22 Sep Heard Of Fibro Fog? More insight into the condition that caused the cancellation of Lady Gaga’s tour
Just this week, Lady Gaga announced that she cancelled her European tour due to “severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform.” I believe her transparency in the reason for the cancellation is inspiring for the over 75 million Americans afflicted with chronic pain. Her bold personality has helped build her music career, but her openness in revealing her struggle with fibromyalgia in the Netflix documentary “Gaga: Five Foot Two” can make a huge societal impact. It does a lot to bring awareness to this condition and shows support to the those who suffer in silence.
Fibromyalgia is not just a condition of chronic pain and tender points on the body. There are effects on the brain that seem to be associated with the disease, although researchers don’t know all of the details regarding the relation of the brain and the pain of fibromyalgia.
What is Fibro Fog
Many patients who suffer from fibromyalgia also experience cognitive dysfunction, known as “fibro fog,” which is a set of mental processing problems that can affect those with fibromyalgia.
It includes poor memory and diminished ability to focus on any tasks you might be trying to do.
Causes Of Fibro Fog
The exact cause of fibro fog is unclear but it seems to be a real phenomenon. Patients with fibromyalgia commonly complain of an inability to concentrate on things they are doing. They say that their memory is bad and they have difficulty completing tasks like reading or balancing their checkbook. They often feel inept when it comes to doing any kind of a mental task.
Not everyone experiences fibro fog when they have fibromyalgia and I have no knowledge that it affects Lady Gaga. But for those who do experience fibro fog, it can be very debilitating. Those with jobs requiring a lot of concentration often suffer from decreased productivity. For some, it may mean having to leave a good job because the brain is not functioning properly enough to keep up with the mental aspect of the job.
Symptoms Of Fibro Fog
Fibro fog is different for each fibromyalgia patient that suffers from it.
Some of the common symptoms include the following:
- Impaired ability to do simple mathematical tasks
- Poor focus on the tasks the person is doing
- Making mistakes because the brain is not functioning well
- Feeling “foggy” or “cloudy-headed” so that thoughts come slowly
If you experience any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from fibro fog associated with your fibromyalgia. It often accompanies the fatigue that many fibromyalgia sufferers describe.
What You Can Do To Deal With Fibro Fog
When you suffer from fibro fog, it can make you feel very helpless and inefficient. It can lead to depressive symptoms because you know you are not living up to your potential. Fortunately, there are things you can do that can help you counteract this phenomenon.
Here are some tips to dealing with fibro fog:
- Take your time when you are doing tasks that require mental stimulation. Double-check your work to make sure you are doing the task correctly.
- Do the most mentally taxing jobs when you feel the most fresh and your mind is the most clear, usually between 10 am and 3 pm. This also correlates to times when your physical symptoms are usually at their most stable.
- Drink some green tea before embarking on a complex task. Polyphenols in green tea can provide an energy boost. Green tea also contains L-theanine which can improve your focus. When green tea is decaffeinated, these beneficial substances remain. So you can avoid getting too much caffeine. You certainly would not want to feel jittery or feel too much of a crash when the caffeine wears off.
- Be patient with yourself. Fibromyalgia may try to rob you of many things, including your ability to think clearly when undertaking various tasks. Just know that, with patience, you can still accomplish many of the things you used to do, but that it may take a little more time and effort.
- Optimize your nutrition to maximize your mental clarity. Try an anti-inflammatory diet that features plenty of anti-oxidants. My diet e-book explains exactly how to do this. Sign up for your FREE copy of The Quick Start Guide To The Dr. Venus Diet in the registration box below.
Those afflicted with fibro fog have special challenges that make fibromyalgia much more than a condition of chronic pain. When you have fibro fog, you can also experience depression because you feel like you can’t do things that were easy for you before fibromyalgia surfaced.
It may be helpful to seek the advice of a good psychotherapist or counselor who is experienced with cases of fibromyalgia and the mental processing issues that can accompany the condition. A therapist can help you find tips and tricks to improve your memory and optimize your focus so that you can live a better life despite the disease.
Stay Fit! Be Happy!
-Dr. Venus
Get a FREE COPY of my anti-inflammatory diet e-book!
Register to receive my health & fitness tips and receive my e-book "The Quick Start Guide To The Dr. Venus Diet" FREE!
No Comments