Are Brain Fog, Depression and Menopause Connected? from our Healthcare Partner, Ms. Medicine
A feature from our Healthcare Partners, Ms. Medicine.
Forget where you placed your cell phone or having trouble remembering an acquaintance’s name? For many women in their peri-menopausal (the months or years leading up to menopause) or menopausal years (the time after a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period), difficulty concentrating and memory issues – also referred to as “brain fog”—are common complaints. Add in mood swings and anxiety, and any woman going through menopause might feel overwhelmed with what’s happening “in their head.” But changes in moods and memory are common complaints during perimenopause and menopause, and women should be aware of why these symptoms occur, and what they can do to cope with them.
Hormonal fluctuation and the decrease in estrogen production that comes with menopause can cause a number of symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, weight-gain and sexual dysfunction. Some data suggests that these hormonal fluctuations might also contribute to symptoms such as brain fog and moodiness. These symptoms might also be attributed to normal aging and as a result of other menopausal symptoms, such as poor sleep due to night sweats and hot flashes.
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