Signs Your Brain Isn’t Working Right Say Doctors
Your brain is your body’s master control center, an incredibly complex organ responsible for your thoughts, emotions, speech, memory and motor skills. As complicated a machine as it is, when something’s gone wrong somewhere in the body, the brain sends some fairly basic signals to alert you. Do you know which symptoms to be on the lookout for? Eat This, Not That! Health asked experts to tell us the most common warning signs your brain is trying to tell you. Read on and to ensure your health, remember:Doctors Say “DO NOT” Do This After Your COVID Vaccine.
Warning Signs Your Brain Is In Trouble
Most people know how important it is to take care of their hearts, and may also take steps to avoid other chronic conditions like diabetes and arthritis, but people may not think much about their brain health until they get older, when brain health may already be significantly compromised. Two-thirds of the 6.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and changes in the brainspecifically, the toxic build-up of proteins that cause the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s diseasecan happen a decade or more before a diagnosis. You can intervene now, and your brain may already be calling out for your help, not just to ward off future dementia but to resolve issues compromising your brain function today.
The brain has ways of alerting you when things aren’t working as well as they could, but to get those messages requires paying attention to your body’s signals. If you are experiencing any of these five signs that your brain health needs attention, then you have the opportunity to make some changes, to get your brain in good working order, and to keep it that way well into old age. Signs your brain needs attention are the following 5read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss theseSure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Brain Tumours That Affect The Pituitary Gland
Because the pituitary gland has such varied functions, tumours in this area can be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms are often due to changes in the levels of the hormones that the gland produces and there is a range of reasons why those hormone levels may fluctuate, hence delaying the diagnosis of a tumour.
Symptoms caused by hormonal fluctuations include:
- Delayed puberty in children
- Loss of muscle mass in adults
- Easy bruising of the skin, often combined with muscle weakness
- Diabetes insipidus, caused by problems with a hormone called vasopressin , commonly known as antidiuretic hormone . Symptoms are extreme thirst and/or excessive urination
Professional medical advice should be sought to check the cause of these symptoms as soon as possible, although they are also more commonly symptomatic of other illnesses or diseases.
However, if no definite alternative cause for your symptoms can be found and if you suspect something is really wrong, and if youre experiencing a combination of these brain tumour symptoms together or in succession, then insist that you or your family member gets referred to a neurologist and for an MRI scan. Early detection and treatment may avoid acute complications later on.
You May Like: Does Parkinson’s Affect The Mind
Are Brain Tumors That Cause Headaches Typically Malignant Or Benign
Headaches associated with malignant or benign tumors can vary. In some cases, a malignant brain tumor may cause no symptoms, while a benign brain tumor can cause debilitating headaches.
Therefore, it’s important to be diagnosed by a doctor, who will typically recommend a CT or MRI scan to identify the type of tumor present.
Symptoms That Can Indicate Your Brain Is In Trouble
1 Poor memoryMost people attribute having a bad memory to getting older. Like it is a normal, healthy thing for your mental acuity to decline. That is NOT TRUE! Yes, many people lose recall as they get older but it is a PREVENTABLE problem. Think of how many sharp older people you know that remember things as if they were 20. Guess what? That can be YOU. If your memory is not as good as it was 10 years ago, it may be a sign that your body isnt functioning as well as it could.
2 Poor decision making being too impulsiveI frequently see people repeatedly making the wrong decisions in their lives. One after another. This is not healthy behavior. In fact, the quality of your life is determined by the quality of the decisions you make. Unfortunately people with brain function issues get so accustomed to making bad decisions. They start believing that is the way things are and blame their misfortunes on the world around them. One of the main reasons people make bad decisions is because they let impulsive behavior take control. The more impulsive you are the less time you give your rational brain to make a more calculated decisions. Having poor decision making abilities is a sign of brain malfunction. Some reasons why this might happen include poor blood flow to the brain, low blood sugar, lack of sleep, or drugs and alcohol.
Don’t Miss: How To Keep Your Brain Sharp As You Age
Learn More About The Areas Of The Brain
The cerebrum is the uppermost and largest part of the brain. It processes sensation, generates thought, and controls conscious activity. The cerebrum has two sides the right and the left hemispheres that each control the opposite side of the body and each side is divided into four lobes with specific functions: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe.
Where To Go If You Need Brain Tumor Treatment
If youre diagnosed with a brain tumor, Dr. Barnett says youll get the best care at a brain tumor center of excellence.
These centers specialize in multidisciplinary treatment forbrain tumors, he explains. You have neurosurgeons who treat patients withbrain tumors every day of the week. You also have radiation oncologists and neuro-oncologistsor medical oncologists who primarily treat patients with brain tumors.
These centers usually offer opportunities to participate in clinical trials, too. So if a tumor has limited treatment options, a brain tumor center can give you access to promising new drugs or immunotherapies that may effectively treat it.
Also Check: Mri Brain With And Without Contrast Cpt
You Experience Brain Fog
If we are talking about chronic inflammation due to lifestyle and/or toxins, brain fog and slowed cognitive skills may be some signs to look out for. When you have brain fog, you might lose your train of thought easily and you’ll have trouble focusing on your everyday tasks. As Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of 365 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power: Tips, Exercise, Advice, tells Bustle, limiting dairy consumption, sugary foods, smoking, and alcohol may help with these symptoms.
What Is Brain Fog Syndrome
Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer. On a cellular level, brain fog is believed to be caused by high levels inflammation and changes to hormones that determine your mood, energy and focus. The imbalanced levels of hormones make the whole system to be thrown off. Also, brain fog syndrome can lead to other conditions such as obesity, abnormal menstruation, and diabetes mellitus.
Don’t Miss: Uhs Outpatient Mental Health Clinic
Symptoms Of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Some people have a condition called mild cognitive impairment , which can be an early sign of Alzheimers. However, not everyone with MCI will develop Alzheimers. People with MCI can still take care of themselves and perform their normal activities. MCI memory problems may include:
What Is A Brain Tumor
Uncontrolled and abnormal cell growth in the brain is called a brain tumor, which is divided into two types:
- Primary: If any brain cells grow and multiply abnormally to cause a brain tumor, this is called a primary tumor.
- Secondary: If abnormal cells have spread to the brain from another part of the body, this is called a secondary tumor. Secondary or metastatic brain tumors are the most common type of brain tumor and they usually spread via the bloodstream. Cancers of the breast, lungs, kidneys, and skin are the ones that most commonly spread to the brain.
You May Like: Dr Caroline Leaf Switch On Your Brain
Changes In The Breasts
Any kind of difference in the appearance and even in the way your breasts feel need immediate doctors attention.
If there is something that you feel wrong and different and something that wasnt there the other day, it is very important that you do see a doctor about it before it can spread and take a shape of an even bigger problem.
Often times, it is best that you look into the changes and ensure that you pay close attention to what is wrong so you can narrate the same to the doctor as per their needs.
Changes in the breasts suddenly can refer to the risks of breast cancer. It could be nothing as well, which is why it is important that you consult someone professional.
Signs something is wrong with your body is something that you need to take seriously. The last thing that you want is to end up struggling with the undiagnosed condition when it takes a turn for the worse. Pay close attention to the symptoms and even the frequency and the intensity of the same. These can effectively help in reducing the risks before they become life-threatening and end up causing worse things to your body beyond your imagination.
Treatment And How To Improve Concentration
A person should consider talking with a doctor about treating the underlying cause of their brain fog. It should clear or improve when the underlying condition is treated or managed, such as by switching medications.
The following are some ways a person can treat the symptom of brain fog. However, they will not generally treat the underlying condition.
Don’t Miss: Signs Of Lack Of Oxygen To Brain
Balance Active Workouts With Active Tune
Many types of exercise stimulate the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for fight or flight responses. Unfortunately, your body doesnt know the difference between running on a treadmill or running from dangerboth look like stress. Stress manifests as brain fog. In order to reduce stress, you need to flex your parasympathetic nervous system, which is engaged during rest and relaxation and helps to calm your body and your mind. You can do this by incorporating more meditation and yoga into your routine.
If Your Body Is Doing These 8 Things Your Brain Is Probably Struggling
Thinking about the possibility of any serious health issue is obviously overwhelming and scary, but considering the risk of some sort of problem in your brain is particularly terrifying. No one wants to assume that any of their random symptoms could mean there’s something potentially bad going on in their head, but it happens and one of the best things you can do for yourself is to know exactly what you should be looking out for so you can call a doctor. If your body is doing the below things, your brain is probably struggling and that can mean a lot of different things.
Of course, the below symptoms are meant to be taken into serious consideration before you come to the worst possible consequence. You probably know that consistent and severe headaches can be a sign that something is going on with your brain and you probably also know that this doesn’t just refer to a headache you get once in a while. If you feel one of these symptoms only sporadically, and you don’t notice any other physical symptoms, chances are, you’re okay. But if you notice these happening quite often, or very severely out of nowhere, it could be worth looking into them further.
In other words: don’t jump to conclusions when you feel one of these things one time, but do consider calling a doctor if you feel them consistently or very badly. Here are some things your body could be doing to let you know your brain is struggling:
Also Check: The Well Trained Mind Academy
Confusing Conditions: Is It A Brain Tumor Migraine Or Something Else
Symptoms of brain tumors can also be similar to those of other medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis .
Most of the time, a headache does not signal the presence of a brain tumor, and experiencing a headache by itself is typically not a cause for concern.
However, signs that a headache could be a symptom of a brain tumor include:
- persistent headache episodes, particularly if the person has no history of severe headache episodes
- headache episodes that increase in intensity over time
- headache episodes that are worse in the morning
- headache episodes that wake a person up from sleep
You’re In A Bad Mooda Lot
Some mood issues, like clinical depression, are obvious and require medical intervention, but people often ignore less obvious mood changes that could be messages from your brain. Frequent anxiety, irritability, sadness, impatience, or bursts of anger can be early signs of dementia, stroke, hypertension, or even diabetes, but they also might simply be signs that you aren’t giving your brain the nutrition it needs to stay balanced and healthy. Deficiencies in B vitamins and zinc can cause mood issues, including depression and irritability, as well as cognitive decline, and too much processed food also correlates with increased risk of depression, mild cognitive impairment, and ADHD. Switching to more whole foods and a Mediterranean diet eating pattern has been shown to improve mood issues, and the polyphenols from vegetables and fruits, along with the omega-3 fatty acids from seafood, are manna from heaven for the brain. There is also quite a bit of evidence that exercising can relieve mood problems, including depression, anxiety, attention issues, fatigue, and social interaction.
Recommended Reading: Joe Rogan On Alpha Brain
The Truth Is Youre Already 100% Worthy
You are 100% worthy.
You cannot DO anything to be more or less worthy.
You may have low self confidence or your opinion of yourself may be low. But your worthiness as a human is 100%.
Youre also human and imperfect. This is not to be confused with being damaged. You are as whole and worthy as Oprah and as a baby. And just like Oprah and that baby, youre an imperfect human, in an imperfect world.
We think we can earn or prove something in our lives. And that in so doing, well become more valuable and be enough.
But we forget were human. Im a human. The person you admire and love THE MOST also has this brain and this thought running through their mind.
You can DO and achieve all the things.
You will still have a survival brain that avoids pain and has a software of something has gone wrong.
You will ALWAYS be slightly unsatisfied. Youll be satisfied with a lot of your achievements. But youll be unsatisfied with what you havent done. There is always more potential. You will never finish.
You cant get rid of it completely.
You dont want to. You want to have some fear. Without it you would likely do crazy things like drink and drive or jump off buildings. You wouldnt have fear or want to avoid pain.
BUT you can stop making it mean so much.
Nothing is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with the world.
The world is supposed to be imperfect. You are supposed to be imperfect. Or we can say both are perfectly imperfect.
A Neuroscientist Tells You Whats Wrong With Your Brain
Dean Burnetts new book, Idiot Brain, explains why your mind evolved to thwart you
Libby Copeland
Dont get him wrong: Dean Burnett loves the brain as much as the next neuroscientist. But if hes being honest, its really quite rubbish in a lot of ways, he says. In his new book, Idiot Brain, Burnett aims to take our most prized organ down a peg or two.
Burnett is most fascinated by the brains tendency to trip us up when its just trying to help. His book explores many of these quirks: How we edit our own memories to make ourselves look better without knowing it how anger persuades us we can take on a bully twice our size and what may cause us to feel like were falling and jerk awake just as were falling asleep.
We caught up with Burnett, who is also a science blogger for The Guardian and a stand-up comic, to ask him some of our everyday questions and frustrations with neuroscience.
Why is it that we get motion sickness when were traveling in a plane or a car?
Why is it so hard to remember the name of someone youve just met, even when you recognize their face?
The brain has a dedicated region for faces. And the brain is very visual. That is by far the most dominant sense. Anything visual has got a much better chance of being lodged in the brain and staying there. A lot more work is required by the conscious part of the brain to take in and remember a name.
The research into this area is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Can you tell me what inspired it?
Recommended Reading: What Is The Medicare-approved Amount For Mental Health Services
Sudden Loss Of Appetite
If you are experiencing a sudden change in your appetite, it is one of the most common signs your body is telling you something is wrong.
It is possible that the same could mean nothing and could be a temporary thing but if that is not the case, we would suggest that you do see a doctor before it unveils something bad for your health.
Often times, it means little to nothing and could be because of digestive issues.
But, there are times when the sudden changes in the appetite could indicate the possibilities of risks of cancer and even an eating disorder that you are possibly not even aware of.
