Alcohol Brain Fog After Drinking? Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

Exercise also improves circulation, which helps the remaining toxins leave your body. Don’t push yourself to do too much when feeling foggy after a night of drinking. Prioritize rest and be sure to return to a regular sleep schedule. Brain fog related to drinking stems directly from alcohol’s effects on the brain.

This is especially true in people with diabetes if their body creates too much insulin. Sometimes, you can even experience low blood sugar levels after having a meal. Brain fog has been getting its 15 minutes of fame thanks to COVID-19 and all its related symptoms. In fact, brain fog is one of the top alcohol brain fog three symptoms often listed by long-haulers, who experience prolonged symptoms or delayed symptoms weeks and sometimes months after initial infection. “In your first trimester, you may have more nausea, poor nutrition, insomnia or lack of sleep, or other increased stressors for a variety of reasons.

How to Deal with Foggy Brain Menopause & Aid Brain Function

So, if you’re feeling foggy-headed, try to focus on one task at a time. When you’re feeling foggy, it’s important to take breaks throughout the day. By managing your stress levels, you can help improve your overall cognitive health. It can lead to brain fog, memory problems, and difficulty concentrating, and it often manifests in physical ailments.

• “White matter is very important for the relay of information between brain cells; and we know that it is continuing to develop during adolescence,” Tapert says.
• To immediately address most chronic stressors, Dr. Krishnan suggests focusing on improving your sleep, getting good nutrition and exercising 30 minutes every day, five days a week.
• Alcohol-related brain fog can generally last several days to weeks after quitting drinking.
• Some brain fog causing foods are obvious, such as alcohol and caffeine.
• One idea is that your body’s immune system response could cause inflammation in your brain.
• So, if you’re short on time, make sure to do some of these exercises to get your heart rate up.

You must prioritize self-care and engage in healthy habits to support cognitive function during this time. Certain psychotherapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, (CBT) may help reduce chronic brain fog symptoms. These therapies can help patients cope with symptoms and gain a healthy perspective. Further, therapies that focus on strengthening cognitive functioning, including cognitive remediation and neurorehabilitation programs, can also help. We know is that the brain is plastic, so by practicing exercises that focus and stretch the mind, we often see amazing results.

How do you get rid of brain fog?

If you’re ready to leave your addiction in the past, put your trust in our licensed and certified addiction therapists. We have more than 120 years of combined experience helping people just like you move past addiction. For example, transcranial direct-current stimulation (a painless procedure that delivers electric currents to specific brain parts) may improve brain fog in fibromyalgia.

• While alcohol fog is not a life-threatening condition, it can be a sign of an underlying health problem that will definitely benefit from early diagnosis and early recovery.
• A person may think they have damaged their brain or need alcohol in order to think, which can trigger a relapse.
• They were more likely to have shortness of breath and fatigue than other patients, however.
• Blackouts are a frequent consequence of acute intoxication, regardless of age or whether the drinker is clinically dependent on alcohol.
• This is all very normal, but the fluctuations in your thought process are a sure sign that you are getting better.

Research from 2015 has shown that exercise may relieve chronic pain and fatigue. But that’s not all — a 2021 study suggests it can also distract us from upsetting thoughts and a 2017 study notes that it can aid in emotional regulation after a stressful event. You might have heard people comparing your brain to a computer, but the truth is a lot more complicated than that. And poor quality of the brain’s white matter indicates poor, inefficient communication between brain cells. It can be caused by a number of different factors, including alcohol addiction.

Depression and anxiety

Once the levels of alcohol in your body decrease, withdrawing from the substance can cause fatigue, headache, vertigo, hangxiety, and other symptoms of brain fog. A few ibuprofen and a massive glass of water can cure your basic hangover symptoms, but brain fog after drinking isn’t always so easy to shake. In addition, exercise can also help to improve your sleep quality, which can further help reduce https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/making-living-amends-during-addiction-recovery/ the symptoms of alcohol fog or brain fog in general. Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things that you can do to clear your head and get rid of brain fog and improve your cognitive function in the long term. NeuroLive™ is one of my physician formulated supplements for brain fog that includes 11 brain supporting micronutrients to maintain healthy memory, focus, and cognitive function.

I recommend following an autoimmune diet, or AIP diet, to eliminate toxic and inflammatory foods and replace them with foods rich in essential nutrients, including vitamin B12. Certain foods and vitamin deficiencies play a role in brain function and can be one of the causes of your brain fog symptoms. Some brain fog causing foods are obvious, such as alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and stress, which are also causes of brain fog as I discussed earlier.

Ways to Reduce Brain Fog After Drinking Alcohol

Here are 5 simple and practical ways to get your brain back on track during recovery. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you exercise for 30 minutes per day, any kind of movement counts. C60 Purple Power’s Carbon 60 in Organic Avocado Oil is made with pure, sublimated Carbon 60 (never exposed to solvents).

• Treats like candy and chips can provide an immediate brain boost, but sticking to a balanced diet will help you perform more consistently throughout the day.
• Aerobic exercise is any type of activity that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe more heavily.
• But that’s not all — a 2021 study suggests it can also distract us from upsetting thoughts and a 2017 study notes that it can aid in emotional regulation after a stressful event.
• As I said earlier, fast foods, refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol have all been linked to brain fog.
• Individuals with brain fog may also be referred to various specialists, like a sleep specialist or psychologist, to rule out mimicking or contributing conditions (e.g., sleep apnea or depression, respectively).

So, if you’re struggling with brain fog from alcohol, do your best to go for a walk in the sunlight every day. Brain exercises can help get rid of brain fog symptoms and enhance your cerebral function in the long run. Doing these exercises for just a few minutes can help get rid of brain fog and enhance your cognitive function.