As you make your transitional journey through menopause, you’ve noticed that your thinking just isn’t as sharp. Perhaps you're misplacing things more often, or you walk into rooms and forget why. Or, maybe you’re struggling with finding words — words that used to come to you easily.
We assure you that you’re not alone in this. Commonly known as brain fog, this is a common side effect of perimenopause and menopause that millions of women face.
To shed some light on this underreported symptom of perimenopause and menopause, we turn to the experts at Women’s Wellness MD, including Dr. Chetanna Okasi and her team. Here, we dive into why women develop brain fog and some steps to bring back mental clarity.
Let’s begin this discussion with a brief description of what happens when women enter menopause — and this applies to about two million women annually in the United States.
This transition effectively ends your reproductive ability as your ovaries shut down and no longer release eggs. Since your ovaries are the primary producers of your reproductive hormones, you also experience a sudden hormonal drop, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
While these hormones are primarily tasked with overseeing reproductive functions, they also influence many other areas of your health, including your brain. In fact, most organs in your body have estrogen receptors, which is what makes you so sensitive to hormonal fluctuations.
Studies have found that there can be a reduction in brain energy levels during and after menopause, which is likely due to reproductive hormones that encourage your brain to burn more glucose for energy. So, absent these hormones, your brain can feel a little sluggish.
Other reasons explain brain fog during perimenopause and menopause, such as night sweats that disrupt sleep, which can lead to daytime grogginess. As well, mental health issues like anxiety and depression are not uncommon side effects of menopause, and these conditions can lead to brain fog.
Now let’s go in a more positive direction with this subject and explore strategies for restoring mental clarity, such as:
One of the best ways to offset many of the side effects of menopause is through hormone replacement therapy. With this approach, we replenish lost hormones, which should provide your brain with more energy and focus.
To give your brain the right fuel during this hormonal transition, it’s important to focus on brain-healthy nutrients, such as:
You can find these nutrients in supplements, or take them naturally through your diet.
Another great way to break free from brain fog is through exercise. Regular exercise keeps resources flowing to your brain, which can improve memory, cognitive function, and also improve mood.
To keep your brain sharp through menopause, we strongly recommend mindfulness practices like meditation. This practice calms your brain and gets it to focus more easily by staying present and shutting out the noise (or fog!).
It’s not uncommon for sleep habits to change quite dramatically during perimenopause and menopause. It’s an effective practice to cater to new sleep schedules rather than fight them and to make sure you practice good sleep hygiene.
For example, turn off screens before bedtime to wind down and go to bed at the same time each night. We also suggest keeping your bedroom cool to alleviate night sweats.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to fight back against brain fog and to keep your brain sharp as you navigate menopause and beyond.
If you’d like a more personalized plan or want to discuss hormone replacement therapies, we invite you to call us at one of our offices in Columbia or Greenbelt, Maryland, today to schedule a visit. You can also use our online booking feature.
