How Inflammation Affects Your Body
Bottom Line:
Inflammation is like a check engine light for your body. It tells you that something isn't quite right, and you should pay attention.
The first step in discovering the cause of the problem is determining whether you have acute or chronic inflammation.
Acute inflammation is short-term and plays a critical role in healing and injury repair. Chronic inflammation on the other hand describes a condition where your immune system continues to produce white blood cells and chemicals even after the injury is gone.
Why it Matters:
The combination of chronic inflammation and an excess of white blood cells can cause some problems for your immune system. In some cases, your immune system may even begin to target healthy cells and structures.
If sustained over a long period of time, you may experience changes in your cells, tissues, and organs that can increase the likelihood of disease.
Of course, one of the most significant challenges is that chronic inflammation can be invisible unless you know where to look.
Here are a few of the most common signs of chronic inflammation:
Insulin resistance. Insulin helps control the sugar level in your blood, and inflammation could affect how well your insulin works.
Muscle weakness. Chronic inflammation can cause your immune system to mistakenly attack and inflame your muscles, which could make you weaker.
Fatigue. Fatigue is a sign of long-term inflammation and common in inflammatory diseases like fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Next Steps:
If you've been living with muscle weakness, fatigue, or other nagging pains, you may also be living with chronic inflammation.
It’s often your daily habits that contribute to this state of chronic inflammation.
Know that our team specializes in helping you create a healthy lifestyle through daily habits that combat chronic inflammation.
We invite you to take the first step towards better health by scheduling your next visit with us today so we can work together to help you feel and function at your best.
Science Source(s):
Signs of Chronic Inflammation You May Not Expect. WebMD. 2019.
Understanding Acute and Chronic Inflammation. Harvard Health Publishing. 2020.