Chronic inflammation seems to be everywhere lately. What exactly is chronic inflammation? What causes it? And what can you do to prevent it? These are all very great questions to ask, and I will attempt to give you some answers here. If you haven’t come across inflammation yet you most likely will soon. So here are some tools to help you be ahead of it before it disrupts your life.
Inflammation is your immune system’s response to an outside invader (illness or injury). The area that is inflamed often becomes red, warm, and swollen. These are natural signs that your body is repairing itself and something you very much want your immune system to do. Once the area is repaired the immune system turns itself off and goes back to surveillance mode, looking for new invaders.
However, sometimes it doesn’t turn itself off and sometimes it mistakes your own healthy tissues and organs as invaders. This is when chronic inflammation begins, and your own immune system becomes your worst enemy.
The traditional symptoms of inflammation (redness, warmth and swelling) may still be present but often the symptoms of chronic inflammation look much different. They may be so disguised that you completely overlook them, ignore them, or believe they are just “normal” effects of aging. Some of the symptoms of chronic inflammation are fatigue, sleep disturbances, joint or muscle pain, depression or anxiety, bowel symptoms such as (constipation, diarrhea, or acid reflux), weight loss or gain, skin changes, excess mucus production, and frequent infections or illnesses.
What causes chronic inflammation?
Chronic inflammation may be caused by many different factors but often is associated with lifestyle changes. Diet, stress, sleep, excess toxins, and lack of activity all seem to be factors when it comes to developing chronic inflammation. This is very good news because you have some control over all these factors and can reduce the symptoms of chronic inflammation by addressing some, if not all of these areas.
Recent studies show some signs that your genes can also play a role in developing chronic inflammation. This means that some of the blame can be placed on your parents but blaming mom and dad will not improve your situation, so I recommend that you focus on what will.
These lifestyle factors are all too familiar with our traditional American lifestyle. This is probably why we are seeing chronic inflammation pop up everywhere. Your body is designed to handle any one of these factors and even a few of them for short periods of time but when you live a sedentary high stress life in a polluted environment while depriving yourself of sleep and nutritious food, your body eventually gives in to chronic inflammation and begins to fight back.
Some very simple things you can do
Improve your Diet :
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Consume omega-3 fatty acids. You can find these in fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, walnuts, pecans, ground flaxseed and chia seeds. Eat less red meat, sugar and processed foods.
Find ways to manage your Stress:
Spend time meditating and focusing on breathwork. Engage in a hobby or leisure activity you enjoy. Increase your positive social relationships with family and friends and limit your activity with negative relationships if you can. Explore ways to improve your work life. Ask for assistance, delegate tasks, and look for a new job if you need to.
Upgrade your sleep:
Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep. Studies are showing that it is less amount the time you spend sleeping and more about the quality of your sleep that matters. Some ways to upgrade your sleep are to develop a relaxing sleep routine, limit electronic devices and food 1-2 hours before bed, and create a sleep environment that promotes sleep.
Reduce toxins:
Limit alcohol and drug consumption (including nicotine and over the counter drugs). Use non-toxic cleaning products, self-care products and cosmetics. Clean the air you breathe by purchasing a quality air filtration system. Close your windows before bed and exercise or walk in clean outdoor environments ( not near a busy street).
Move:
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily at least five days a week. However, if you are currently not doing anything, then get started somewhere. Begin tracking your steps and aim for 10,000 steps per day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk in place or do some sort of cardio activity while watching your favorite shows. And set a timer to get up and move every 20 minutes from your desk.
By making small improvements in these five areas, you will begin to restore your body and reduce the amount of chronic inflammation you are experiencing. If your symptoms do not improve or are severe in nature seek medical attention immediately. If you would like more information on this topic or would like help implementing these changes, please reach out to me and we can develop a plan to eliminate your chronic inflammation together.
