Recent news reports frequently use the term "brain fog", which is the inability to focus or remember certain things, often associated with the long-term symptoms of COVID-19.

In a report published by the American magazine It This Not That, author Ally Walinsky reviews the most important factors that contribute to increasing the chance of developing memory loss in humans.

According to neuroscientist Caroline Leaf, "there are various causes of memory loss, such as mental stagnation, trauma, excessive stress, illnesses, psychological stress, medications, brain injuries, neurological disorders, and viruses that affect the brain."

On the other hand, there are many steps that may help relieve symptoms of memory loss.

What is amnesia?

“Any factor that disrupts the psychological and neural network (the link between the mind, brain and body) will disrupt memory,” Dr. Leif explains. To understand the cause of memory loss and how to manage it, it is necessary to know what memory is.

Everyone goes through different moments and situations that result in momentary reactions that stimulate different feelings, and memories are nothing but the brain’s reaction to those moments days or even years after their occurrence.

Many want to build a strong memory that will bring success to its owner.

To do this, “it is necessary to follow thinking mechanisms that will operate the neurons to form small branches called dendrites, which contain information,” and the stronger the dendrites, the better the processes of retrieval and utilization of information.

Is stress the number one cause of memory loss?

Life can not be without causes of stress and anxiety, but the intensity of stress varies from one person to another, and it can have some negative effects on the body, especially if one is not able to manage the pressures around him.

"One of the effects of anxiety and stress is memory loss," says Bareen Sehat, a certified mental health professional.

When you suffer from stress or anxiety, your nervous system is directly affected in a way that harms your absorptive capacity and memory efficiency.

"The whole thing begins with the body's response to stress, that is, when the mind reacts as soon as it receives any threatening signals that increase electrical activity in the brain and produce adrenaline and cortisol," Sehat added. A person develops memory loss if this process is accompanied by levels of fear or anxiety that exceed his ability to bear.

In addition, stress can lead to an increase in inflammation, which in turn leads to memory loss.

In this regard, Dr. Kara said that recent studies have found that higher levels of inflammation have been associated with cognitive decline.

However, memory loss is not limited to stress and inflammation, there are more factors that must be taken care of to prevent memory decline.

The nervous system is affected when stress or anxiety is directly affected, affecting the carrying capacity and memory efficiency (Getty Images)

Diet

The author says that a healthy diet not only affects weight and fitness, but is also recommended by brain experts to improve memory and avoid brain fog.

As such, Dr. Kara recommends avoiding foods that cause inflammation such as processed carbohydrates, sweeteners and fried foods, and recommends more of those that reduce it, which include leafy greens, fatty fish, fruits and olive oil.

Avoid stress

If you don't take the appropriate measures to reduce stress, your risk of inflammation and eventually cognitive impairment may increase.

Dr. Kara emphasized the importance of finding the root cause of symptoms such as brain fog before making decisions to resolve it, as well as focusing on reducing stress in general, by setting aside daily periods to engage in relaxation activities such as deep breathing exercises and meditation.

Brain experts recommend a healthy diet to improve memory and avoid brain fog (Getty Images)

Strengthening the connection between mind and body

The health of our mind and body depends on developing healthy thoughts toward our memories and experiences.

Dr. Lev said that refraining from deep thinking and stopping learning harms brain tissue, because the brain is designed to grow with deep, deliberate thinking.

Record important appointments

The writer states that the effects of memory decline on life can be mitigated by writing down the important things;

Such as appointments and meetings to avoid any inconvenience or miss some communication.

And since social media is such a big part of everyone's life now, it's easy for us to keep in touch with our acquaintances and the schemes we make with them by utilizing them.

The effects of memory decline on life can be mitigated by writing down important dates (Pixabe)

Brain Fog and "Long Covid"

With the continuing outbreak of the “Covid-19” pandemic, some infected people suffered from what is known as “Long Covid,” symptoms that persisted weeks or months after the initial diagnosis of the disease, as brain fog is one of its most common symptoms.

In fact, one study found that 81% of participants with persistent health problems cited brain fog among their symptoms. ". In general, inflammation causes brain fog and other cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia.