Chronic inflammation symptoms have been on the rise recently.
If you’ve been noticing certain symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, low energy and brain fog, chronic inflammation may be a root cause.
We can help you figure out whether your symptoms are linked to chronic inflammation and how to reduce those symptoms.
We’ll go through chronic inflammation symptoms, what might be causing your pain and discomfort and the steps you can take to feel better.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Chronic inflammation root causes
- Chronic inflammation symptoms
- Chronic inflammation treatments
By the end of this article, you’ll be an expert on what chronic inflammation symptoms to look out for and how to start your healing journey.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
What is chronic inflammation and what are chronic inflammation symptoms?
The inflammatory process is a part of your immune function. The swelling and redness around a cut or injury are actually signs telling you your body is healing. As an acute reaction, inflammation can be helpful.
Chronic inflammation however is different. It happens quietly and under the radar and chronic inflammation symptoms are often mistaken for other issues. Recognizing chronic inflammation symptoms is therefore an important first step when assessing your health.
Key Chronic Inflammation Symptoms
Before we look at the causes and treatments for chronic inflammation, it’s crucial to know what chronic inflammation symptoms to look out for.
Chronic inflammation symptoms can be difficult to identify, especially because it’s a condition that worsens slowly over time. However, if you have noticed a change in your health and body over a couple of months, it may be time to take a closer look. Here are the top six chronic inflammation symptoms to look out for:
#1 – Fatigue
Fatigue and low energy are common chronic inflammation symptoms. If you feel tired after a good night’s rest, this may be an indicator that you’re dealing with chronic inflammation symptoms and not just day-to-day tiredness.
Fatigue can occur because your body’s immune system is in a constant state of being ‘on’. Crucial nutrients are being diverted away from your organs and muscles towards your immune system.
#2 – Joint Pain
The feeling of constant aching or swelling in your joints often accompanies chronic inflammation and chronic inflammation symptoms.
Your body releases pro-inflammatory molecules and the joint tissue attracts blood flow and white blood cells to the area. While this is helpful in the short term, in the long term, inflammation of the joints can be one of the more painful chronic inflammation symptoms.
#3 – Digestive Issues
Feeling bloated, constipated or experiencing diarrhea? Gut issues are one of the major chronic inflammation symptoms.
Your gut is an immune active part of your body and is lined with immune cells. When your body becomes inflamed, your gut is often one of the first places to react.
#4 – Skin Problems
Eczema, psoriasis and rosacea are all external chronic inflammation symptoms that can be caused by an internal chronic inflammation issue. They can be triggered by gut issues and inflammation and can indicate an immune response or dysfunction.
#5 – Frequent Infections
Frequent infections can be one of the notable chronic inflammation symptoms. An overworked or worn out immune system may struggle to protect your body in other ways and you may end up getting sick more often.
Protective barriers such as our skin, gut lining and sinuses can also be damaged from chronic inflammation, lowering your body’s overall defense.
#6 – Mood Swings and Brain Fog
These can be frustrating chronic inflammation symptoms to deal with. Chronic inflammation can disrupt neurotransmitters, impacting dopamine, serotonin and glutamate. These imbalances may then cause irritability and emotional distress.
Additionally, brain fog or cognitive slowing is your body’s way of conserving energy to deal with the immune crisis.
Some helpful questions that you can ask yourself when it comes to chronic inflammation symptoms are:
- Does fatigue persist for weeks?
- Is my joint pain getting worse without injury?
- Are skin rashes frequent and unexplained?
- Are my mood changes interfering with daily life?
Root Causes
Chronic inflammation symptoms can be caused by a number of factors. Let’s talk about the most common culprits.
Diet and Lifestyle
These two foundational aspects of health cannot be ignored when dealing with chronic inflammation symptoms. A diet that is high in unhealthy foods will often cause chronic inflammation symptoms to worsen including:
- Sugar
- Processed foods
- Highly processed and heated seed oils
Sugar can spike insulin and blood sugar levels leading to long-term insulin resistance. Unfortunately, insulin resistance is an inflammatory condition that can also lead to metabolic dysfunction, weight gain and type-2 diabetes down the line.
Stress
Stress triggers the release of cortisol but chronically high levels of cortisol can disrupt your immune system and raise your insulin levels.
Stress can also impair your ability to fall asleep and a lack of good quality sleep can raise inflammation markers in the body long term.
Environmental Toxins
Environmental factors that impact chronic inflammation symptoms can be difficult to assess but let’s try and identify some of them.
Toxins that you may be exposed to on a regular basis may be causing you to have an immune response and trigger inflammation. These can include:
- Pesticides and herbicides in food
- Mold from water damage
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as BPA, phthalates, parabens and PFAS found in body care products and kitchen cookware
Treatment Options
Dietary Changes
When combating chronic inflammation symptoms, your diet can be key to reducing inflammation.
Working alongside a dietitian certified in integrative and functional nutrition can ensure your diet is supporting the healthiest version of you. While a personalized diet plan is optimal, it’s always a good idea to eat more anti-inflammatory foods such:
- Cooked leafy greens
- Turmeric
- Berries
- Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
- Walnuts and flax seeds
- Olive oil
At the same time, cut out sugar, processed foods and highly processed seed oils from your diet.
Lifestyle
Good sleep, stress management, and exercise are also core aspects of wellness and can help to reduce chronic inflammation symptoms.
Moving your body every day and going to bed before 11pm can both help to improve chronic inflammation symptoms and help your body reset. Focus on walking, yoga or pilates and create a bedtime routine that helps you get at least eight hours of sleep per night.
Try reducing or eliminating harmful environmental factors. Choose pesticide-free produce and avoid home products that can disrupt your hormones!
Need help choosing from the overwhelming number of products on the shelves? Our holistic health coach can take the decision making load off when it comes to choosing health products and making lifestyle choices that fit in with your daily routine!
Prescription Medications
Prescription medication and/or supplements such as low dose naltrexone (LDN) and GLP-1 can help to reduce systemic inflammation. They help to lower important biomarkers in the body by improving insulin sensitivity and protecting your cardiovascular health.
When prescription medications and supplements are taken along with making dietary and lifestyle changes, they can substantially speed up the healing process!
Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness’ chronic inflammation expert can help guide you through any medication needs so that your recovery is supported fully and holistically.
When to See an Integrative Health Expert in Oak Park
Chronic inflammation symptoms can be complex and difficult to interpret. Testing and speaking to a chronic inflammation expert can help you understand what your body needs to heal to overcome your pain and discomfort.
There aren’t any low grade chronic inflammation symptoms or mild chronic inflammation symptoms. That’s because all of them can impact your quality of life.
Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness dives into every aspect of your health. Our chronic inflammation expert will review all comprehensive testing and provide medication and supplement recommendations. Our integrative registered dietitian nutritionist and health coach can then help you take the next steps with nutritional counseling for anti-inflammatory eating and sleep and stress management.
Book in a consultation today and feel the difference in your health in just a short couple of weeks.