Unexpected Signs of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation can show up in different ways and some of them may surprise you. 

 

Inflammation is something many of us will experience, and bioidentical progesterone can help, but do you have any of these issues?

You are always tired

It’s one of the typical signs of long-term inflammation and a common sign of inflammatory diseases like fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Talk to your doctor if you have a sudden drop in energy as it could be a sign of an underlying illness.

Balance problems

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) cause your body to overreact and, in some cases, attack itself.

In multiple sclerosis, for example, your body’s immune system attacks nerve coatings and that makes it harder for nerve signals to get through so you may feel dizzy or off-balance, especially when you walk.

Insulin resistance 

Insulin helps control the sugar level in your blood and inflammation could affect how well your insulin works but it’s not yet clear exactly why.

Insulin resistance can lead to high blood sugar which can damage your nerves and blood vessels and also lead to diabetes.

You might have tingling feet, or you could be more thirsty and tired, but again might not have symptoms so speak to your doctor if you notice any of these signs.

Muscle weakness 

Sometimes your immune system mistakenly attacks and inflames your muscles (called myositis) which could start to break down muscle fibre and make you weaker.

It usually happens slowly, most often in your torso, shoulders, and hips. In some cases, you might find it hard to do simple things like walk, bathe, and swallow.

Diarrhoea

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, has two main forms: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In both cases, your immune system overreacts and inflames your colon and small intestine.

Diarrhoea is one thing that can happen and others are nausea, joint pain, fever, and skin rashes.

Lower back pain

In ankylosing spondylitis, chronic inflammation typically attacks the spine. Sometimes, it hits your hips, neck, knees, or chest.

You might have pain and stiffness in your lower back, especially in the morning and in serious cases, you could have loss of motion.

Talk to your doctor if you notice any symptoms as early treatment can help you manage your condition better.

Hardening of the arteries  

If you’re gaining body fat, or you spend a lot of time taking in foreign substances like cigarette smoke, your body will respond with inflammation.

This can cause fatty plaque to build up on the inside walls of your arteries (known as arteriosclerosis) and it’s the main cause of heart attack and stroke.

Blood Clotting

Inflammation from trauma, surgery, or diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome and IBD can cause your blood to clot too much (called hypercoagulation).

This might cause swelling and could bring on more serious things like stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism.

It is not always easy to spot but anticoagulant drugs can help.

Dry Eye

It’s a common symptom of inflammation and one condition, Sjogren’s syndrome, affects your salivary glands and your tear glands.

You might notice a gritty or burning feeling in your eyes, swelling in your salivary gland, and dryness in your nose and throat.

Speak to your doctor to avoid potential long term complications in your eyes, mouth and teeth.

Brain issues

Your memory and your ability to think are likely to be compromised if your body shows signs of inflammation.

Scientists continue to study the link but early findings suggest that inflammation may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that cause dementia.

This is especially true in older adults so healthy eating plans like the Mediterranean diet seem to ease inflammation and might keep your brain sharp for longer.

 Helpful information: 

Progesterone is an anti inflammatory so can be helpful for such conditions. It is also important to support your body with a good diet.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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