like your brain is foggy after a night of drinking?

Experience-Dependent Techniques for Inducing Cognitive Recovery

• This complication of long-term heavy drinking causes scarring of the liver.
• This is because alcohol withdrawal brain fog can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
• Christy Osborne is a certified sobriety coach and founder of Love Life Sober, which helps empower women across the UK and US to get back in control of their relationship with alcohol.

While brain fog from alcohol is temporary and reversible, chronic alcohol abuse can lead to permanent cognitive impairment. Sleep is another important factor in relieving the symptoms of alcohol fog or any common type of cognitive impairment. This is because sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. In addition to the direct effects of alcohol on the brain, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and withdrawal symptoms, there are other factors that can contribute to brain fog and other health issues when consuming alcohol. However, seeking help and support is essential if the symptoms persist or interfere with daily life.

Alcohol Brain Fog: Causes, Symptoms, Remedies

• This can reduce how much serotonin (a chemical messenger) your body produces, which can impact cognitive function and lead to symptoms of brain fog.
• When you’ve been alcohol-free for a few weeks, take a look at how life alcohol-free feels.
• It can also help manage symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, such as brain fog, for a more successful recovery journey.
• This is why you may experience blackouts or have trouble remembering events while intoxicated.
• Contact a healthcare provider if brain fog is interfering with your quality of life.

In the context of alcohol, these symptoms can be acute (occurring shortly after drinking) and chronic, lasting long after the alcohol has left your system. Given alcohol’s short- and long-term effects on the brain, it’s perhaps unsurprising to learn that we can get that lethargic, dull mental state we refer to as brain fog after drinking. In fact, one study found that hangovers have a negative effect on cognitive functions, including visual, memory, and intellectual processes.

• Brain fog is one of the many consequences caused by excessive alcohol and substance abuse.
• Understanding which dietary culprits might be affecting their cognitive function is crucial for helping them to make healthier choices that promote mental clarity and overall cognitive vitality.
• Some neuropsychologists (Heaton and Pendelton 1981) suggest the need for tests that are similar to daily activities.
• Once you take away the chemical reactions that alcohol causes, your brain has to refigure out how to work normally again.
• Common hormonal imbalances that can cause brain fog include low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism) and high cortisol levels (adrenal fatigue).
• “Alcohol affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature, which can lead to increased occurrences of these uncomfortable symptoms,” Christy adds.