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I feel foggy after COVID-19, could it be 'Brain Fog'? Clear and refreshing through autonomic balance

"I feel foggy after COVID-19. I can't focus, and it feels as if my brain is clouded with mist." This is one of the symptoms many people visiting Dalimchae Clinic have been complaining about recently. We thought we had regained our daily lives after the pandemic, but many feel their bodies are not the same as before. In particular, 'Brain Fog' symptoms such as decreased concentration, memory loss, fatigue, and decreased thinking ability seriously hinder daily life and work performance, causing great discomfort. If left unmanaged as simple fatigue, it can lead to chronic problems, so more meticulous management is needed.

💡 [Key Answer] 3 most common causes of "I feel foggy after COVID-19": ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance / ② Chronic inflammatory reaction / ③ Abnormalities in brain blood flow and neurotransmitters Dalimchae Clinic restores brain function through autonomic stabilization and resolves chronic inflammation to help you regain a clear mind.

Many people experience cognitive decline symptoms such as 'brain fog' after COVID-19 infection. This phenomenon is not just temporary fatigue after having a cold. Viral infection affects various systems in our body, and it can directly affect the brain and autonomic nervous system in particular.

The main causes can be explained through the following network of connections. First is autonomic nervous system imbalance. The COVID-19 virus can cause inflammatory reactions in the autonomic nervous system or directly damage it, breaking the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. This leads to decreased brain blood flow regulation, and the brain does not receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients, leading to decreased cognitive function. Second is chronic inflammatory reaction. Inflammatory reactions remaining in the body after viral infection reach the brain, causing neuroinflammation, which leads to decreased brain cell function and neurotransmitter imbalance. Third is abnormalities in brain blood flow and neurotransmitters. COVID-19 infection can damage fine blood vessels in the brain, hindering blood supply, or cause abnormalities in the secretion of neurotransmitters important for cognitive function such as dopamine and serotonin. These complex factors cause various cognitive decline symptoms, including 'brain fog'.

Brain fog symptoms caused by COVID-19 sequelae often show no particular abnormalities in Western medical examinations, which can be even more frustrating. However, Korean medicine focuses on resolving the root cause of the symptoms by restoring the overall balance of the body. In particular, Dalimchae Clinic, a Songdo cognitive function clinic, takes autonomic stabilization as the core treatment principle to help the brain regain its original function.

Chronic COVID-19 syndrome, what are the effects of herbal medicine treatment?

A clinical study published in the journal Heliyon in 2024 by research teams from the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital reported the results of 12 weeks of herbal medicine treatment for 45 patients with chronic COVID-19 syndrome. In this study, Bojungikki-tang, Gyeongok-go, and Cheonwangbosim-dan were prescribed according to each patient's symptoms and differentiation, showing a treatment success rate ranging from 13.33% to 46.67% in cognitive decline symptoms. In particular, fatigue symptoms were shown to be significantly improved from 46.67% to 80%. The researchers concluded that these results suggest that herbal medicine can have a positive effect on improving COVID-19 sequelae. Based on this data, Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch helps patients escape from symptoms such as "I feel foggy after COVID-19" by normalizing brain function and strengthening immunity through herbal medicine prescriptions tailored to the patient's constitution and symptoms to improve autonomic imbalance and chronic inflammation, the core causes of cognitive decline.

Can acupuncture treatment help improve brain fog symptoms?

Acupuncture treatment has been used to improve neurological and psychiatric symptoms throughout its long history. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology in 2024 reported that acupuncture treatment could potentially be a beneficial approach for neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as fatigue, headache, cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in patients with COVID-19 sequelae. Although it was stated that more research is needed, it shows the possibility that acupuncture treatment has a positive effect on nervous system regulation.

In fact, research protocols published in Frontiers in Medicine in 2026 and Complementary Medicine Research in 2025 show that research to reveal the mechanism of cognitive function improvement after COVID-19 by analyzing the effect of acupuncture treatment on brain networks through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is actively underway. These studies support the Korean medical view that acupuncture treatment can contribute to restoring cognitive function by regulating brain connectivity and activity. At Dalimchae Songdo, an autonomic nerve clinic, we relax the tensed autonomic nerves through acupuncture treatment and improve brain blood flow to promote the recovery of nerve cells, thereby resolving symptoms such as brain fog and helping you regain a clear mind.

The core of cognitive decline after COVID-19 is decreased brain function and autonomic nervous system imbalance. Dalimchae Clinic's 'autonomic stabilization' treatment focuses on solving these fundamental problems. Our body's autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, like a car's accelerator and brake, and regulates essential functions for life maintenance such as heart rate, digestion, and sleep. However, stress or disease, especially a powerful infection like COVID-19, breaks this autonomic balance, making the brain unable to rest and causing it to overheat.

Dalimchae Clinic focuses on stabilizing the over-activated sympathetic nerves and restoring the function of the decreased parasympathetic nerves. This is a process of calming the excessive excitement of the brain, facilitating the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid to remove waste products accumulated in the brain, and helping the regeneration of damaged nerve cells. Only when the brain is in a comfortable and stable state can cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, and thinking work properly. Creating an environment where the brain can rest — in Korean medicine, this is called Suseunghwagang (水升火降) — is the way to clear away brain fog and regain a clear and refreshing mind.

Along with this, various symptoms accompanied by COVID-19 sequelae such as headache, dizziness, and insomnia can also be improved. Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment aims for fundamental treatment that cultivates the power of the body itself to recover and balance, rather than simply suppressing symptoms.

If the following symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks after COVID-19 infection, brain fog or cognitive decline sequelae can be suspected.

[Post-COVID brain fog self-diagnosis checklist]

1. I feel that my memory has become noticeably worse than usual.
2. It is difficult to immerse myself in reading or work due to decreased concentration.
3. My thinking becomes slow and I often feel my head is foggy.
4. I can't think of the word I want to say or my words get twisted during a conversation.
5. Fatigue is not resolved even after resting, and my body always feels heavy.
6. I often feel anxious or depressed for no reason.
7. I often experience headaches or dizziness.
8. Sleep quality worsens, it is hard to fall asleep, or I wake up often.
9. It is difficult to make daily plans or decisions.
10. I get annoyed more easily than before or have severe mood swings.

[Judgment Criteria]

• If 3 or more apply: Autonomic imbalance and cognitive decline due to COVID-19 sequelae can be suspected. Check for accurate diagnosis and complex Korean medicine treatment through professional diagnosis at Dalimchae Songdo.
• If 5 or more apply: The symptoms are at a level that affects daily life. It is recommended to start active treatment through an immediate visit.

Q. How long does post-COVID brain fog last? A. There are large individual differences, but it is usually seen as chronic sequelae when it persists for more than 4 weeks after infection, and it can last from a few months to more than a year. Starting appropriate treatment early is important for shortening the recovery period.

Q. Why is my head foggy when there are no abnormalities in the brain MRI? A. Brain fog is deeply related to functional problems such as micro-blood flow changes, neurotransmitter imbalance, chronic inflammation, and autonomic nervous system abnormalities rather than structural damage to the brain. General brain imaging tests may have difficulty catching these subtle functional abnormalities.

Q. Can post-COVID brain fog heal naturally? A. Some mild cases recover naturally, but in many cases, immunity and autonomic nervous system functions are decreased, making recovery difficult. If symptoms are left neglected, it can lead to chronicity or other problems such as depression and panic disorder, so active treatment is needed.

Q. I also have fatigue or insomnia, can they be treated together? A. Yes, brain fog due to COVID-19 sequelae often appears in combination with various symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, headache, and dizziness. Dalimchae Clinic helps overall health recovery by treating the root causes of these symptoms together through autonomic stabilization.

Brain fog due to COVID-19 sequelae is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms exactly as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic, we will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Brain & Autonomic Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Cognitive Decline Column)