14 Warning Signs That There’s Hidden Inflammation in Your Body (and How to Get Rid of It)

Health

Signs Of Inflammation

There are many signs and symptoms that long-term inflammation is happening inside your body. Here are just a few things to look for:

Constant fatigue
High blood pressure
Ulcers
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Bloating
Acne
Flushing
Water retention
Food cravings
Binge eating
Diarrhea or constipation
Joint pain
Stiffness
Unexplainable weight gain

Remember, pain is not always a bad thing! For two reasons.

One: It reminds us that we are truly alive! And better yet, that with life comes choice and we all have the choice to live our very best life, pain free, if we decide to do so. :)

Two: It’s like the warning light in your automobile. It tells you that something is going on and often times, the pain is a manifestation of something deeper. These warning signs allow us the power to listen and honor those signals for optimal health and happiness. If you challenge yourself to get deep and go places you have not gone before, I assure you - you will come out of this thing.

So don’t let the symptoms you have make you sad and hopeless - celebrate that you are ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. Recognizing symptoms of inflammation is the first step to healing.

Diseases Associated With Inflammation

Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disease

The role of the immune system is to protect us from illness and disease and it does so by attacking any foreign invaders that creep in, such as bacteria, parasites and viruses. When it’s working as it should, it acts as a line of defense against the “bad guys.” A healthy immune system is able to differentiate between the body’s own healthy tissue and unhealthy tissue.

When the immune system becomes compromised, such as in the case of autoimmune disease, the body has a hard time telling the difference between the good and bad tissues and begins to attack both. This causes increased inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is said to be one of the main consequences of autoimmune disorders.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is not caused only from plaque buildup in the arteries, but from a combination of the plaque buildup and inflammation. Your body views plaque as a foreign material, therefore, the immune system tries to prevent the plaque from flowing along with the blood. In worst cases, the plaque can rupture and anything that has been walled-off will come into contact with the blood and form a blood clot. In turn, your body triggers the inflammatory response and the arteries begin to swell, constricting blood flow to the heart.

Depression

Recent studies have found a major link between inflammation and depression. Researchers in Denmark found that increased levels of C-reactive protein (produced by the body when inflammation is present) is associated with “an increased risk for psychological distress and depression in the general population.”

In her new book entitled, A Mind Of Your Own, Kelly Brogan states the theory that depression is not a disease, but a symptom of imbalance in the body; inflammation being a root cause.

A study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation in 2011 found a link between levels of quinolinic acid (another bodily response to inflammation) and chronic depression.

Many doctors are beginning to treat depression with methods whose purpose is to reduce inflammation in the body and promote natural healing.

Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia

Free radical damage and inflammation of brain tissue have been linked to both Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Researchers have found that by looking at the patient’s history, they are able to connect the dots with Alzheimer’s and inflammation, such as those who have had a serious head injury. Researchers have also found that people who have taken anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen, have a lower chance of having Alzheimer’s.

A main component of Alzheimer’s is the presence of plaques. These plaques are seen as foreign invaders and the body tries to destroy them, therefore, causing chronic inflammation.

This study found that omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants (both anti-inflammatories) may act as a protection against these diseases. Nourishing the brain, lowering cholesterol, and loading up on antioxidants as protection from free radicals may be beneficial.

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