Although brain fog can occur at any age, it’s particularly common during menopause and is often accompanied by other signs, including:
Mood changes
Hot flushes
Poor sleep and tiredness
Vaginal dryness and increased risk of urinary tract infections
Reduced sex drive
Experiencing brain fog can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to help regain focus.
What is brain fog?
Brain fog refers to all the cognitive changes that can happen around menopause, such as issues with memory and attention.
Typically, these changes manifest as:
Forgetting names, words, stories and/or numbers
Difficulty maintaining your train of thought
Being easily distracted
Forgetting your intention (such as why you went somewhere)
Finding it hard to switch between tasks
Every woman’s experience of menopause is unique. You may not encounter all of the above, and the severity of brain fog can vary from one person to another considerably.
What causes brain fog during menopause?
More research is needed to say for sure, but it’s likely that brain fog is related to some of the hormonal and physical changes that happen during menopause.
Sleep disruption
Lack of sleep has been shown to have a negative effect on learning and memory.
Women going through menopause often struggle with their sleep. During menopause, women tend to find it more difficult to fall asleep and their sleep is often disrupted or lower in quality.
Given these challenges, it’s likely that sleep disruption plays a role in some brain fog signs.
Hot flushes
Hot flushes are common in women going through menopause. They involve a sudden rise in body temperature and dilation of blood vessels, which can lead to skin flushing. This is thought to happen because of changes in the area of the brain that controls temperature regulation.
Changing hormone levels
Women’s sex hormones, such as oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are important for brain function, meaning they influence our mood, behaviour and cognition. As we head into menopause, our oestrogen levels naturally decline.
How to manage brain fog during menopause
If you feel like you’re suffering from a foggy brain, you’re not alone – it’s estimated that between 44% and 62% of women going through menopause experience brain fog.
Memory problems are likely to be more common during perimenopause, but if they appear during your menopause journey, it can be frustrating and worrying. Luckily, you don’t just have to accept brain fog as your new normal – there are various things you can do to help support your memory and brain health.
Further good news, too – some studies suggest that memory improves in many women after menopause (once your periods have stopped completely).
Lifestyle changes
Many causes of brain fog, like poor sleep, can be improved by making simple changes to your lifestyle.
Regular physical activity is a great place to start, with exercise shown to help promote better sleep, which is essential for memory and cognitive function.
The role of HRT
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) involves taking hormones that decline in levels around menopause, like oestrogen, to help improve menopause signs. HRT helps manage some of the signs that may contribute to brain fog.
Some research suggests that HRT may help protect cognitive function during menopause, especially if started close to the onset of menopause. This is known as the ‘critical window’ theory, which suggests that starting HRT several years after menopause may not have the same benefits for cognitive protection.
Although some other studies have shown that oestrogen-based HRT doesn’t protect cognitive function, it’s important to note that many of these studies focused on older, postmenopausal women.
There’s stronger evidence supporting the use of HRT to help alleviate menopause signs like hot flushes. This may also benefit women whose cognitive function is affected by these signs, though more research is needed to confirm this.
Deciding whether to start HRT is a personal choice that should be made in consultation with your doctor. They can help you weigh the risks and benefits based on your individual circumstances.
While menopause brain fog can interfere with work, hobbies and your home life, the good news is that things often get better after menopause.
In the meantime, focusing on optimising your diet, exercise and sleep routines can help support your brain health. Many women can benefit from HRT, but this is an individual choice that should be made after talking things through with your doctor.
If you want practical guidance around brain fog, you can discover more on the CanesMeno® hub.
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