Excessive Inflammation: Understanding its Impact on Health
Inflammation is a normal immune response that helps protect the body against injury and infection. We all need inflammation to protect our bodies against pathogens, damaged cells, and toxic compounds and aid in the healing process. However, when inflammation is chronic or too much, it can have detrimental effects on your health.
Here's an overview of what can happen when the body experiences prolonged inflammation:
Symptoms of Excessive Inflammation
Joint Pain - When immune cells attack joint tissues, it causes inflammation, leading to pain, redness, and stiffness in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Fatigue - Inflammatory molecules like cytokines can make you feel tired and sluggish. Chronic inflammation often leads to constant fatigue.
Fever - Systemic inflammation raises body temperature, resulting in mild or high fevers depending on severity.
Digestive issues - Inflammation compromises gut barrier integrity, allowing bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream. This contributes to diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, and bloating.
Redness and swelling - Acute inflammation visibly manifests as redness, warmth, and swelling around an injured or infected area as white blood cells rush to the site.
Weight gain - Excessive inflammatory cytokines cause the body to hold onto fat as an energy reserve, resulting in stubborn weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
Skin problems - Inflammation can cause or exacerbate certain skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. The overwhelmed immune system attacks healthy skin cells.
Depression and anxiety - Inflammatory molecules interact with neurotransmitters in the brain, worsening mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
Dangers of Unchecked Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is considered the primary cause of most modern diseases. Unchecked inflammation can lead to various health risks, such as:
Heart disease - Arterial inflammation leads to atherosclerosis, blood clots, and heart attacks. Inflammation thickens and stiffens blood vessel walls.
Diabetes - Insulin resistance arises when inflammatory cytokines block insulin action. Pancreatic beta cell function declines more rapidly.
Cancer - Inflammation creates an environment that promotes the growth and spread of cancer cells while damaging healthy DNA.
Neurodegeneration - Chronic inflammation in the brain is linked to cognitive decline, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. It damages neurons.
Weakened immunity - Long-term inflammation suppresses specific immune cells and functions despite acute inflammation activating the immune response.
Accelerated aging - Inflammation leads to oxidative stress and cellular damage, speeding up the aging process across body systems.
Excessive inflammation can have negative impacts on your overall health. The good news is many lifestyle changes, and natural therapies can help us put the brakes on excessive inflammation in the body.
If you're interested in reaching your health goals, click here for a FREE 30-Minute Health Discovery Session. I'll provide you with a personalized approach to taming inflammation and optimizing well-being with holistic nutrition, stress management, and mind-body practices.
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