Chronic Inflammation

You sprain your ankle, injure your shoulder you now feel the effects of acute localized inflammation. Eventually, your body heals itself and most likely you have function again.

However, chronic inflammation is more systemic, working throughout your body. Your body is constantly releasing chemicals that are sickening the body even more. Your immune system is constantly turned on. This is a simmer throughout your body, and it is only a matter of time before there is a brief boiling over of the inflammation where you may have increased symptoms and will want to treat it. Then you treat it, some of you most of your symptoms go away and then you are back to the simmer again, until next time…

No level of chronic inflammation is safe.

Chronic inflammation is associated with most if not all disease states. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disease, fatigue, gut dysfunction, pain and fibromyalgia, endometriosis. You name it, there is an inflammatory component involved. Functional medicine is always trying to determine the cause of the chronic inflammation in order to decrease it.

How do you measure chronic inflammation?

Measuring CRP, Homocysteine, ESR, WBC counts are some easy ways to check if inflammation is present.

How can you tell if you are chronically inflamed

• Increased belly fat will increase inflammatory chemicals in your body.
• Increased levels of blood sugar will lead to inflammation.
• Gut dysfunction like gas, diarrhea, bloating, constipation can lead to gut permeability issues and systemic inflammation.
• Depression and anxiety can be a result of inflammation.
• Fatigue and brain fog because if your cells are inflamed they are unable to make energy for you.
• You are gaining weight.
• Allergies and you feel puffy.
• Gum disease.
• Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, red or blotchy skin

How do we fight chronic inflammation?

First we have to try and find the source. So we want to listen to your story, get advanced functional laboratory assessments, work with food plans and lifestyle modifications, and targeted nutritional supplementation to support your body.