Long Covid: The lifestyle changes that could help ‘clear’ brain fog – from diet to music

Long Covid victim discusses daily impact of virus

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If you belong to the 1.3 million people living with long Covid in the UK, you may struggle with long-term symptoms, ranging from tiredness to brain fog. As symptoms can complicate day-to-day life, many are looking for effective ways to target certain signs. Between diet and music, there’s plenty that could help with your brain fog.

Research from Cambridge University explains that brain fog is a common problem that occurs post-Covid, with 70 percent of people struggling with the sign.

While brain fog isn’t a medical term, it’s used to explain fuzzy thinking that doesn’t feel sharp.

The Harvard Medical School shares occasions when you might have experienced this sign. They write: “Maybe you were jet-lagged and your thinking was sluggish because it felt like it was 2AM.

“Or perhaps you took an antihistamine or another medication that made your thinking fuzzy for a few hours.”

However, for many people suffering from long Covid, brain fog has become a common occurrence.

Although experts are only beginning to understand the long-term impacts of Covid on the brain, there’s plenty you can do to target this mind sign.

The Harvard Medical School recommends:

• Aerobic exercise
• Eating a Mediterranean-style diet
• Pursuing “beneficial” activities (listening to music, reading a novel)
• Participating in social activities
• Avoiding alcohol and drugs
• Sleeping well.

Aerobic exercise

As the term aerobic means with oxygen, this type of exercise describes using breathing in a way that controls the amount of oxygen that can make it to the muscles to help them burn fuel and move, the Cleveland Clinic details.

The medical school recommends starting slow. Even two to three minutes could be enough at the beginning.

“While there is no established dose of exercise to improve brain health, it’s generally recommended you work toward 30 minutes a day, five days a week,” they note.

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet

Recognised for its plentiful benefits, a Mediterranean-style diet packs plenty of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains.

This type of diet has been found to improve thinking, memory and brain health.

Pursuing “beneficial” activities

The Harvard Medical School recommends listening to music or enjoying a novel.

They share that performing “cognitively stimulating” activities could also help with brain fog.

Participating in social activities

As people generally tend to enjoy socialising, social activities could also help improve thinking and memory.

Avoiding alcohol and drugs

“Give your brain the best chance to heal by avoiding substances which can adversely affect it,” they write.

Sleeping well

Sleep is an important aspect of healing and it could also aid the stubborn long Covid symptom.

This is because sleep is the time when your brain gets the chance to clear out the toxins and “work towards healing”.

The NHS recommends contacting your GP if you’ve been struggling with long Covid symptoms for four weeks or more.

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