One of the most common issues that people have with fibromyalgia is a problem that is referred to as “fibro fog.” It can make you feel as if you aren’t able to think straight, you forget simple things, and you wonder what is going on a majority of the time.

Because of this, it’s really important that we work to try and fight it off as much as we can. In this article, we’re going to look at what causes fibro fog and what we can do in order to try and beat it as best we can.

Fibro fog: What causes it to happen?

This is kind of a hard question to ask, but in short, the cause really isn’t known or understood. The chronic pain that you’re dealing with will, basically, cause you to forget what is going on, thus making it hard for you to do your daily tasks, it can make you forget who you’re talking to, and it can cause a number of other issues. Fibro fog is also, at times, referred to as “brain fog.”

Now, of course, there are theories as to why this goes on in our minds. The nervous system is already messed up from the fibromyalgia, so it’s no wonder that our brain starts to get affected as well. The imbalances that happen in the central nervous system can be a real pain, and thus we end up dealing with some memory loss, and sometimes we end up having difficulty when it comes to retaining information as well.

Another theory has to deal with the stress that you’re dealing with as a result of the fibromyalgia. On a daily basis, your body is fighting off so much, that you really aren’t able to cope with much else that is going on. The distraction that you’re coping with, on top of the pain, is going to make it hard for you to focus, and thus hard for you to remember important things that you need to remember as part of your routine.

All that being said, fibro fog is relatively common. More severe cases can be worrying and a sign of other problems going on in the mind, but in general, fibro brain fog should not be making you incredibly concerned. It is, however, an inconvenient thing that you have to deal with, thus making it important that you understand the problem and where it comes from.

Tips for Helping to Fend off Fibro fog

Fibro fog can be really debilitating, especially if you aren’t taking as good of care of your mind and body as you should be, especially with fibromyalgia. That being said, there are a lot of things that you can do in order to fend off the brain fog. Here are some very general tips that you can use in order to help lessen the effects of this often frustrating side effect of fibromyalgia.

Write it all down. This is a good tip whether you’re dealing with brain fog or not. Make sure that all of your appointments and everything that you need to do during a week is written down. Get a planner to put it all together if that will help you keep everything straight during the week.

Keep post it notes handy in order to keep notes, or make use of technology to voice record or write down important information that you may need for certain circumstances. Not only will it be there if you need it, but writing it down helps to reinforce remembering things as well, which means you will be less likely to forget things in the first place.

Stay within a regular routine. A routine can be really helpful when fighting off fibro fog. If you’re doing the same thing, week in, and week out, even if you forget what is going on, you will have those reflexes built into to everything that you’re doing. Your instinct will be to continue doing those things, and your motor memory will be more likely to remember what’s going on. Exercise, eat, and take medicine at the same time every single day. Sure, routine may get boring, but if it can help you with remembering what you have to do and help you to keep functioning even when brain fog starts to creep in, you will find it a lot easier to function and it will help to reduce any of the stress that may be caused by having fibrofog.

Make sure that there aren’t outside circumstances causing the fibro fog to become worse. This is a big one, because if we don’t keep everything in check, it could end up being a lot more difficult than we expected. In some cases, medication can end up making the brain fog a lot worse. Look at your medications and see if memory loss and difficulty concentrating are part of the side effects – they could be making it harder for you to overcome the issues related to your brain fog.

Other things that you want to take a look at include your diet and exercise plan. There are some foods that could end up making your fibromyalgia a lot worse. Caffeine is definitely something that you want to steer clear from, and there are a variety of other foods that could cause flare ups and, thus, end up making your fibro fog a little bit worse for a period of time. Exercise can also play a huge role in fending it off, so make sure you’re exercising regularly.

Brain fog doesn’t have to completely control your life if you want to take the time to ensure that you are able to deal with it properly. Fighting it off is going to take some effort on your part, but if you take the time to try and deal with it and you make sure that you’re constantly keeping yourself in check, you’re going to be a lot better off and you’re going to feel more in control of your life and the things that are going on with it.