Not until I was diagnosed with Hashimoto did I take a serious look at the role of inflammation and how it plays out in the big picture of our well-being. As with anything in life, to understand the effect, we need to go back to the root cause. In the early days of my healing journey (Hashimoto disease), I approached the healing journey in a very “by-the-book” way. I took the pill religiously, did a little tweak (add more veggies) to my diet, worked out at the gym and waited anxiously for the pill to work its magic. Prescription medication and Western medicine certainly have their places, and I am not bashing them in any means. They did provide relief when I needed it. However, those were not the answers. Applying a more holistic approach towards my condition was a game changer for me. It was not so much about the food that I replaced, the herbs that I took. It is the understanding of inflammation; the underlying cause of all diseases, that unlocks all the doors for me.
WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?
Inflammation is the body’s defense mechanism. It is the immune system’s way to drive out the unwanted guests of our sacred “homes”, the body. The unwanted guests can be anything from bacteria, viruses, irritants, pollutants, toxins, etc.
HOW DOES INFLAMMATION MANIFEST?
There are various ways inflammation can manifest: fever, acne, rash, fatigue, joint pain, allergy, cold sores, poor digestion, etc.
TYPES OF INFLAMMATION:
Acute Inflammation: is short-term in nature. Think of when you have an injury, a cold, a sore throat, or an ingrown toenail. Acute inflammation is the body’s immediate and localized response to the tissue damage. The injury or infection, which manifests as acute inflammatory response, can last for a few hours to a few days, depending on the cause and severity.
Chronic Inflammation: Unlike acute inflammation where we can see and feel the symptoms, chronic inflammation is much more insidious. It stays in the body for a long period of time wreaking havoc silently without us noticing any troubled signs or symptoms. Imagine a guest that overstays the welcome and bothers the host deeply. In the same way, by fighting the ongoing inflammatory response for months and years, our immune systems become worn out over time and the body’s healing capabilities are weakened severely. Chronic inflammation is the leading cause of virtually all chronic diseases like diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s disease, etc.), autoimmune disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, just to name a few.
CAUSE OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:
It’s hard to pinpoint just a single cause of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is usually brought about by a combination of modern lifestyle factors:
- Diet:
Having a highly processed diet causes long-term health consequences. Highly processed food, like refined carbohydrates, sugar and trans fat, are stripped of nutrients. A diet high in “empty-calorie” food (soft drinks, baked treats, processed meat) is what inflammation thrives on and can accelerate chronic inflammation.
- Mental Health :
Chronic stress is a modern-day silent killer. If you still find yourself struggling with chronic inflammation no matter how healthy your diet is or how often you go to the gym, there is a huge chance you’re overlooking the emotional well-being component. When you are stressed, the adrenal gland will produce cortisol, a hormone, to respond to the stress and regulate the system. Heightened cortisol level over a significant period of time will throw the system off balance. As we already know, stress can be a motivator and is harmless in small doses. It is an entirely different story when the stress is overwhelming over a long period of time and the body is used to having too much cortisol in the bloodstream. This is what provides the fertile ground for chronic inflammation to take place and damages the immune systems.
- Long-term exposure to pollutants, irritants and toxins:
Long-term exposure to industrial chemicals , irritants, and polluted air is also a possible cause of chronic inflammation and can exacerbate the illnesses that caused by a weakened immune system.
A word from Me:
It makes so much sense when I learned of the root cause of chronic inflammation . For me, it was years of depression and prolonged stress that placed an enormous strain on my immune system. Years of untreated hypothyroidism finally culminated in Hashimoto disease. Having this knowledge definitely helps me understand my health challenge thoroughly and enables me to direct my energy and efforts to address what matters the most, instead of fixing things in a shallow and surface-level way.
I will go deeper into the healing process in upcoming posts. As for you, what is the cause that contributes to your inflammation? I would love to read your comment.
