“Foggy head” syndrome, its comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. What should I do if sometimes I have trouble thinking, and how can I improve the efficiency of my brain? If your head is dull in understanding what to take

Vika, Moscow

Good evening!
I am concerned about the following symptoms (this has especially intensified over the past week):
Anxiety is almost constant, but it is somehow background, and sometimes it can intensify. The head, it seems that it doesn’t think at all. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember a word. My husband and I went to the store and I walked in a fog. I confuse the sizes, I don’t understand, that is, I understand, but I can’t concentrate. This gives rise to great fear. There are some immediate impulses in my head. I feel like I’m going to go crazy and something will happen to me. Then I raised my head and realized that I was lost, I didn’t understand where anything was, it was like disorientation. I'm in panic.
This state is almost the whole day!
Swimming in the eyes (not always, but often). There was a fear that I wouldn’t be able to move around alone, that I would definitely go to the wrong place, etc.
I remembered that I recently went to the doctor and followed the navigator in the rain and it led me around. I was soaked through. Now I remember this incident and think, maybe even then there was something in the brain and this was the first bell.

A few days ago it was like I was forgetting words a little, then my tongue began to slur, it was difficult to say complex words (I couldn’t pronounce them), then tickling and twitching (but not tics) began in my cheeks and lip muscles. Tighten muscles throughout the body (arms, legs). The head becomes empty. That is, people say something, I seem to hear them, but this year it’s as if they don’t, I don’t understand something. Anxiety. Then heaviness begins behind the eyes. Fear of falling. When I speak, I experience strange sensations in my mouth that are difficult to describe. It’s as if the tongue is barely dragging and it seems to be swollen (it feels like it). Although the speech is more or less clear.

In general, I have had VSD since I was 17 years old, now I’m 29 and was previously diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I recently had an MRI of the head and it was normal. An EEG was done (simple) - normal. Thyroid hormones are also normal. The biggest fear is that this is some kind of serious disease that begins to manifest itself slowly. It seems to me that since I was 17, my VSD symptoms have always gotten worse. Many doctors diagnose neurosis, but I don’t associate my symptoms with the psyche at all. Do you think there could be organic matter here? What else can be examined? Now these states every day, and more than once, last a long time. I’m even thinking about quitting because it’s impossible to work.

P.S. Recently I had to make a presentation for work. I couldn’t do that, it was as if my brain was switching off and resisting. It's very scary. I didn't go to work. I drank 1/4 Teralgen, 1/2 phenozepam and another 1/4 Teralmgen, and only then in the evening I was released. But my head was still a little dull. I slept a lot. The next day I felt fine. But today it’s bad again.

If you neglect the principles that should help your brain work actively, then do not doubt that it will definitely take revenge on you and simply refuse to work. Sometimes we forget words, sometimes we can’t get our act together, sometimes there are simply no thoughts in our heads. How can you improve your thought process? Everyone knows that the brain requires oxygen to function, but how else can we wake up a relaxed brain to get down to business?

So, your brain will not work if:

1. You don't get enough sleep

In addition to the fact that chronic lack of sleep can cause a host of health problems, it seriously impairs concentration and brain function. Most people need at least 8 hours of sleep every day, but this figure varies from person to person. In addition to the duration of sleep, its quality is important - it must be continuous. The stage in which we dream (rapid eye movement or REM sleep) has a strong impact on how we feel during our waking hours. If sleep is interrupted frequently, the brain spends less time in this phase, causing us to feel sluggish and have difficulty with memory and concentration.

Read also:

2. You don't know how to cope with stress.

There are many ways to manage stress, including meditation, journaling, counseling, yoga, breathing practices, tai chi, etc. They all have their benefits in terms of helping the brain function. ()

3. You don't move enough

Physical activity increases blood flow, and at the same time, the flow of oxygen and nutrients to all tissues of the body. Regular physical activity stimulates the production of substances that help connect and even form nerve cells.

If you have a sedentary job, periodically get distracted and stretch your neck - bend to the sides. Alternate any mental activity with physical activity. If you sit at the computer, sit down 10 times or walk along the corridors and stairs.

4. You're not drinking enough water

Our body is approximately 60% water, and the brain contains even more water - 80%. Without water, the brain malfunctions - dizziness, hallucinations, and fainting begin from dehydration. If you don't drink enough water, you will become irritable and even aggressive, and your ability to make good decisions will decrease. Can you imagine how important water is for the mind? Often, a constant desire to sleep, fatigue, and fog in the head are associated precisely with the fact that we do not drink enough. That is, we can drink a lot - soda, coffee, sweet teas, . But many of these drinks, on the contrary, only deprive the body's cells of fluid, leading to dehydration. Especially drinks containing caffeine (tea, coffee, Coca-Cola). As in the joke, “we drink more and more, but we feel worse.” So what you need to drink is water – drinking water. But you shouldn’t “pour” water into yourself either. Just drink as needed. May you always have drinking water at hand. Try to drink at least half a glass of warm water every hour throughout the day. read in.

5. You're not consuming enough glucose.

For us, food is both salad greens and harmless chicken breast. But for the brain all this is not food at all. Give your brain glucose! And the main suppliers of glucose are carbohydrates. Chicken with vegetables will not let you faint from hunger, but coming up with something ingenious... this diet dinner will not be enough. You need bread, sweets, (ideal). A person who needs mental activity is by no means suitable for a carbohydrate-free diet. A piece of dark chocolate or dried fruit is perfect for work.

IMPORTANT

Carbohydrates are also different - simple and complex. Ordinary sugar (simple carbohydrate), although it is glucose, will not add much “mind”. It quickly breaks down, causing first a sharp rise in glucose, and then a sharp drop, without having time to “feed” the nerve cells. But complex carbohydrates - grain bread, cereals, vegetables (yes, they also have a lot of sugar), pasta - are broken down slowly and provide the body with energy for a long time. On the road and for a snack, the ideal option for complex carbohydrates is a banana! You should eat pasta if your next meal is not soon.

6. You don't have enough healthy fats in your diet.

Avoid processed, hydrogenated fats, called trans fats, at all costs, and minimize your intake of saturated animal fats. Reducing your trans fat intake is not that difficult if you remember a few rules. First of all, you need to eliminate margarines from your life - they all contain a lot of trans fats. Be sure to check the labels on baked goods (cookies, cakes, etc.), as well as chips, mayonnaise and other foods containing fat. Unfortunately, Russian manufacturers do not yet indicate the content of trans fats on product packaging. If any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil is listed as an ingredient, the product contains trans fats.

But polyunsaturated fats - Omega-3 and Omega-6 - are essential fatty acids. You can only get these fats through food. They improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation in the body and are very beneficial for the brain. Found in salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout, as well as sunflower seeds, tofu and walnuts.

Monounsaturated fats are also healthy. Monounsaturated fats lower cholesterol levels. They are found in many nuts, olive oil and avocado oil.

7. Your brain doesn't get enough oxygen.

The brain can survive without oxygen for about 10 minutes. And even when nothing prevents us from breathing, the brain may not have enough oxygen. In winter, there are radiators and heaters all around, they consume oxygen, crowds of people and rooms where there are a lot of people also deprive us of the necessary amount of oxygen. A cold, a stuffy nose - we seem to be breathing, but it turns out that it’s not good! In all these cases, have you noticed that you begin to feel sleepy? This is how lack of oxygen affects the brain.

What to do? Ventilate the rooms, open the windows, and be sure to take a walk.

8. You're not training your brain.

Learning new subjects and languages, acquiring additional skills, and intellectual hobbies help preserve and increase brain resources. Constant "training" ensures that he will perform at the highest level throughout his life.

Hello! On December 27, I was exposed to a disease I did not understand. The main symptoms: severe memory deterioration, decreased intellectual abilities, increased muscle weakness, which was not so strong before, dulling of emotions, loss of sense of humor. When I try to “stir up” my brain by actively thinking, a heaviness appears in the front of my head. It's like there's a stone in the front of my head that I can't move. Because of this, I can’t think through something and I do everything intuitively. This happened after a long period of stress. I went to a neurologist. She examined me (tapped my knees with a hammer and measured my blood pressure) and diagnosed me with panic-phobic disorder. But in my opinion, the diagnosis was incorrect because there was no panic, and I came out of the state of stress because a more serious problem appeared (brains). She insisted on him, prescribing antidepressants (atarax) and injections (Cortexin 50 mg/ml - 2 ml, Mexidol 50 mg/ml - 2 ml). I took 5 injections (of both medications) and they didn't help me. After that I stopped injecting them because of their inaction. I also stopped taking the medicine because I was no longer in a state of depression and I no longer needed it. All this time the pressure was normal. Temperature is normal. For about 10 days I arrived in a terrible state. I was like a dummy, it was difficult for me to talk to people. But then things started to improve and my condition improved. I already thought that everything had turned out all right, but that was not the case. Just today “this” happened to me again. Again the same symptoms as before, but most importantly, besides this, I “lost myself.” When the first “attack” happened, my head still contained my value system, worldview and attitude towards the world. And now I just forgot about it. I am a very complex person in life and I had a lot of “troubles”, good and bad, not the point they made up my own character, which has now disappeared. I lost my sense of humor and the things that previously made me happy stopped making me happy. I became irritable, although before that I could suppress any emotions. I lost the ability to correctly evaluate my actions and think through a plan for something. It was as if I had degenerated greatly. I think intuitively like a small child. Plus, the same symptoms as before, my head stopped thinking, my memory is worse, my performance is disgusting (and now school has started), it has become difficult to talk with people. For example, the best friend with whom we were always inseparable and could always talk incessantly, as if he were a stranger. I don’t want to talk to him or other people. I want to sit in the corner and be silent. Perhaps all this is due to the displacement of the cervical vertebrae, which I have had for quite some time. As a result, cerebral circulation was disrupted. Symptoms have been noticed before. For example, he could read a book, thinking about something completely different and not perceiving the information. When talking to people, I could think about completely different things, as a result of which I could lose the thread of the story. There was quite often muscle weakness and chronic fatigue (I could walk around sluggish and with bags under my eyes all day). But it wasn't all bad. What could this be and what is the reason for what was described (I don’t ask you to take responsibility for me, just answer the question at least approximately, so that in further research of yourself you have something to build on). 1. At the request of the moderator, I changed the question by adding more facts, specifically posing the question and removing questions in the spirit of “what should I do?”, “What do you advise?”, “What should I do?” 2. At the request of the moderator, I wrote what dosage of the drugs I took and for how long. I highlighted the symptoms separately.

I am also an athlete, so I will answer with a sports analogy, which is relevant. The brain acts like a muscle. This means that in order for him to be not only big and prominent, but hardy and trained, he needs to be trained. At the same time, we think every second of our lives, so in essence we can say that the brain works intensively to one degree or another. It is narrow to think that the brain develops mainly through reading. This is the most accessible and universal method. Just like in sports, you don’t need much to take off and run. Jogging - strength and endurance. Reading - thinking and imagination.

It so happened that I got hooked on ChGK. I consider myself well-read and thoughtful, but at first I had trouble answering questions. Gradually it became easier and easier for me to see the question and the direction in which I needed to think. Reason and logic worked. I realized that by reading a lot, I was developing only some part of the brain, or rather, some part of thinking. Just because you're a great runner doesn't mean you're a great pull-up. So I realized that brain development lies in a variety of activities. To the point of putting down the calculator and spending an extra 30 seconds adding complex numbers; buy a scanword; on the subway, play chess on your smartphone, if after a hard day you don’t feel like reading, but want to develop; learn to do something with a weak hand, take new routes home, come to new places and try to memorize the map first, and then navigate yourself; Finally, just invent work for the brain. This is very important if you want your brain to work. Because in order to keep your brain in shape, you must first acquire this shape.

And just like muscles, the brain needs to be warmed up. For some time I started the day right away by reading complex literature. The feeling that your brain is clogged up and you are running through paragraphs without getting into it. (Again, just like muscles. Starting to work without warming up is a disastrous task) Then I pumped myself up with applications like “Speed ​​Reading”, “Mnemonics” and I start the morning by memorizing and reproducing the series numbers (10, 15, 25 numbers and more), Schulte tables, repeating words in the languages ​​I am learning (English, German), etc. It warms up the brain well.

And the most important thing, as in sports, is the regime. Don't be scared by this word. Eat regularly (it’s enough just not to feel hungry), sleep for 7-8 hours, engage in physical activity, even walking up the stairs, escalator, listen to music that inspires you and try to do only what you like. The brain will repay with proper functioning.

Tested on me. I would love to read the answers to this question and would be grateful if you share your experience in the comments!

P.s. Some time has passed since the publication of the post, and it makes sense to add a little to what was written in several theses.

1. Try to give your brain rest during the day. Doing the above operations in the morning, sometimes I warmed up the brain to such an extent that my head became clogged and sticky. Continuing with sports analogies, it is better to start the day with proportionate loads: something that warms up, not extinguishes an unprepared body. And no matter how useful a 10 km run is, it is not suitable for everyone in the morning. Dose

2. There is a general speed of consideration, and there is a special one. I have already discussed the latter above. I advise you to do exercises for associative connections like “where is the logic?” - after all, the brain works on the principle of a network, which means that by refreshing the “paths” there is a greater chance of developing mobility of the entire network, which means the permeability of information and knowledge.

But special can also mean momentary. This is the need to be productive here and now. Recently, before My game, I was just faced with the need to quickly “warm up.” Someone hits themselves on the cheeks (either to get angry or to get blood out), but I began to simply perform mental operations such as multiplying two-digit numbers and reading in my mind words that randomly come to mind in reverse. This helped me quite a lot.

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Games for various areas of brain work

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Constriction in the head, brain dullness, prostration, poor attention, memory, drowsiness, Kimmerly

Treatment of Kimmerli's anomaly, cerebrovascular accidents in Saratov, Russia

Compression, constriction, heaviness and constriction in the head, confusion of consciousness

Hello! The following symptoms are of concern. A feeling of squeezing, constriction, heaviness and tightness in the head, confusion of consciousness, heavy, unclear head. Feeling of pressure on the head, pressure inside the head, cloudy, cottony head, stiffness in the head. Tension and constant fatigue in the head. This so-called “helmet” is kept on permanently.

Prostration, lethargy, loss of strength, brain dullness, weakness

I am in a state of prostration, I read the text and cannot understand the meaning of what is written, my brain is dull. I experience lethargy, loss of strength, weakness, decreased emotional and intellectual activity, deteriorated perception of information, inability to concentrate, general weakness, exhaustion of strength and energy disproportionate to the load, loss of concentration and intelligence (decreased mental activity of the brain), weakness throughout the body. Especially in the cervical spine and shoulders, slight tension in the neck, orientation in space has worsened. The feeling that my head is not thinking at all. Concentration and memory deteriorated, became less sociable, the state of a complete vegetable.

Cotton head, poor thinking, heaviness in the head

Feeling of a cotton head, as if there is weakness in the head, for example, a leg or arm rests, and the limb becomes weak. I have about the same feeling in my head. It seems as if everything in my head has shrunk, making it difficult to think and think. I would also characterize this sensation as a feeling of weakness and heaviness in the head at the same time. The head is unclear, there is not enough clarity and you want your head to clear up, the heaviness to go away and your intelligence to improve.

Cloudy consciousness, lethargy, pressure inside the head, hangover, I can’t enjoy life

Consciousness is cloudy, drowsiness and lethargy are constantly present, and it’s as if you drank alcohol, a liter of beer, for example, or like after a hangover. A feeling of pressure inside the head, or constriction due to general weakness and due to the fact that the head does not think clearly. In communication, I don’t develop topics of conversation, I don’t tell stories, I just keep the conversation going, there aren’t enough positive emotions, and I haven’t been happy for a long time, I feel like a vegetable.

Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, poor concentration, slowness of attention, lethargy and dullness

Distraction of attention and forgetfulness appeared, for example, I just poured boiling water into a mug, put the kettle on and after about 10 seconds I wanted to pour boiling water into the mug again, forgetting that I had already poured it. My concentration has decreased, I would call it attention exhaustion. I constantly listen to someone and communicate with someone, they tell me something, I listen, I seem to understand what they are saying, but I just listen, my brain doesn’t understand what needs to be said to support the conversation, so my answers are the same and are not inventive, only after a while does it occur to me that I should have asked or what I should have said, often even after communication there is slowness of thinking, dullness of the brain and lethargy.

Memory loss, difficulty learning information, forgetfulness

My memory has also deteriorated and sensible thoughts come to my head very rarely, for example, I read the text, the answers to the exam 3 times and after 10 minutes it’s difficult for me to tell and formulate what I read. Difficulty in mastering new knowledge, in general, difficulty in formulating something complex, especially when it comes to studying, I seem to understand something, but I can’t remember or tell it. I hesitate often, decreased creative activity.

Increased drowsiness, weakness, fatigue, neck stiffness, difficulty in thinking

Everything is fine with sleep, but I sleep a lot of time, sometimes 16 hours a day, after sleep I always wake up tired and exhausted with a terrible heaviness in my stomach and head. Drowsiness lasts quite a long time throughout the day, I constantly want to sleep or lie down, and I don’t have enough strength for anything, I get tired easily. Stiffness in the neck and slight tightness in the cervical spine often appear. It's hard to hold a conversation with anyone, it's hard to even talk. "The thought process is difficult."

I want to enjoy life, be interested, understand

You constantly think about how bad you feel and that this cannot continue. I have been in this state for about a year now. It’s not that it interferes with life, but it’s simply unbearable to live with it! Life has become painful, I don’t know what’s wrong with me! It is these sensations that prevent me from thinking, understanding, developing, rejoicing, being interested in anything, and living.

Bronchial asthma and concussion

Chronic diseases include asthma, and at the age of 16 he had a mild concussion.

I did the following examinations.

Ultrasound diagnostics, Dopplerography of head and neck vessels

Ultrasound Doppler ultrasonography of the vessels of the head and necks - without pathologies.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, endoscopy

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) - superficial gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and dyspepsia were detected.

Ultrasound, ultrasound diagnostics

Ultrasound of internal organs and abdominal cavity is normal, without pathologies. Undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia.

Electroencephalogram, EEG

Electroencephalogram. Changes in the bioelectrical activity of the brain are determined, indicating dysfunction at the diencephalic level and asymmetry of the cortical rhythm. Interhemispheric asymmetry over 30% indirectly indicates the vascular nature of changes in electrogenesis.

Hormonal studies, hormones

Cyst on the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones are normal.

REG, rheoencephalography

Rheoencephalography - serious violations were found, as the doctor told me there were disturbances in cerebral blood flow (I can’t read the conclusion because the handwriting is not legible).

X-ray of the cervical spine, radiography

X-ray of the cervical spine with functional tests. The physiological shape of the cervical spine is disrupted: physiological lordosis is straightened, subchondral sclerosis of bodies C 2, C 3, C 4, C 5, C 6, C 7, additional bone formation C 1 cervical osteochondrosis, Kimmerli anomaly.

Consultation with an ophthalmologist

The ophthalmologist examined the fundus of the eye and found vasoconstriction.

General and biochemical blood test, antibodies, ELISA

Passed the following tests. Blood test for ferritin, blood test with leukocyte formula and ESR, biochemical blood test: ALT, AST, bilirubin, urea, creatinine, amylase. Test for antibodies to thyroid peroxidase (blood test), C-reactive protein (CRP blood test) - these tests are within normal limits. I also did a screening for helminthiasis, an ELISA immunoassay for herpetic infections with determination of the avidity index, an ELISA immunoassay for viral hepatitis, a blood test for some neuroinfections - several types of herpes were detected, the rest were normal.

MRI of the brain

According to the results of MRI with contrast and vascular angiography, no serious pathologies were found, only asymmetry of blood flow along the transverse sinuses.

MRI of the cervical spine

According to the MRI of the cervical spine, the conclusion is as follows. Signs of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical spine. Dorsal protrusions of intervertebral discs C 3 - 4, C 4 - 5 with signs of moderate compression of the C4 nerve root on the right.

What is happening to me? And what is the reason for my condition? And how should I be treated? Please tell me what can be done in my situation? Help!

The cause of all troubles is the Kimmerly anomaly

Dear Tamri!

Your poor health and condition is associated with Kimmerly's anomaly, which leads to permanent disruption of cerebral circulation. Kimmerli Anomaly (Kimmerle) It can be congenital and is observed in the child from birth. Or it can be acquired, which is formed due to cervical osteochondrosis of the spine. Kimmerly Anomaly can be complete or incomplete. With complete Kimmerly anomaly, symptoms tend to be more severe. Everything you described in your question is characteristic of the Kimmerly anomaly. Irritation of the periarterial nerve plexus is of great importance.

Treatment of Kimmerli's anomaly in Saratov, Russia in men and women

Fortunately, modern medicine has methods for treating Kimmerly's anomaly.

And questions arise: “How to treat Kimmerly’s anomaly in men and women in Russia? How to get rid of Kimmerly’s anomaly in Saratov?”

Sarklinik carries out conservative treatment of Kimmerly's anomaly in Saratov, Russia, treatment of vertebral artery syndrome. In severe cases, when conservative therapy does not help, patients are recommended to consult a surgeon in specialized medical institutions. It is imperative to treat Kimmerly's anomaly, as it greatly impairs the quality of life and can lead to cerebrovascular accidents, including cerebral stroke.

We think that the concussion also played a negative role. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is of great importance in pathogenesis. Symptoms can vary from mild neurological to severe neurological impairment in different patients. If you turn your head suddenly, you may lose consciousness.

Only an integrated approach to the treatment of Kimmerle anomaly can bring positive results, despite the presence of an abnormal arch of the semiring.

There are contraindications. Specialist consultation is required.