Short Dive: The Fog Factor

An explanation of why women experience brain fog and the key factors that contribute to it.

Forgetfulness can be an unsettling experience. Many women describe feeling like a “fog” has settled over their mind, walking into a room and forgetting why, misplacing keys, blanking on names or words they know. If you’ve felt this way, you are far from alone. Minor memory lapses are extremely common in the general population. In fact, everyday life is so hectic that a survey found the average person forgets something (a chore, an item, an appointment) about four times a day. For women especially, these memory blips often carry an extra weight of concern. Culturally, we joke about “mommy brain” when a pregnant woman feels scatterbrained, or laugh off a midlife “senior moment.” But inside, many women worry:

Is there something wrong with me? Why can’t I remember things like I used to?

First, take a deep breath. Occasional forgetfulness is usually not a sign that you’re “losing it” or facing early dementia. Women’s brains go through unique physiological stages and challenges (hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, menopause, stress overload) that can cloud cognition temporarily. Even perfectly healthy women can be forgetful due to stress, lack of sleep, or simply having too much on their plate. As one neurologist quipped,

“How many of us go into a room and say, ‘Why am I in here?’ It’s because we thought of three other things along the way”.

In other words, modern life often overloads our working memory.

That said, persistent or severe forgetfulness should not be ignored. On rare occasions, memory issues in a woman can herald an underlying medical issue anything from a thyroid imbalance to the early stages of a neurodegenerative disease. It’s important to understand when a memory problem might need medical evaluation versus when it’s likely just a passing phase or a benign “fog” that can be lifted with lifestyle changes. This short dive will help you tell the difference.

In the chapters ahead, I’ll explain what forgetfulness really means, why women may experience it more (or differently) than men, and walk through the major causes ranging from normal aging to specific diseases. I’ll explore how forgetfulness manifests at various life stages from the reproductive years (when “baby brain” and menstrual cycle effects are real) to menopause (a very common time for brain fog) to later life.

I’ll also delve into factors that can worsen forgetfulness. Some of these are modifiable triggers like chronic stress, poor sleep, certain medications, or an unhealthy diet. Identifying these can empower you to make changes that clear away mental fog. And for natural solutions, I devote several chapters to evidence-based strategies for cognitive clarity. These include nutritional interventions (foods and supplements that support brain health), herbal remedies with promising research (from ginkgo to bacopa), and lifestyle approaches. I’ll also look at exercises, both physical and mental that improve brain function, because your brain can be trained and strengthened at any age.

Finally, I’ll discuss when it’s time to seek medical help and not just write off memory issues as “normal.” I’ll give guidance on warning signs that merit a doctor’s evaluation, and what that evaluation might entail.

Let’s get started by understanding what exactly we mean by “forgetfulness,” and the different forms it can take. By shedding light on the types and definitions of memory lapses, we can replace fear with clarity and context.