Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds

Happy Wednesday Divas!

Did you know there’s a  correlation between menopause, memory loss, and brain fog?

Well, it is! No matter what you may want to call it, it will subtly happen while you are going through perimenopause and menopause.  For example: Have you ever asked yourself, where did I park the car after leaving the mall? Have you ever walked into a room and forgot what you went in there for? Have you ever opened the refrigerator door and just stood there wondering what you were supposed to take out of it? Unless of course, your main reason for opening the fridge was to cool off from that hot flash that you were having. I truly understand.

Anyway, have you ever gone to the grocery store and for the life of you, you couldn’t remember why you were going there in the first place? Now, you know you should have put pen to paper and wrote yourself a grocery list. But…you didn’t!

Well… if you have experienced any of the above   “Golden Diva’s” you are not alone. These ‘memory lapses’ and ‘brain fog’ episodes will have you wondering if you are going senile.

So, I say to my Queens welcome to my world of how my brain is experiencing temporary technical difficulties and this have been happening for the past 4 years, while I was going through perimenopause and now through menopause. I can literally walk into a room and just stand there wondering, wondering, and wondering, ….oh yeah now I remember!

Wow! Say it isn’t so…this memory loss and brain fog stuff is too real. Menopause is the gift that just keeps on giving time after time, after time. This is not a joke and it is giving me some great topics to talk about with you beautiful divas. However, it really isn’t a laughing matter. Okay, you might be wondering….

Does Menopause Cause Memory Loss and Brain Fog?

According to healthline.com memory issues are a normal occurrence during perimenopause, the transitional time before menopause. Now, if you’re in perimenopause, you may be worried about lapses in your memory; however mild memory problems and general fogginess are very common. Now, for many women, the effect is temporary. However, when women go through menopause, they sometimes experience brain fog due to fluctuating hormones. As the hormones become regulated, the symptoms of brain fog tend to disappear. I sure hope so.

Now, if you haven’t yet experienced the sensation of “brain fog,” God bless you because the majority of adults have experienced this at one time or another in their lives.

So, What Is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is the inability to focus and think clearly. You literally feel like you’re in a mental fog. When you feel foggy, unfocused, and like you just can’t think, your brain is sending an important signal that there’s an imbalance in your life that needs to be addressed.

Brain fog includes the following symptoms:

• Confusion
• Decreased mental sharpness
• Difficulty concentrating at work or performing basic tasks
• Feeling like you are losing your mind
• Feeling like you’re in a fog and state of confusion
• Feeling like you’ve lost parts of your memory
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of focus
• Mental Clarity
• Short-term memory loss
• Trouble remembering people’s names or simple words
• Unable to focus
• Wondering if you might have the onset of Alzheimer’s

Memory loss and brain Fog can be caused by a range of other factors. In all cases, getting to the heart of what causes the brain fog is the key to overcoming this debilitating condition. 

Some common causes of brain fatigue include the following:

• Diabetes
• Lack of sleep
• Neurological disorders
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Side effects of medications
• Stress

Did You Know:  ‘Memory Loss’ happens because your body is making less estrogen?

Let’s do the breakdown!

Estrogen and perimenopause

According to healthline.com, as you age, your ovaries stop working as well as they once did. Over time, they produce fewer eggs and eventually stop entirely. Your body responds by reducing the amount of estrogen it produces because the hormone is no longer needed for reproduction.

Now let’s look at Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone

These hormones act directly on nerve cells in the brain, protecting those cells from attack by neurotoxins and free radicals. They also enhance the blood flow to the brain, thus protecting against memory loss, cognition, and progression of dementia. Progesterone also has a protective effect on the brain by reducing swelling and improving mental clarity after a traumatic brain injury.

Estrogen replacement therapy is associated with improved nonverbal memory and attention. Estrogen and progesterone have a strong effect on memory and improve memory retention. The addition of testosterone to estrogen replacement exerts a protective effect on memory performance in postmenopausal women. Testosterone levels moderate cognitive functioning performance in males.

What Does Research Say about Estrogen and memory

Well, they say that it can be hard to measure mild memory loss because research is largely dependent on women’s perceptions that they’ve experienced memory loss. Also, memory declines with age, so it can be hard to determine if it’s caused by menopause.

However, studies on the effect of estrogen on memory support the idea that estrogen depletion during perimenopause causes memory loss, and that memory improves after menopause. 

Why Does Memory Decline?

The exact effect of estrogen and progesterone loss on the brain is not well understood. It’s believed that estrogen may help the neurotransmitter systems that send signals in brain areas involved in memory and information processing. Many researchers also think that estrogen promotes the growth and survival of neurons, the cells that send electrical impulses. These impulses serve as messages that are crucial for making your brain and nervous system work properly.  

What can you do? 

There are a few things you can do to help keep your memory functioning at its best through this time. 

• Get good rest

Sleep loss contributes to mood disturbances and depression. Try these tips to maintain a healthy sleep cycle:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule, including on the weekends.
• Reduce your caffeine intake.
• Keep your bedroom cool, and consider placing a fan nearby.
• Purchase a cooling pad or pillows with cooling elements.
• Make sure your room is as dark as possible.
• Learn relaxation techniques, such as mindful meditation or yoga.
• Exercise, but not right before bedtime.
• Wear bedclothes made of natural fibers, such as cotton, hemp, linen, or silk.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking, and spicy foods.
• Consider asking your doctor to arrange a sleep assessment.

Eat right

Food that’s bad for your heart may also be bad for your brain. This means that you should limit saturated fats and trans fats found in foods such as fried foods, battered foods, and baked goods.

Try these other tips for eating a healthful diet, as well:

• Eat a diet that’s rich in fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy green vegetables.
• Look for whole-grain products in bread and side dishes.
• Choose low-fat dairy options.
• Eat eggs to get the protein and vitamin D you need for bone health.
• Use unhydrogenated oils, such as olive oil, safflower oil, or canola oil.
• Choose products made with unhydrogenated oil if you’re purchasing processed food.
• Limit sweets, especially baked goods and carbonated beverages.
• Limit red meat.

Exercise your body

Exercise stimulates your brain in areas that are critical to memory and information processing. It also improves the functioning of the hippocampus, a part of your brain responsible for different types of memory.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that premenopausal and postmenopausal women get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, five days per week. A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise has the greatest impact.

Aerobic exercise can include:

• walking
• riding your bike
• aerobics classes
• tennis
• the stair machine
• dancing

Resistance exercises include:

• lifting weights
• exercising with a resistance band
• exercises that use your body for resistance, such as situps, pushups, and squats

Exercise your brain

Keeping your brain active helps stave off the effects of aging. Try these tips to give your brain a workout.

• Do crossword puzzles and Sudoku.
• Play word games.
• Play online brain games and quizzes.
• Read books, newspapers, and magazines.
• Learn something new, like a musical instrument or a new language.
• Spend time talking and socializing with family or friends.

When to seek help

It’s normal to be forgetful as you age and go through menopause. Normal occurrences may include losing your keys, forgetting why you entered a room, or having a name slip your mind.

If your menopause symptoms are severe, though, you may want to talk to your doctor about low-dose menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). MHT increases your risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and gallbladder disease. If you have a history of any of those diseases, you are not a good candidate for MHT. But your doctor may recommend limited use to help control your symptoms.

More serious cases

Be aware of symptoms that may be signs of more serious memory problems, such as:

• repeating questions or comments
• neglecting hygiene
• forgetting how to use common objects
• being unable to understand or follow directions
• forgetting common words
• getting lost in places you know well
• having trouble carrying out basic daily activities

Symptoms such as these warrant a visit to the doctor. The doctor may check for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There are many other reasons for memory loss, as well, including:

• medications
• infection
• head injury
• alcoholism
• depression
• overactive thyroid

Your doctor can help you figure out the cause of your memory loss and the best treatment.  

Outlook

Researchers agree that memory loss and brain fog is common in perimenopause and that it often improves after menopause. Talk to your doctor to create a plan to get you through perimenopause. Keep track of your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor as you progress through perimenopause. As you near menopause, you will hopefully begin to feel better, and your memory will begin functioning more fully.

Well Golden Divas, I truly hope this post has enlightened you on menopause and memory loss.

Now, where did I put my house keys?

Source:

https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause-and-memory-loss#menopause2