Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 22/08/2014 04:30:02
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David Gallacher asked the Naked Scientists:
Perhaps you can help , After a upper respiratory infection and 3 courses of antibiotics , I also take probiotics by the way and have had my sinuses checked all to be ok but now I suffer from a foggy feeling in my head every day for about 4 weeks now , any advice ?
What do you think?
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You and me both, David!
While it would be a good idea, if these symptoms are still on-going, to seek medical advice from your doctor to rule out any other important medical causes for your condition, this sort of presentation is quite common. The most frequent cause of a muzzy head is a viral infection.
There are a number of viruses that are neuroinvasive, meaning that they get into the nervous system and disturb the biochemical status quo. This is probably a lot more common than most people realise and contributes to the "thick-headed" feeling and laboured thoughts that frequently accompany a cold.
Also, when we succumb to an infection, bacterial or viral, we frequently suffer - often without being aware of it - from disturbed sleep. Many cold and flu remedies also do this for us because they pack a hefty caffeine punch and this makes up more wakeful at night. The result is poor night-time rest leading to impaired mental faculties the following day.
It is also well-documented that caffeine withdrawal can causes these same symptoms. When people become ill and drink less coffee than they would normally, or they just cut down, they can enter a withdrawal state, which can produce a state of lethargy, thick-headedness, headache and poor concentration.
So, you might want to ask whether any of these things could be a factor for you?
Chris