Menofog Rolls In, Focus Rolls Out!

Memory, concentration, learning, problem-solving and reasoning skills all tend to decline as we grow older. And by older, I mean my age group, the over fifty crowd! It is considered a normal part of aging to have some difficulty remembering certain facts, people and places. During the menopause transition, however, women experience more difficulty with verbal memory. Verbal memory has to do with recalling words. Many midlife women also complain of forgetfulness and focus issues. This constellation of symptoms is often referred to as brain fog. I like to call it menofog.

Here are the top 5 things to know about Menofog:

1. Menofog symptoms of fogginess, forgetfulness and lack of focus will often start during perimenopause, when our hormone levels are fluctuating.
2. Menofog issues do not continue to worsen once menopause hits. At some point down the line, women tend to plateau and even improve when it comes to feeling foggy and unfocused.
3. Menofog is not the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Dementia refers to a severe loss of intellectual ability and usually kicks in after we hit our 80’s.
4. The use of hormone therapy for the treatment of menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats also has a positive effect on improving menofog as well as decreasing the risk of dementia.
5. Aerobic exercise, maintaining a social network, learning new skills, keeping mentally active, eating a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and not smoking will reduce your risk of both menofog and Alzheimer’s disease.

Are you dealing with menofog? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!