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Why you shouldn’t worry if the plane cabin fills with fog

<p dir="ltr">A savvy traveller has shared why plane cabins can fill with fog, and why you need not to worry about it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Passenger Savannah Gowarty posted a video of the suspiciously looking inflight mist and condensation on a domestic US flight, with the video garnered over 13.1 million views, and amazing and confusing commentators questioning what was going on.</p> <p dir="ltr">In response to the viral video, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson told <em><a href="https://cnn.com/travel">CNN Travel</a></em> what it means. </p> <p dir="ltr">The short answer: it's a natural occurrence that usually only lasts a short while, and it's nothing to worry about.</p> <p dir="ltr">"On hot and relatively humid days, cold air from the aircraft's air conditioning system mixes with the warmer, humid cabin air and lowers it to the dew point, creating fog," the spokesperson said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The fog is generally short-lived as the cooled air quickly warms above the dew point."</p> <p dir="ltr">When an airplane is waiting on the ground pre-departure, the aircraft cabin air is kept cool "either from an external ground air conditioning unit or the aircraft's own Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)," as the FAA spokesperson explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Both provide cold air (usually much cooler than the ambient temperature) which can temporarily lower the dew point of the aircraft cabin air enough to create fog."</p> <p dir="ltr">Climate scientist Indrani Roy emphasised that neither mist nor any resulting condensation is "cause for alarm."</p> <p dir="ltr">The FAA spokesperson went on to explain that "aircraft cabin fog usually dissipates very quickly."</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is due to the colder air (which lowered the cabin air temperature to its dew point) quickly warms back above the dew point. Once that happens, the fog will disappear.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many times, the fog only appears as it comes out of the vent, exists for 1-2 seconds and then is gone."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog? Here’s what we know about phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caroline-gurvich-473295">Caroline Gurvich</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-varney-963066">Jane Varney</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jayashri-kulkarni-185">Jayashri Kulkarni</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>While some women glide through menopause, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26271251/">more than 85%</a> experience one or more unpleasant symptoms, which can impact their physical and mental health, daily activities and quality of life.</p> <p>Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common of these, affecting <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29393299/">75% of women</a> and the symptom for which most women seek treatment. Others include changes in weight and body composition, skin changes, poor sleep, headaches, joint pain, vaginal dryness, depression and brain fog.</p> <p>While menopause hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, it is sometimes not recommended (such as following breast cancer, as there is conflicting evidence about the safety of menopause hormone therapy following breast cancer) or avoided by people, who may seek non-hormonal therapies to manage symptoms. In Australia it is estimated <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26224187/">more than one-third</a> of women seek complementary or alternative medicines to manage menopausal symptoms.</p> <p>But do they work? Or are they a waste of time and considerable amounts of money?</p> <h2>What’s on the market?</h2> <p>The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30868921/">complementary or alternative interventions</a> for menopausal symptoms are almost as varied as the symptoms themselves. They include everything from mind-body practices (hypnosis, cognitive behavioural therapy and meditation) to alternative medicine approaches (traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture) and natural products (herbal and dietary supplements).</p> <p>There is some evidence to support the use of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23435026/">hypnosis</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336748/">cognitive behaviour therapy</a> for the treatment of hot flushes. Indeed these therapies are recommended in <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/getattachment/bfaa5918-ddc4-4bcb-93cc-d3d956c1bbfd/Making-choices-at-menopause.aspx">clinical treatment guidelines</a>. But there is less certainty around the benefit of other commonly used complementary and alternative medicines, particularly nutritional supplements.</p> <p>The most popular <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26224187/">nutritional supplements</a> for hot flushes are phytoestrogens (or plant estrogens). This trend has been driven in part by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11915645/HRT-not-supplement-created-experts-women-RAVING-effects.html">supplement companies</a> that promote such agents as a safer or more natural alternative to hormone therapy.</p> <h2>What are phytoestrogens?</h2> <p>Phytoestrogens are plant-derived substances that can show oestrogen-like activity when ingested.</p> <p>There are numerous types including isoflavones, coumestans and lignans. These can be consumed in the form of food (from whole soybeans, soy-based foods such as tofu and soy milk, legumes, wholegrains, flaxseeds, fruits and vegetables) and in commercially produced supplements. In the latter category, extracts from soy and red clover yield isoflavones and flaxseed gives us lignans.</p> <p>Because declining oestrogen levels drive menopausal symptoms, the theory is that consuming a “natural”, plant-based substance that acts like oestrogen will provide relief.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528788/original/file-20230529-17-mh3zlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Soy-rich foods on a table: edamame, soy milk, soy sauce" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Phytoestrogens can be consumed in foods like tofu or soy milk.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/soy-bean-tofu-other-products-187030769">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What does the evidence say?</h2> <p>In the case of isoflavones, initial support came from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23562010/">epidemiological data</a> showing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15919681/">women in Asian countries</a>, consuming a traditional, phytoestrogen-rich diet (that is, one including tofu, miso and fermented or boiled soybeans), experienced fewer menopausal symptoms than women in Western countries.</p> <p>However, several factors may influence the effect of dietary phytoestrogens on menopausal symptoms. This includes gut microbiota, with research showing only around <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15919681/">30% of women</a> from Western populations possess the gut microbiota needed to convert isoflavones to their active form, known as equol, compared to an estimated 50–60% of menopausal women from Japanese populations.</p> <p>Circulating oestrogen levels (which drop considerably during menopause) and the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/11/5/495/605995">duration of soy intake</a> (longer-term intake being more favourable) may also influence the effect of dietary phytoestrogens on menopausal symptoms.</p> <p>Overall, evidence regarding the benefit of phytoestrogens for hot flushes is fairly mixed. A <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001395.pub4/full">Cochrane review</a> synthesised study results and failed to find conclusive evidence phytoestrogens, in food or supplement form, reduced the frequency or severity of hot flushes or night sweats in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women.</p> <p>The review did note genistein extracts (an isoflavone found in soy and fava beans) may reduce the number of hot flushes experienced by symptomatic, postmenopausal women, though to a lesser extent than hormone therapy.</p> <p>Another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36253903/">recent study</a> showed marked reductions in hot flushes in women following a low fat, vegan diet supplemented with daily soybeans. However, it was questioned whether concurrent weight loss contributed to this benefit.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://ranzcog.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Managing-menopausal-symptoms.pdf">clinical guidelines</a> do not endorse the routine use of phytoestrogens. <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/chapter/Recommendations#managing-short-term-menopausal-symptoms">Guidelines for the United Kingdom</a> note some support for the benefit of isoflavones, but highlight multiple preparations are available, their safety is uncertain and interactions with other medicines have been reported.</p> <h2>Can phytoestrogens help the psychological symptoms of menopause?</h2> <p>Less research has explored whether phytoestrogens improve psychological symptoms of menopause, such as depression, anxiety and <a href="https://theconversation.com/brain-fog-during-menopause-is-real-it-can-disrupt-womens-work-and-spark-dementia-fears-173150">brain fog</a>.</p> <p>A recent systematic review and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33987926/">meta-analysis</a> found phytoestrogens reduce depression in post- but not perimenopausal women. Whereas a more <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9022873/">recent clinical trial</a> failed to find an improvement.</p> <p>Some research suggests phytoestrogens may reduce the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076015301254?via=ihub">risk of dementia</a>, but there are no conclusive findings regarding their effect on menopausal brain fog.</p> <h2>The bottom line</h2> <p>At present there is uncertainty about the benefit of phytoestrogens for menopause symptoms.</p> <p>If you do wish to see if they might work for you, start by including more phytoestrogen-rich foods in your diet. Examples include tempeh, soybeans, tofu, miso, soy milk (from whole soybeans), oats, barley, quinoa, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans and alfalfa.</p> <p>Try including one to two serves per day for around three months and monitor symptoms. These are nutritious and good for overall health, irrespective of the effects on menopausal symptoms.</p> <p>Before you trial any supplements, discuss them first with your doctor (especially if you have a history of breast cancer), monitor your symptoms for around three months, and if there’s no improvement, stop taking them.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204801/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caroline-gurvich-473295">Caroline Gurvich</a>, Associate Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-varney-963066">Jane Varney</a>, Senior Research Dietitian in the Department of Gastroenterology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jayashri-kulkarni-185">Jayashri Kulkarni</a>, Professor of Psychiatry, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hot-flushes-night-sweats-brain-fog-heres-what-we-know-about-phytoestrogens-for-menopausal-symptoms-204801">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Body

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Long COVID symptoms not ‘all in the head’

<p>Researchers have found new evidence linking COVID-19 and changes to the brain.</p> <p>A <a href="https://kirby.unsw.edu.au/news/least-two-thirds-australians-including-children-and-adolescents-have-had-covid-19-two-national" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent survey</a> has shown that at least two thirds of all Australians have had COVID-19 and in the US figures suggest that around <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220622.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in five adults</a> will develop long-term effects from infection.</p> <p>‘<a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/is-long-covid-real-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Long COVID</a>’ effects can include lasting neurological issues, as well as changes to vital organs such as the heart and lungs, even when the original COVID-19 infection was asymptomatic. Sufferers of long COVID often report trouble sleeping, difficulties concentrating or thinking, changes in mood (such as heightened levels of depression or anxiety) and complications like headaches, light-headedness, pins and needles and changes in the sense of smell or taste.</p> <p>Now, <a href="https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/rsna/newsroom2022.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers have found evidence</a> for significant changes in parts of the brain that may correspond to many of the most common neurological symptoms.</p> <p>Using a specialised type of MRI scan known as ‘magnetic susceptibility’ researchers compared the brains of 46 patients up to six months after they have recovered from COVID-19 with a control group of 30 healthy participants.</p> <p>Magnetic susceptibility is often used to detect and keep an eye on other conditions like microbleeds, tumours and strokes.</p> <p>“Our study highlights this new aspect of the neurological effects of COVID-19 and reports significant abnormalities in COVID survivors,” said study co-author Sapna S. Mishra, a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> </div> <p>Although there have been reports on abnormalities in magnetic susceptibility of the brain post-COVID-19 recovery, there has so far been little research on it.</p> <p>These ‘abnormalities’ include significant changes in the parts of the frontal lobe and brain stem. Affected parts of the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/news/does-language-born-into-change-our-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">frontal lobe</a> are associated with understanding and forming language, cognitive functions such as attention, motor inhibition and imagery, as well as social cognitive processes, while changes in the brain stem were in regions associated with systems controlling hormone regulation, sensory relay and maintaining circadian rhythms.</p> <p>“These brain regions are linked with fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, headaches and cognitive problems,” Mishra said. “This study points to serious long-term complications that may be caused by the coronavirus, even months after recovery from the infection.”</p> <p>At this stage, the study only provides a snapshot of patients up to 6 months post-recovery, although the research team plan to continue monitoring the patient cohort.</p> <p>“The present findings are from the small temporal window,” said Mishra. “However, the longitudinal time points across a couple of years will elucidate if there exists any permanent change.”</p> <div class="advert ad-in-content"><!-- CosmosMagazine - MPU- In Content (00000000001fc2ca) --></p> <div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca" style="display: none;"></div> </div> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=225622&amp;title=Long+COVID+symptoms+not+%E2%80%98all+in+the+head%E2%80%99" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/long-covid-not-all-in-the-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Clare Kenyon. </em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

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Long COVID: How lost connections between nerve cells in the brain may explain cognitive symptoms

<p>For a portion of people who get COVID, symptoms continue for <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk/6october2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">months or even years</a> after the initial infection. This is commonly referred to as “long COVID”.</p> <p>Some people with long COVID complain of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-and-what-isnt-brain-fog-190537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brain fog</a>”, which includes a wide variety of cognitive symptoms affecting memory, concentration, sleep and speech. There’s also growing concern about findings that people who have had COVID are at <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(22)00260-7/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased risk</a> of developing brain disorders, such as dementia.</p> <p>Scientists are working to understand how exactly a COVID infection affects the human brain. But this is difficult to study, because we can’t experiment on living people’s brains. One way around this is to create <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00279-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organoids</a>, which are miniature organs grown from stem cells.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01786-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a>, we created brain organoids a little bigger than a pinhead and infected them with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.</p> <p>In these organoids, we found that an excessive number of synapses (the connections between brain cells) were eliminated – more than you would expect to see in a normal brain.</p> <p>Synapses are important because they allow neurons to communicate with each other. Still, the elimination of a certain amount of inactive synapses is part of normal brain function. The brain essentially gets rid of old connections when they’re no longer needed, and makes way for new connections, allowing for more efficient functioning.</p> <p>One of the crucial functions of the brain’s immune cells, or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5768411/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microglia</a>, is to prune these inactive synapses.</p> <p>The exaggerated elimination of synapses we saw in the COVID-infected models could explain why some people have cognitive symptoms as part of long COVID.</p> <p><strong>Parallels with neurodegenerative disorders</strong></p> <p>Interestingly, this pruning process is believed to go awry in several disorders affecting the brain. In particular, excessive elimination of synapses has recently been linked to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0334-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neurodevelopmental disorders</a> such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0334-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schizophrenia</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2019.00063/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neurodegenerative disorders</a> such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p>By sequencing the RNA of single cells, we could study how different cell types in the organoid responded to the virus. We found that the pattern of genes turned on and off by the microglia in our COVID-infected organoids mimicked changes seen in neurodegenerative disorders.</p> <p>This may go some way in explaining the link between COVID and the risk of developing certain neurological disorders.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491380/original/file-20221024-17-9wi5pg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A brain organoid used in our study. You can see the microglial cells in red.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sellgren lab</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>A possible target for treatment</strong></p> <p>One limitation of our research is that our organoid models closely resemble the foetal or early brain, rather than the adult brain. So we can’t say for sure whether the changes we noted in our study will necessarily be reflected in the adult brain.</p> <p>However, some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33248159/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post-mortem</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35255491/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imaging studies</a> report neuronal death and reduction in grey matter thickness in COVID patients, which hints at similar instances of synapse loss caused by an infection in adults.</p> <p>If this proves to be a fruitful line of enquiry, we believe our findings could point to a mechanism contributing to persisting cognitive symptoms after COVID and other viral infections that affect the brain.</p> <p>SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus and similar <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27337340/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">processes</a> have been seen in mice infected with other RNA viruses that can also cause residual cognitive symptoms, such as the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31235930/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Nile virus</a>.</p> <p>From here we want to study how different drugs could inhibit the changes we saw in the infected models, hopefully paving the way towards effective treatments. In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410571/">other research</a>, we’ve observed that an antibiotic called minocycline can reduce the degree to which microglia prune synapses in a dish. So we want to see if this drug can help in our brain organoid models following SARS-CoV-2 infection.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192702/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Writen by Samudyata and </em><em>Carl Sellgren</em><em>. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/long-covid-how-lost-connections-between-nerve-cells-in-the-brain-may-explain-cognitive-symptoms-192702" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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5 silent signs you’re being exposed to mould

<h2>The damaging effects of moul</h2> <p>Sneezing, coughing, feeling down and tired? While these sensations might make you think cold or fall allergy symptoms, you may want to keep an eye on how you feel over time. If they tend to linger or get worse whenever you’re at home, this could be a sign that you’re being exposed to mould.</p> <p>We spoke with Michael Rubino, a mould and air quality authority as well as author of The Mould Medic, an Expert’s Guide on Mould Removal. Rubino points out that in addition to respiratory issues, mould exposure has actually been linked to early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s in previous research. “We spend 90% of our time indoors,” he says. “We’re learning new things every day about all the effects our homes can have on our health, but all signs are kind of leading into the same place – that if we want to improve our health, the air we breathe has a very profound effect on it.”</p> <p>It’s true: especially if you haven’t been paying attention to the sneaky spots mould grows, being exposed to mould over time can lead to serious consequences. While routinely cleaning is extremely important for controlling the mould in your home, also be aware of these silent signs of mould exposure before any illness gets worse.</p> <h2>You may experience allergy-like symptoms</h2> <p>While allergies are growing more common, allergy-like symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes and throat, stuffy nose, skin irritation and rashes are also early signs of mould exposure – also known as mould toxicity. “Usually it starts off with unusual allergies,” says Rubino. “They notice they’re getting sick more frequently; maybe their nose is stuffy [or] they’re having allergic-type symptoms.”</p> <p>Rubino says these mould exposure symptoms can pop up with various timelines – sometimes immediately, or sometimes with delayed reactions. If you’re experiencing chronic allergy-like symptoms while you’re at home, talk with your doctor.</p> <h2>You may have trouble breathing</h2> <p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to mould can also trigger asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath and wheezing. This can be a common symptom of mould exposure even for those who don’t experience allergies on a seasonal basis.</p> <p>The CDC also points to previous research that found exposure to mould can make any pre-existing asthma worse.</p> <h2>You may feel fatigued</h2> <p>Let’s face it: fatigue is a common symptom for lots of us. But Rubino points out that feeling fatigued is also a common result of exposure to mould at home.</p> <p>A 2013 study published in Toxins found exposure to different kinds of mould – especially mycotoxins, the kind of mould that can grow on food as well as under warm and humid conditions within the home – can cause feelings of chronic fatigue.</p> <h2>You may experience brain fog</h2> <p>Along with fatigue, being exposed to mould can also cause feelings of brain fog, which results in feeling sluggish and even forgetful. Rubino points out that it is typically a result of inflammation the body is experiencing when exposed to mould: “You start to experience gut issues due to the inflammation that mould and toxins can cause. Gut inflammation can lead to brain inflammation which then can cause a whole host of neuropsychiatric symptoms.”</p> <p>Experts point out that mould is an irritant to the body that can cause an inflammatory response. Just as one example, one 2009 neuropsychology study suggested that when the brain is chronically inflamed due to mould exposure, this can even lead to long-term cognitive impairment.</p> <h2>You may feel particularly anxious or depressed</h2> <p>“We are seeing a lot of studies that show that [mould is] impacting people’s mental health [through] people’s anxiety and depression,” Rubino says. According to an article published through Environmental Health Perspectives, those who are exposed to damp, mouldy households have a 34% to 44% higher risk of depression.</p> <p>Further studies in recent years, such as one in 2020, have demonstrated that mould exposure can increase anxiety-like behaviour.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/5-silent-signs-youre-being-exposed-to-mould" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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What is – and what isn’t – ‘brain fog’?

<p>The COVID pandemic has introduced many scientific and medical terms into our everyday language. Many of us are now fluent in conversations about viral strains, PCR tests and mortality rates. “Brain fog” has joined these ranks to describe a now-familiar symptom of COVID and long COVID.</p> <p>But what exactly is brain fog, and is it limited to COVID?</p> <p><strong>It is what it sounds like</strong></p> <p>Brain fog is not a medical diagnosis, but rather the description patients tend to use for their symptoms. Brain fog is what doctors refer to as “cognitive dysfunction”. This describes problems with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4084861/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closely linked tasks</a> such as concentration, information processing, memory, thinking and reasoning, and making sense of language.</p> <p>Brain fog is exactly what it sounds like: a feeling something like being shrouded by a thick fog, not quite able to grasp ideas, feeling confused or disoriented, and having trouble concentrating or recalling memories.</p> <p>Sufferers <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describe experiences</a> with brain fog as lapses in memory and concentration, with <a href="https://medika.life/the-complete-a-to-z-of-long-haul-covid-symptoms-what-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some saying</a> they “put food on the gas stove and walked away for over an hour, only noticing when they were burning”.</p> <p>Other people say they “forget how to do normal routines like running a meeting at work”.</p> <p>Brain fog can make even simple tasks like grocery shopping very difficult: navigating the car park, remembering a list of items to buy, switching attention between products and prices, and reading ingredients can be confusing, overwhelming and exhausting.</p> <p>Brain fog can be unpleasant in the short term, but over time can make it difficult to work and maintain social activities. Brain fog can also take a toll on relationships, and change the way we see ourselves <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">personally and professionally</a>.</p> <p>One recent study asked people with long COVID about their experiences <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with brain fog</a>. They reported feeling guilt and shame, especially about how brain fog had affected their ability to return to work and their relationships.</p> <p>While the symptoms of brain fog can be similar to those experienced by people with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions associated with older age, brain fog can affect people of any age. Brain fog doesn’t usually worsen over time, and may not last forever.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">"the most commonly reported symptoms included breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain and 'brain fog,' or reduced mental acuity" <a href="https://t.co/wx1E0MzaRG">https://t.co/wx1E0MzaRG</a></p> <p>— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) <a href="https://twitter.com/thegarance/status/1580583732968161280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Linked to COVID</strong></p> <p>Brain fog was one of the most common symptoms to emerge in the <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first months</a> of the COVID pandemic.</p> <p>Recent reports suggest <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35121209/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20-30%</a> of people have brain fog three months after infection. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up to 85%</a> of people with long COVID also have brain fog.</p> <p>Although we’re hearing a lot about brain fog in relation to COVID, people experience the symptom with many other diseases and disorders.</p> <p>Scientists aren’t sure whether the same biological processes underpin brain fog in different illnesses; however, brain fog is common among people recovering from <a href="https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/92/4/407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traumatic brain injury</a>, experiencing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388340/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persistent post-concussion symptoms</a>, with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04764-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29623059/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fibromyalgia</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406482/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIV</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161607/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postural tachycardia syndrome</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8217391/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lupus</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29945190/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome</a>, and as a side-effect of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15384101.2017.1334022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemotherapy</a>. People with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgh.13706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coeliac disease</a> may even experience brain fog after consuming gluten. It’s also been reported as a symptom of <a href="https://theconversation.com/brain-fog-during-menopause-is-real-it-can-disrupt-womens-work-and-spark-dementia-fears-173150#:%7E:text=What%20kind%20of%20foggy%20thinking,with%20concentrating%20or%20making%20decisions." target="_blank" rel="noopener">menopause</a>.</p> <p><strong>What causes it?</strong></p> <p>While COVID may cause <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrinkage of some brain areas</a>, brain fog itself has not been linked to brain volume changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scans</a>.</p> <p>However, a new case report of two people found that while they had normal clinical MRI findings, they also had <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-021-10655-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreases in oxygen use</a> in a specific part of the brain called the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537077/#:%7E:text=The%20cingulate%20cortex%20is%20a,part%20of%20the%20limbic%20system." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cingulate cortex</a>. This area, within the <a href="https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system#:%7E:text=The%20limbic%20system%20is%20the,and%20fight%20or%20flight%20responses." target="_blank" rel="noopener">limbic system</a>, is thought to be involved in attention and memory.</p> <p>There isn’t one single test for brain fog, so it can be difficult to diagnose. Although there are combinations of tests that can be used, formal testing may not always be helpful because symptoms can look different for each person, and some days may be worse than others.</p> <p><strong>How do you know if you have it?</strong></p> <p>Traditional <a href="https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-a-cognitive-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assessments</a> can test a person’s executive function and cognitive status. But findings have been mixed in people with brain fog due to COVID.</p> <p>Some studies have found more problems with attention and executive function in people who have <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.699582/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had COVID</a>. Cognitive deficits linked to brain fog have also been reported as worse for those with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258953702200147X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more severe COVID infection</a>.</p> <p>But other researchers have found standard cognitive screening tests don’t show good specificity for brain fog (that is, they might not detect the absence of the condition and produce false negatives) and may not determine the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834322000962#s0010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severity of brain fog</a>.</p> <p>A new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379122002993?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> suggested conflicting findings in studies on brain fog might be due to the brain functions assessed by different tests. People with both mild and more severe cases of COVID might experience problems with processing speed, reasoning, verbal and overall performance, but no problems with memory. So studies that use tests for memory are less likely to show the effects of brain fog, no matter the severity.</p> <p>Outside of scientific studies, brain fog diagnosis is most likely to be based on the symptoms and experiences people report once other causes, such as not sleeping enough, stress or hormonal changes, have been ruled out.</p> <p>If you think you may be experiencing brain fog, it would be worthwhile to note down your symptoms and track them over several weeks, alongside any changes in stress, diet or sleep. This information can help your doctor understand your symptoms and help you manage them.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Researchers chasing long COVID cures are eager to learn whether naltrexone, a generic drug typically used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction, can offer benefits to millions suffering from pain, fatigue and brain fog months after a coronavirus infection <a href="https://t.co/fXiU6IbScH">https://t.co/fXiU6IbScH</a></p> <p>— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1582326898797211648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>How to manage</strong></p> <p>For people experiencing brain fog, developing coping strategies and prioritising time to rest may help to <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manage symptoms</a>. Coping strategies could involve making lists, using visual reminders (such as calendars, digital alerts and timers), and altering work duties where possible.</p> <p>Clinical trials are underway for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/addiction-drug-shows-promise-lifting-long-covid-brain-fog-fatigue-2022-10-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">naltrexone</a>, a medication used for alcohol and opioid drug addition, which has shown promise in reducing brain fog. While not currently available as a brain fog treatment in Australia, initial <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354622000758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> in Ireland shows it is safe and effective in low doses.</p> <p>Aside from getting enough sleep, people are often encouraged to approach recovery from brain fog holistically. This means looking at their entire health picture and prioritising exercise and a healthy diet. If you are concerned about brain fog, your GP can refer you to a neurologist or neuropsychologist for further assessment and management.</p> <p><em>Writen by Sarah Hellewell. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-and-what-isnt-brain-fog-190537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. -->Image: Getty Images<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190537/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></em><!-- End of code. 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Mind

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We studied how COVID affects mental health and brain disorders up to two years after infection – here’s what we found

<p>The occurrence of mental health conditions and neurological disorders among people recovering from COVID has been a concern since early in the pandemic. Several studies have shown that a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215036621000845" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant proportion</a> of adults <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00042-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face problems</a> of this kind, and that the risks are greater than following other infections.</p> <p>However, several questions remain. Do the risks of psychiatric and neurological problems dissipate, and if so, when? Are the risks similar in children as in adults? Are there differences between COVID variants?</p> <p>Our new study, published in <em><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(22)00260-7/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lancet Psychiatry</a></em>, explored these issues. In analyses led by my colleague Maxime Taquet, we used the electronic health records of about 1.25 million people diagnosed with COVID, mostly from the US. We tracked the occurrence of 14 major neurological and psychiatric diagnoses in these patients for up to two years.</p> <p>We compared these risks with a closely matched control group of people who had been diagnosed with a respiratory infection other than COVID.</p> <p>We examined children (aged under 18), adults (18-65) and older adults (over 65) separately.</p> <p>We also compared people who contracted COVID just after the emergence of a new variant (notably omicron, but earlier variants too) with those who did so just beforehand.</p> <p>Our findings are a mixture of good and bad news. Reassuringly, although we observed a greater risk of common psychiatric disorders (anxiety and depression) after COVID infection, this heightened risk rapidly subsided. The rates of these disorders among people who had COVID were no different from those who had other respiratory infections within a couple of months, and there was no overall excess of these disorders over the two years.</p> <p>It was also good news that children were not at greater risk of these disorders at any stage after COVID infection.</p> <p>We also found that people who had had COVID were not at higher risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, which had been a concern early in the pandemic.</p> <p>Other findings were more worrying. The risks of being diagnosed with some disorders, such as psychosis, seizures or epilepsy, brain fog and dementia, though mostly still low, remained elevated throughout the two years after COVID infection. For example, the risk of dementia in older adults was 4.5% in the two years after COVID compared with 3.3% in those with another respiratory infection.</p> <p>We also saw an ongoing risk of psychosis and seizures in children.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479705/original/file-20220817-11701-ygfp4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A woman sits by a window, hiding her head." /></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Rates of depression and anxiety were higher after COVID, but only for a short time.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-young-blonde-caucasian-female-feeling-2057071157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stock Unit/Shutterstock</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>In terms of variants, although our data confirms that omicron is a much milder illness than the previous delta variant, survivors remained at similar risk of the neurological and psychiatric conditions we looked at.</p> <p>However, given how recently omicron emerged, the data we have for people who were infected with this variant only goes up to about five months after infection. So the picture may change.</p> <p><strong>Mixed results</strong></p> <p>Overall, our study reveals a mixed picture, with some disorders showing a transient excess risk after COVID, while other disorders have a sustained risk. For the most part, the findings are reassuring in children, but with some concerning exceptions.</p> <p>The results on omicron, the variant currently dominant around the world, indicate that the burden of these disorders is likely to continue, even though this variant is milder in other respects.</p> <p>The study has important caveats. Our findings don’t capture people who may have had COVID but it wasn’t documented in their health records – perhaps because they didn’t have symptoms.</p> <p>And we cannot fully account for the effect of vaccination, because we didn’t have complete information about vaccination status, and some people in our study caught COVID before vaccines became available. That said, in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35447302/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a previous study</a> we showed the risks of these outcomes were pretty similar in people who caught COVID after being vaccinated, so this might not have significantly affected the results.</p> <p>Also, the risks observed in our study are relative to people who had had other respiratory infections. We don’t know how they compare to people without any infection. We also don’t know how severe or long lasting the disorders were.</p> <p>Finally, our study is observational and so cannot explain how or why COVID is associated with these risks. Current theories include persistence of the virus in the nervous system, the immune reaction to the infection, or problems with blood vessels. These are being investigated in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/braincomms/advance-article/doi/10.1093/braincomms/fcac206/6668727?searchresult=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">separate research</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188918/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-harrison-1371295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Harrison</a>, Professor of Psychiatry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-oxford-1260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Oxford</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-studied-how-covid-affects-mental-health-and-brain-disorders-up-to-two-years-after-infection-heres-what-we-found-188918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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‘Brain fog’ during menopause is real – it can disrupt women’s work and spark dementia fears

<p>For nearly two-thirds of women, menopause comes with an undesirable <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/152460901750269670">change in memory</a>.</p> <p>Despite great progress in understanding the medical aspects of <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/menopause#what-is-menopause">menopause</a> – a natural part of life that occurs when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 months – we are only beginning to recognise the experience and impact of <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/17042/the-psychology-of-menopause#overview">cognitive changes during menopause</a>.</p> <p>In most cases, it appears cognitive changes – that is, problems with thinking, reasoning or remembering – during menopause are subtle and possibly temporary. But for some women, these difficulties can negatively impact work productivity. And for others, they can raise concerns about developing dementia.</p> <h2>The Big M</h2> <p>Menopause marks the end of reproductive years. It can happen naturally, at an average age of 49 years, when the hairlike follicles in the ovaries are exhausted. Menopause can also happen surgically, with the removal of both ovaries (for example to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer).</p> <p>The change from reproductive to postmenopausal years, referred to as “perimenopause” usually lasts four to ten years.</p> <p>The symptoms of menopause, which can include vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), vaginal dryness, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety and “brain fog” can span perimenopause and last for up to ten years.</p> <h2>What kind of foggy thinking?</h2> <p>Just over 60% of women <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/152460901750269670">report cognitive difficulties</a> during their menopause transition.</p> <p>Women describe difficulties remembering people’s names or finding the right word in conversation. Some describe difficulties with concentrating or making decisions. As discussed in our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0083672920300686?via%3Dihub">recent review</a>, these “subjective cognitive difficulties” appear to be linked to performance on tests of memory, recall and processing.</p> <p>Difficulties on tests of verbal memory (learning and remembering information new words you have heard), verbal fluency (quickly retrieving words from your memory) and attention are seen in perimenopausal women.</p> <h2>Women at work</h2> <p>While the degree of cognitive decline is subtle and performance generally remains within the normal limits of functioning, the symptoms can be bothersome for the individual. For many women, menopause coincides with the prime of their productive lives, when the load of caring for young children has eased and they’ve garnered experience and seniority in the workplace.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436857/original/file-20211210-141979-g7ejsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436857/original/file-20211210-141979-g7ejsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Woman in glasses" /></a> <span class="caption">Women might be hitting their professional peak just as menopause affects their cognition.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559856553-823ca11d1518?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=2108&amp;q=80" class="source">Unsplash/Maria Lupan</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" class="license">CC BY</a></span></p> <p>There is growing interest in the impact of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214911221000242?via%3Dihub">menopausal symptoms in the workplace</a>. Research suggests menopause symptoms can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25830628/">adversely affect</a> work productivity and work satisfaction.</p> <p>Contributing factors include poor concentration and poor memory. The retention of menopausal female workers is important, for women themselves, but also to ensure we continue to strive for workforce diversity within our modern workforce.</p> <h2>What causes menopausal brain fog?</h2> <p>“Brain fog” is not a medical or psychological term, but a lay term that aptly describes the fogginess in thought experienced by many women during menopause.</p> <p>Menopause related cognitive changes are not just age-related cognitive decline. Rather, fluctuating and eventual decline of ovarian hormone production associated with menopause is likely to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763981/">play a key role</a>.</p> <p>Hormones produced by the ovaries, estradiol (a type of estrogen) and progesterone, are potent brain chemicals that are thought to protect the brain and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162653/">enhance thinking and memory</a>. The fluctuations and eventual loss of estradiol has been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162653/">suggested</a> to contribute to cognitive difficulties.</p> <p>Cognitive symptoms can occur in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/171/11/1214/102233">absence of other menopausal symptoms</a>. This means other menopausal symptoms are not responsible for cognitive symptoms. However, menopause related depressive and anxiety symptoms, sleep disturbance and vasomotor symptoms <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/171/11/1214/102233">may make cognitive symptoms worse</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436861/original/file-20211210-17-qacocb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436861/original/file-20211210-17-qacocb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Working women share coffee" /></a> <span class="caption">More research is needed to determine if lifestyle changes could buffer cognitive problems related to menopause.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1590650046871-92c887180603?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1770&amp;q=80" class="source">Unsplash</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" class="license">CC BY</a></span></p> <h2>Is there a link with Alzheimer’s disease?</h2> <p>Alzheimer’s disease is the <a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/types-of-dementia">most common form of dementia</a> and <a href="https://www.alz.org/blog/alz/february_2016/why_does_alzheimer_s_disease_affect_more_women_tha#:%7E:text=Women%20are%20disproportionately%20affected%20by,with%20Alzheimer's%20disease%20are%20women.">being female is a risk factor</a>. The greater longevity of women does not explain this increased risk.</p> <p>Instead, the loss of estradiol associated with menopause has been suggested to play a role. Early menopause, such as surgical menopause before the age of 45 years, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453018311478?casa_token=v6m5g8k3kCcAAAAA:cW3RhpbLs2tAD7o2hcIXTR_e-LCQAv77WMpnciHZ8Rgp2cLJhwW74evz28z0Uf47JjZeF9V16c-U">has been associated</a> with an increased risk of dementia later in life as well as a faster rate of cognitive decline.</p> <p>Because similar symptoms may present during menopause and the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (forgetfulness and word-finding difficulties) perimenopausal women can become concerned about dementia.</p> <p>Women should be reassured that dementia that begins before age 65 – called young onset dementia – is not common (unless there is a family history of early-onset dementia). Forgetfulness and other cognitive difficulties during the menopausal transition are common and a normal part of menopause.</p> <h2>What can help?</h2> <p>Although fluctuations and an eventual decline in estrogen play a role in cognitive difficulties, the use of hormone therapy <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8394691/">does not appear to have a clear benefit</a> on cognitive function (but evidence remains limited).</p> <p>More research is needed to determine whether lifestyle factors can help menopausal brain fog. We do know exercise can improve cognition during <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7907999/">midlife</a>, mindfulness and meditation may be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4125424/">helpful</a>.</p> <p>At Monash University, we are currently conducting an <a href="https://redcap.link/menopause">online survey</a> for women aged 45 to 60 to better understand cognitive symptoms during menopause.</p> <p>Avoiding illicit drugs, prescription medication overuse, smoking and excessive alcohol may be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8293659/">protective</a>. A diet that includes plant-based unprocessed foods (such as a Mediterranean diet), close social bonds and engagement, and a higher level of education have been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624903/">broadly linked</a> to better cognitive functioning during later life.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173150/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caroline-gurvich-473295">Caroline Gurvich</a>, Associate professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chen-zhu-1298027">Chen Zhu</a>, , <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shalini-arunogiri-385503">Shalini Arunogiri</a>, Addiction Psychiatrist, Senior Lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brain-fog-during-menopause-is-real-it-can-disrupt-womens-work-and-spark-dementia-fears-173150">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Unsplash/Gantas Vaiciulenas</em></p>

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COVID-19 often comes with a side of “brain fog”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new study has found that a large number of people infected with COVID-19 have suffered from poorer memory and shorter attention spans months after recovering.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers from New York’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai studied over 700 patients who tested positive to COVID-19, asking them to complete several tasks several months after they were first infected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tasks tested their cognitive function using “well-validated neuropsychological measures”, including their attention, working memory, memory recall and processing speed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team found a “relatively high” number of patients who experienced cognitive impairment after contracting the virus.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They reported that 133 patients’ brains were slower, 118 had shorter attention spans, and 170-178 had “slipperier” memories. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Patients who were hospitalised were also more likely to have impaired attention spans, and memory encoding and recall, in comparison to a group of participants who were outpatients and had a less severe reaction to being infected with COVID-19.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The researchers said that the findings were consistent with early reports of ‘brain fog’ among COVID-19 patients.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The association of COVID-19 with executive function raises key questions regarding patients’ long-term treatment,” the researchers wrote in the study, published in </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785388" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JAMA Network Open</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a high number of patients experiencing these symptoms, the team proposed that future work could study the underlying mechanisms causing these symptoms to occur, as well as ways for patients to rehabilitate and recover.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our findings suggest that a substantial proportion of patients may experience cognitive problems several months after COVID-19, which can contribute to significant functional disability,” Dr Jacqueline Becker, a clinical neuropsychologist and first author of the study, told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over60</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Patients who are concerned should speak to their primary care physicians and perhaps request a referral to a neuropsychologist. It will be important to monitor any changes over time, as well as to rule out other potentially reversible causes that may be contributing to their cognitive dysfunction.”  </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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What is brain fog?

<p><strong>Anyone can experience brain fog</strong></p> <p>“It’s funny you’re calling me for this interview late on a Monday night, after a long day at work, because I’m feeling some brain fog and mental exhaustion myself at the moment,” says Dr Scott Kaiser.</p> <p>As a doctor, he helps his patients deal with brain fog all day long – it’s one of the most common cognitive symptoms his patients report – but he proves that the mental fuzziness can strike anyone, even the experts.</p> <p>In fact, this “clouding of consciousness” is a state that everyone has likely experienced at some point, says neuropsychologist, Sanam Hafeez.</p> <p><strong>When brain fog is not normal</strong></p> <p>Some people experience this condition on a persistent basis, and it may affect their ability to live their daily lives or cause serious disability.</p> <p>This type of persistent, damaging brain fog is a hallmark of Covid-19 long haulers, people who deal with effects from the virus for weeks or months after they recover from the acute infection.</p> <p>But while it’s frustrating that more people are being affected by it, it has brought the brain fog conversation into the mainstream. It’s gaining broader acceptance and understanding, says Dr Kaiser.</p> <p>“It’s important to recognise when it’s become a problem so you can get help,” he says. “Brain fog isn’t something you just ‘have to live with’ or write off as ‘I’m just getting old.”</p> <p><strong>Brain fog isn't a clinical term</strong></p> <p>“Brain fog” is a very common description people use to describe that feeling of mental exhaustion or fuzziness where it’s hard to think clearly.</p> <p>However, it’s not a clinical term, so you won’t see it on a medical chart and you can’t be diagnosed with it. This may lead some health practitioners to dismiss it as unimportant.</p> <p>But just because it’s hard to define and can differ from person to person doesn’t mean it’s not valid. “Brain fog is a very real and misunderstood condition,” says Dr Kaiser.</p> <p>And it may point to other underlying health issues.</p> <p>“The reason it is challenging is that it is not so much a sign or diagnosis as it is a symptom. Or even more confusing, an interpretation of a symptom,” says neuroscience chief, Dr Brandon Pope.</p> <p><strong>What does brain fog feel like?</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>How exactly brain fog feels is unique to each person, but it always represents a marked decline in cognitive functioning, says Hafeez.</p> <p>Overall, you may feel like you’re just not able to think or do mental tasks as well as you used to.</p> <p>Common brain fog symptoms are:</p> <p>Poor concentration</p> <p>Forgetfulness</p> <p>Confusion</p> <p>Moodiness</p> <p>Inability to pay attention or focus</p> <p>Feeling ‘checked out’</p> <p>Mental exhaustion</p> <p>Lack of mental clarity</p> <p>Inability to multitask</p> <p>There generally aren’t any physical symptoms of brain fog, although some people report a headache or exhaustion, says Dr Pope.</p> <p><strong>Questions your doctor may ask</strong></p> <p>Brain fog can be caused by lifestyle and environmental factors or by an underlying medical condition.</p> <p>To help figure out the source of your mental fuzziness, your doctor will need to get an accurate medical history, says Dr Kaiser. Be prepared to answer these questions from your doctor:</p> <p>When did it start?</p> <p>What does it feel like to you?</p> <p>Is it chronic, or does it come and go? Is there a pattern?</p> <p>Have you been able to identify anything that triggers it?</p> <p>Have you had any illnesses or changes in your health recently?</p> <p>Have you experienced any major events recently, like a death of a loved one or a job change?</p> <p>If your brain fog is severe, you may want to write down your answers to these questions and bring them with you to your appointment.</p> <p>It’s also helpful to bring a clear-minded friend or family member to help you process what the doctor says.</p> <p><strong>Common lifestyle causes and solutions for brain fog</strong></p> <p>“If someone is experiencing decreased levels of cognitive function, or brain fog, it could be due to a myriad of underlying conditions from the very benign to the potentially more serious,” says Dr Pope.</p> <p>The list of things that have brain fog as a symptom is so long it couldn’t be written in one article, and only your doctor can help you pinpoint yours.</p> <p>However, there are some common causes you should consider, starting with your lifestyle.</p> <p><strong>Poor sleep</strong></p> <p>Not getting enough quality sleep is the top cause for brain fog, says Hafeez.</p> <p>During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, the brain filters important memories. Rapid eye movement (REM) – the deepest stage of sleep – allows the memories to become concrete and plays a role in memory consolidation.</p> <p>When someone does not get enough sleep, memory consolidation is affected. That’s why brain fog is a common symptom of narcolepsy.</p> <p>Your doctor may ask you to improve your sleep hygiene and, if that doesn’t help, may refer you to a sleep study.</p> <p><strong>Poor diet</strong></p> <p>Nutritional deficiencies can cause chronic mental fogginess.</p> <p>The most common culprits are low iron, magnesium, vitamin D, or vitamin B12 levels.</p> <p>The latter is of particular concern for vegans who may not get it in their diet and need to supplement B12. Your doctor can check all of these with a blood test.</p> <p><strong>Gluten</strong></p> <p>Eating foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, has been linked to brain fog in people who have non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, according to a 2020 study published in <em>PLOS One</em>.</p> <p>“There is little research as to why gluten affects the brain, but it is known that gluten can affect the neurological system and cause headaches and brain fog,” says Hafeez. “This may happen because gluten alters gut function, and changes in the gut microbiome affect the cognitive centre in the brain and ultimately affect brain function.</p> <p><strong>Stress</strong></p> <p>Anxiety, worry, long work hours, parenting, and other types of chronic mental pressure can have a big effect on brain function.</p> <p>All your mental energy becomes devoted to the stressors, and you feel foggy when you try to focus on something else.</p> <p>It’s easy to let self-care slide when you’re stressed, but for your brain’s sake, it’s important to make sure you’re doing stress-relieving techniques.</p> <p><strong>Medical causes and solutions for brain fog</strong></p> <p><span>Brain fog is an extremely common symptom of many types of medical issues. Sometimes it’s a result of the underlying condition; other times, it stems from treatment, says Dr Kaiser.</span></p> <p><strong>Medications</strong></p> <p>Many common medications, particularly sleeping pills and meds used to treat mental illnesses, can cause your brain to feel fuzzy or unclear.</p> <p>If you’ve recently started a new medication or changed the dose, that may be the cause of your problem.</p> <p>Always tell your doctor about all of the medications you take – that goes for both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.</p> <p><strong>Hormonal changes</strong></p> <p>An inability to concentrate and mental fuzziness are signs of both menopause and andropause, says Hafeez.</p> <p>Hormonal changes in your body directly affect your brain and its ability to function, particularly in women.</p> <p>“Oestrogen levels contribute to memory and other brain processes, and when oestrogen levels lessen, occasional lapses in the brain can occur,” she says.</p> <p>This also explains “pregnancy brain,” the type of brain fog that gestating women often experience.</p> <p><strong>Mental illness</strong></p> <p>It’s no surprise that illnesses that affect the mind, including anxiety, depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can cause mental cloudiness.</p> <p>It’s especially important to get evaluated by a mental health professional if you have a family history of mental illness or have had a big change in your life recently.</p> <p><strong>Disease</strong></p> <p>Diabetes, stroke, hypothyroid, the flu, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, and some types of cancers are just a handful of diseases that have brain fog as a symptom. Chronic illness, including chronic pain, has also been linked to brain fog symptoms.</p> <p>One illness that comes up a lot in relation to brain fog is dementia, says Dr Kaiser.</p> <p>“People may be afraid to bring up their forgetfulness as they worry it’s the beginning of dementia, but ignoring it won’t make it go away, and the sooner we diagnose you, the sooner we can start treating it,” he says.</p> <p>If lifestyle changes haven’t helped and/or you have symptoms in addition to the brain fog, your doctor may want to run additional tests to rule these conditions out.</p> <p><strong>Brain fog and Covid-19 long hauler syndrome</strong></p> <p>Covid-19 has brought brain fog front and centre – it’s one of the most common symptoms that lasts after the acute infection has resolved.</p> <p>More research needs to be done into Covid-19’s effect on the brain, but the condition is likely due to inflammation in the blood vessels that feed the brain, says Dr Kaiser.</p> <p>“We call it Covid fog,” says infectious disease specialist, Dr Rajeev Fernando. “It’s a newer syndrome we’ve identified, where patients end up experiencing mental clouding for months.”</p> <p>If you’re experiencing “Covid brain fog,” there’s a good chance mental fuzziness is not the only symptom you’re still feeling.</p> <p>“The virus can attack more than one system at a time, including the brain, which may explain the strange constellation of symptoms doctors have been seeing in Covid-19 patients, including nausea, diarrhoea, loss of smell or taste, heart damage and kidney failure, but also neurological problems, including stroke and brain fog,” says Dr Fernando.</p> <p><strong>How to deal with brain fog</strong></p> <p>There’s no single treatment for brain fog.</p> <p>“The treatment will always depend on the cause itself,” says Dr Pope. “I think it takes a combination of a solid history and physical examination by a doctor to begin to get to the why and discuss potential treatments.”</p> <p>In the meantime, he suggests you start by going back to the fundamentals of good self-care, including getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and lowering your stress.</p> <p>Other things that may help include taking a holiday, working on puzzles or brainteasers, or taking a brain-boosting supplement.</p> <p>Make sure all of your physical and mental health conditions are being treated appropriately and are under control.</p> <p><strong>When to call your doctor</strong></p> <p>In and of itself, brain fog typically isn’t an emergency, says Hafeez.</p> <p>However, if it appears suddenly, is a new symptom, or is seriously impacting your life, make an appointment to see your physician.</p> <p>Rarely, it can be serious. If you have a brain fog accompanied by a severe headache, difficulty speaking, loss of vision, weakness, tingling, or numbness you may be having a stroke and should seek medical care immediately.</p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Charlotte Hilton Anderson. This article first appeared in </span><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/what-is-brain-fog-9-causes-and-solutions"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader’s Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p>

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How to stop your glasses from fogging up while wearing a mask

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic brings with it a problem unique to those who wear glasses: The moment the face mask goes on, those lenses instantly fog up.</p> <p>It’s an annoying quirk that boils down to the difference in temperature between your body and your glasses. When you breathe, the warm air that leaves your mouth and nose escapes through the top of your mask, turns into condensation, and fogs up the cool surface of your lenses.</p> <p>Though foggy glasses are inconvenient, widespread mask-wearing remains one of the most important public health measures we have to protect ourselves against the novel coronavirus, says Dr Anna Banerji, an associate professor at the University of Toronto. Since the virus is airborne, wearing a face covering like a mask creates a physical layer of protection between you and any air droplets from infected people. “And, if you wear a mask properly, it protects someone else because your droplets aren’t going to the nose or mouth of someone and potentially infecting them,” Banerji says.</p> <p>The good news? There are measures you can take to ensure your vision remains crystal clear throughout the pandemic. Here are five tips to help you avoid foggy glasses while wearing a face mask.</p> <p><strong>Use soap and water</strong><br />Banerji suggests washing your glasses with soapy water and then wiping them dry. “There’s a film of soap that’s left over which might reduce the risk of fogging,” she advises. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, glasses get foggy because of the surface tension between the water molecules in your breath. The thin film left behind by the soapy water reduces the surface tension and causes the water molecules to spread out evenly, rather than cluster on your lenses to create fog.</p> <p>It’s best to use dishwashing detergent or a basic hand soap – anything that is for sensitive skin or contains lotion might get stuck to your lenses and smear.</p> <p><strong>Wear your glasses over your mask</strong><br />Changing the position of your glasses might divert the warm air away from your lenses. If you’re finding that your vision gets cloudy with every breath you take, try pulling the top of your mask higher onto your face so that your glasses are sitting on top of the material.</p> <p><strong>Mind the gap</strong><br />You might be having trouble with foggy glasses because your mask doesn’t fit tightly enough. The result is a gap at the top of the mask, by the bridge of your nose, that lets warm air escape behind the lenses of your glasses. Make sure that your mask fits securely over your nose. If you have a mask that has an adjustable nose bridge strip, mould the strip to follow the contours of your nose for a tighter seal.</p> <p><strong>Tape it down</strong><br />Another way to close the gap at the top of a mask is to tape it down across the bridge of your nose. Even before the pandemic, some health care professionals who regularly wear glasses would put a strip of surgical tape along the top of their masks to prevent the warm moist air from escaping. Just make sure you’re using medical tape or sports tape that’s safe for use on skin.</p> <p><strong>Use a tissue</strong><br />If you’re still having problems with your glasses fogging up, try folding a facial tissue horizontally and placing it under the top of your mask at the bridge of your nose. The moisture from your breath should be absorbed by the tissue instead of escaping behind your glasses.</p> <p class="p1">Written by <span>Rebecca Gao</span>. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/how-to-stop-your-glasses-from-fogging-up-while-wearing-a-mask"><span class="s1">Reader’s Digest</span></a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe"><span class="s1">here’s our best subscription offer</span></a>.</p>

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The one road rule Aussies are getting wrong

<p>When it comes to your car lights, you have a few options: regular headlights, high beams, fog lights and your daytime running lights.</p> <p>Most drivers have mixed them up at some point, but the simple mistake could end up costing hundreds of dollars.</p> <p>As fog lights are mounted low on the vehicle and angled steeper than normal headlights, they emit a flat horizontal beam that reduces the amount of light reflecting back off the fog allowing for better visibility in misty conditions. </p> <p>If these lights are switched on under normal driving conditions they can be a hazard to other drivers as the lights can temporarily blind other motorists.</p> <p>The Centre for Road Safety website states that under normal conditions fog lights may “dazzle” other drivers.</p> <p>“In NSW a driver is only permitted to use fog lights if driving in fog, mist or other atmospheric conditions that restrict visibility,” a NSW Transport spokesperson told news.com.au.</p> <p>“It is important to only use fog lights in the appropriate conditions as in normal day-to-day driving they have the potential to dazzle other drivers.”</p> <p>Habing fog lights on during normal conditions can also lead to rear-end accidents as other drivers might mistake the bright red rear fog lights for brake lights.</p> <p>Every state in Australia has laws prohibiting the use of fog lights other than in the conditions they were made for. </p> <ul> <li>NSW - $110 fine and two demerit points</li> <li>Western Australia – $100 fine and one demerit point</li> <li>Queensland –$50 fine and one demerit point</li> <li>Victoria – $159 fine.</li> <li>South Australia – $233.</li> <li>Tasmania – $119 fine</li> </ul> <p><strong>How to tell if your fog lights are on</strong></p> <p><img width="438" height="328" src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8c181e1251513f8bf522218ac33b636b?width=650" alt="The fog light symbol is similar to the headlight one, but it has a squiggly line through the lines. Picture: iStock" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The fog light symbol is similar to the headlight one, but it has a squiggly line through the lines.</p> <p>When the light is green, that means the front fog lights are on and when it is orange it is indicating that the rear lights are on.</p> <p>The same symbol is on your indicator and if there is an arrow pointing next to it then the lights are on. Move the arrow to the “OFF” position to turn it off.</p> <p> </p>

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