Mental Clarity

What Causes Reduced Mental Clarity?

Reduced mental clarity can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'very serious'.  Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms.  In order to diagnose reduced mental clarity, we could:

  • Research the topic
  • Find a doctor with the time
  • Use a diagnostic computer system.
The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "reduced mental clarity" as a symptom.  Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):
  • Calming / Stretching Exercise Need
  • Epstein-Barr Virus
  • Stress
  • West Nile Virus
  • Poor Cerebral Circulation
  • Fluorosis
  • Magnesium Need
  • Vitamin B12 Need

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
short-term memory failure
recent loss of appetite
poor bodily coordination
afternoon coffee/sugar craving
history of low back pain
regular episodes of diarrhea
breast soreness during cycle
angry/hostile disposition
frequent 'chills'
coffee consumption
frequent odd skin sensations
physical punishment during childhood
... and more than 130 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of reduced mental clarity:
Cause Probability Status
Poor Cerebral Circulation 99% Confirm
Stress 28% Unlikely
Calming / Stretching Exercise Need 21% Unlikely
Epstein-Barr Virus 0% Ruled out
Vitamin B12 Need 0% Ruled out
Magnesium Need 0% Ruled out
Fluorosis 0% Ruled out
West Nile Virus 0% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Mind Health section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about mental clarity:
How 'clear' is your mind / thinking? A 'clear' mind comes quickly and accurately to conclusions; a 'foggy' mind has trouble doing calculations or making decisions that should normally be simple.
Possible responses:
→ My mind is always/almost always 'foggy'
→ My mind is often 'foggy'
→ Average / don't know
→ My mind is usually 'clear'
→ My mind is always/almost always 'clear'
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate poor mental clarity, reduced mental clarity, average mental clarity or good mental clarity, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
Calming / Stretching Exercise Need

Mental health and physical energy are difficult to quantify, but everyone who participates in yoga over a period of time reports a positive effect on outlook and energy level.  A British study of 71 healthy volunteers aged 21-76 found that a 30 minute program of yogic stretching and breathing exercises was simple to learn and resulted in a "markedly invigorating" effect on perceptions of both mental and physical energy and improved mood.

The study compared relaxation, visualization and yoga.  It found that the yoga group had a significantly greater increase in perceptions of mental and physical energy and feelings of alertness and enthusiasm than the other groups.  Relaxation was found to make people more sleepy and sluggish after a session, and visualization made them more sluggish and less content than those in the yoga group.

Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Experts have voiced a longstanding concern that ketosis might fog up people's thinking, but it took until 1995 to be formally tested.  As reported in the International Journal of Obesity article "Cognitive Effects of Ketogenic Weight-Reducing Diets," researchers randomized people to either a ketogenic or a nonketogenic weight loss diet.  Although both groups lost the same amount of weight, those on the ketogenic diet suffered a significant drop in cognitive performance.  After one week in ketosis, higher order mental processing and mental flexibility significantly worsened into what the researcher called a "modest neuropsychological impairment." [International Journal of Obesity 19 (1995): p.811]

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

Impaired reasoning is said to be a symptom of EBV.

Excess Water Consumption

Symptoms of fluid overload include a gradual mental dulling, drowsiness, weakness, confusion, coma, convulsions (and even death!)

Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
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