Do You Have Inflammation? 5 Signs to Look Out For

There’s so much talk about inflammation that it makes you wonder if you have it. And if you do, what do you do to reduce it. Or even better, get rid of it completely. And how do you even know if you have it?

The reason inflammation is so critical is that it has been found to be a major player in almost every chronic disease, which affects more than 40% of the total population of the United States.

Inflammation is also complicated. It can be good for you and also bad for you. Without inflammation, your body would be largely defenseless when faced with injury or illness. But not all inflammation is helpful. When your body is not working properly, inflammation becomes dysfunctional, or the immune system directs it at something that’s not really a threat. Science is not sure what causes inflammation to run amok in the first place, and while some researchers believe inflammation and immune system malfunction occur first and create problems; others say that out-of-control inflammation begins in response to some injury or issue. Everyone agrees, however, that to keep yourself healthy, you should be paying serious attention to inflammation.

First, let’s look at the top signs of inflammation to be on the lookout for.

Body pain
Body pain like muscle aches and joint pain are commonly caused by increased systemic inflammation. When inflammatory cytokines are elevated in the body, they can attack muscle and joint issues resulting in redness, swelling, and pain. 

Skin rashes
Skin rashes such as eczema or psoriasis, are inflammatory skin conditions that are characterized by red, rough, and flaky skin. Both eczema and psoriasis are linked to hypersensitivity of the immune system and individuals with these conditions are more likely to have a greater number of inflammatory mast cells which when activated, trigger the skin rashes to surface.

Excessive mucus production
Always needing to clear your throat or blow your nose? Sounds like you might be inflamed! When inflamed, mucous membranes produce thick phlegm so they can protect the cells in the lining of the respiratory system which results in coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose.

Low energy
Constantly feeling fatigued despite getting adequate sleep is yet another clue your body is fighting off chronic inflammation. Just like you feel run-down when you’re sick, when you’re chronically inflamed your immune system remains active and continues to work overtime to regulate its response. In turn, chronic inflammation tells your body to use more cellular energy, to ensure rapid regeneration of immune cells and further depletes you of the fuel you need to feel fully energized.

Poor digestion
Digestive issues including bloating, tummy aches, constipation, or loose stools are also a sign you might have inflammation. 

Now that you know you might have an inflammation, what do you do? I’ll explain the key steps in my next blog post.