What Rheumatoid Arthritis Brain Fog Feels Like and How to Cope – Healthline
Feeling foggy? Be kind to yourself as you learn to manage this frustrating RA symptom.
Have you ever left your car keys in the fridge or been so forgetful that you didn’t pick your kid up from school?
I’ve been there.
Everyone experiences brain fog, or a…….
Feeling foggy? Be kind to yourself as you learn to manage this frustrating RA symptom.
Have you ever left your car keys in the fridge or been so forgetful that you didn’t pick your kid up from school?
I’ve been there.
Everyone experiences brain fog, or a “brain fart,” at some point in their lives.
Maybe they’re overwhelmed or feeling ill, it’s the first thing in the morning, or something has distracted them. With so much going on in our lives, it’s easy to become forgetful.
My experience with brain fog, also known as cog fog but properly known as cognitive dysfunction, is caused by my rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Unfortunately, it’s common in people with RA, and it was one of the trickiest symptoms to learn to live with. It just goes to show that RA is so much more than “just joint pain.”
Brain fog can leave me embarrassed and infuriated with myself. It has triggered bouts of depression and caused me a lot of anxiety at really inconvenient times.
I’m often questioning my every move:
Have I forgotten something?
Did I just make sense?
Did I make a mistake?
Do they think I’m drunk or high?
How do I explain this to someone without them thinking I am stupid?
Brain fog caused by rheumatoid arthritis can feel all-consuming. It often plays out in these ways:
- hazy thoughts, like my head is swimming in a fog
- poor memory
- slurring or mispronouncing words
- feeling extremely tired
- finding it hard to comprehend or say words, even ones we say or hear often
- difficulty focusing
While I initially had a hard time understanding the link between RA and brain fog, I’ve slowly found some trends.
I’ve narrowed this down to a list of eight causes of brain fog:
Joint soreness and stiffness
Inflammation is a reliable culprit for increased cognitive dysfunction.
When my rheumatoid arthritis is flaring, my memory gets hazier, my words fumble, and I have a hard time concentrating on tasks.
If there is higher inflammation occurring, there will be greater chances of cognitive dysfunction.
Overdoing it
As a single mom tackling parenting and a chronic illness at the same time, life gets busy more often than I’d like. I often have to ask myself if I’m overdoing it.
Overdoing my daily activities is a big indicator I’…….
