Brain fog is also common if you have depression, anxiety or stress. While recovering from coronavirus (COVID-19), some people experience brain fog symptoms for a short time while others may experience brain fog for several months or longer. Speak to your GP if you're worried about your symptoms.
After being infected with COVID, participants' brains were found to be smaller than they were before they were infected. Researchers estimate that we lose 0.2–0.3% of our grey matter per year as we get older, which is typical for the normal ageing process (Yin et al., 2022).
Research shows a majority of people experiencing long-covid symptoms have reported brain fog — a collection of symptoms, including impaired attention, concentration, memory and processing speed. These symptoms can linger for weeks, months or years.
How long does brain fog last after COVID-19 is treated? The good news is that the vast majority of patients with post-COVID-19 brain fog recover completely over the course of 6 to 9 months.
Fortunately, most people who get COVID don't suffer damage to the brain. But some do, and even people who initially get just mild COVID symptoms are vulnerable. So COVID's potential to damage the brain is just one more reason to do everything we can to avoid getting this disease.
People with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), which includes Long COVID, have a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, fever, headaches, sleep disturbances, and “brain fog,” or cognitive impairment. Such symptoms can last for months or longer after an initial SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Fatigue, headache, and brain fog are the most common neurologic symptoms of long COVID. In fact, according to a study from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), at six months, 68.8% of patients experienced memory impairment. Meanwhile, 61.5% experienced decreased concentration.
Jeffrey Meyer and his study team found elevated levels of the protein TSPO, a brain marker of inflammation, in patients with onset of depression within several months after a COVID-19 infection. “We already knew that there is brain inflammation in people who died in the midst of a severe, active COVID-19 infection.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this term has been used to describe difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and sometimes confusion, (15,16) hypersensitivity to light and sound, and tinnitus. (17) Together with fatigue, cognitive symptoms frequently persist beyond 4 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
By comparing the patients to 66,008 members of the general public, the researchers estimate that the magnitude of cognitive loss is similar on average to that sustained with 20 years ageing, between 50 and 70 years of age, and that this is equivalent to losing 10 IQ points.
Commonly referred to as brain fog, slow cognition or difficulty with concentration and memory can all indicate magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is an essential nutrient for the brain, so without it the brain cannot perform as well.
If you're experiencing constant brain fog or you're always tired, it's worth checking your diet for four in particular: vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron and magnesium.
Brain fog—one of long COVID's most misunderstood symptoms—is a name that has gained more traction to refer to a range of neurological symptoms such as feeling slow, difficulty thinking or concentrating, confusion and forgetfulness.
“We've seen a range in recovery time amongst patients, some improve within several months, while others may start to see relief much later on,” shares Talya Fleming, M.D., Medical Director of the Post-COVID Rehabilitation Program at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.
Symptoms of encephalitis vary depending on the affected area of the brain, but often include headache, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, mental confusion and seizures. It's important to see a doctor promptly if you are experiencing symptoms, which may not seem troubling at the time.
Patients with 'long COVID' experience a wide range of physical and mental/psychological symptoms. Pooled prevalence data showed the 10 most prevalent reported symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, cough, chest pain, altered smell, altered taste and diarrhoea.
Headache, dizziness, loss of taste and smell, encephalitis, encephalopathy, and cerebrovascular diseases are the most common neurological complications that are associated with COVID-19.
Some neurological problems include headache, dizziness, myalgia/fatigue, meningitis, ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke, and myelitis. Other people who have contracted COVID-19 also exhibit neurological features such as loss of taste and smell, reduced consciousness, and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Medical professionals say there are two types of long COVID: Ongoing symptomatic COVID: When COVID symptoms carry on for 4 to 12 weeks. Post-COVID Syndrome: When COVID symptoms carry on for over 12 weeks.
Get up and move around slowly and gently a few times each day. This will keep your body mobile and help with circulation. Both physical and cognitive (thinking) activities use energy. Try to do only a small number of these activities each day, including basic activities of daily living, such as washing and dressing.