When it functions properly, inflammation is a quick, natural response designed to help the body heal. When it doesn’t, it simmers at chronic levels, which in recent years have been linked to a wide range of ills, including dementia, heart disease, asthma, migraines, colitis, cancer, diabetes, and depression.
When your body is functioning optimally, it provides you with what is effectively your own standing army. White blood cells and other natural defenses leap into action to stave off an invader, such as an infection or irritant creating what’s known as acute inflammation. But when these defenders refuse to stand down after the problem is gone, or when they launch an offensive against something that’s not a threat, that’s a problem. That’s called chronic inflammation, a long-term, low-grade condition that persists in your cells and tissues and plays a key role in many health problems.
The following signs may well indicate chronic inflammation, and getting ahead of it can help you prevent many major illnesses and maintain optimal wellness:
Digestive Complaints: Though a variety of factors can cause diarrhea, constipation, nausea, excessive gas, and abdominal pain, these gastrointestinal symptoms are also classic signs of chronic inflammation especially if they arrive out of nowhere.
Intermittent Joint Pain: If you’re starting to experience joint pain, especially when you get up in the morning, and it wasn’t caused by an injury, it could be a sign of inflammation.
Belly Fat: Abdominal fat cells are known to be a potent source of pro-inflammatory chemicals. Having belly fat makes you more prone to inflammation.
Worsening Seasonal Allergies or Asthma: When hay fever kicks up a notch with no apparent trigger (such as pollen or smog), inflammation is a likely culprit.
Brain Fog: Feeling spacey, becoming more forgetful, and experiencing a general lack of mental clarity could be early indicators of rising inflammation.
Unexplained Fatigue: If you’re run-down for no apparent reason, chronic inflammation may be involved.
Mood Disturbances: People who are depressed have more inflammation than those who aren’t. Stress can also bring on a cycle of depression and inflammation.
Sleep Difficulties: Getting too little rest, waking often during the night, or snoozing for more than 9 hours can promote inflammation. And chronic inflammation, in turn, contributes to sleeping difficulties.
Skin Woes: If your skin is usually clear but you suddenly see acne, blotches, a rash, or hives, that means an inflammatory response is underway.