Inflammation is an essential and natural response within the body. Basically, its colateral damage from your immune system as a response to 'fighting off' any new or foreign materials (i.e. bad bacteria, germs). As the immune system is works on fighting of unwanted materials, this essentially creates inflammation.
When inflammation isn't controlled our immune system goes into overdrive and becomes confused between what is foreign and what is necessary for the body, and essentially starts to attack its own healthy cells. This causes mayhem in the body ann leads to autoimmune issues e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). ..Multiple sclerosis (MS), Type 1 diabetes, Psoriasis...
For many it can take an autoimmune diagnosis to realise your body is not coping however, it's important to recognise some early signs. Signs of chronic low grade inflammation include;
1. Increased aches and pains - feeling within joints and body
2. Skin conditions; eczema, rash, increased acne, dermatitis
3. Bloodwork results; looking at inflammation markers e.g. C-Reactive Protein, CRP < 5 is normal, but some health professions recommend a CRP < 1.
As an indication CRP above 15 would be experienced as regular pain, and CRP above 30 is tough to operate in daily life.
I was diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis in 2015, my earliest sign was feeling as though my gut 'wasn't right' with an unusual sore stomach. It wasn't until this developed into conjunctivitis with serious swelling of the eyelids and the whites of my eyes turning completely red that I realised something was definitely not right. 3 days later my right knee started to ache and I developed a limp. Fast forward, I had several trips to the hospital to get steroid joint injections and IV steriods, 62mL of synovial fluid drained from my knee joint, both ankles, knees, hips, my fingers and my left elbow swelled and were too painful to move. I spent 6weeks unable to walk, was taken for an urgent ECG, had heart palpitations, and lost 8kg in less than 6weeks. I felt nauseous, my stools were out of whack, and I was too exhausted to even watch TV or read. My highest CRP reading (inflammation marker) in my bloodwork was 220! (see previous scale.)
Thankfully, Mum did some nutrition research and put me on a strict alkaline diet. I ate heaps of fruit, veg, fatty fish, turmeric, ginger, natural food supplements; chondroitin, glucosamine and fish oils. I avoided all gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and any other meat, and still to this day I believe that it's this short term change in my 'diet' that put me into remission - fixing my gut and naturally allowing my immune system to work itself out and reduce inflammation. It took a year for my joints to feel 100% again and and few weeks and a lot of pulled leg muscles to get used to walking again.
This experience gave me a great appreciation for our ability to move, exercise and eat healthy foods, and has shaped my special interest in gut health. I am no longer rely on this restrictive diet however, I am more aware of the role nutrition has on our ability to function and I make extra effort to include high amounts of quality foods with anti-inflammatory or pro/prebiotic properties. I no longer consume as much gluten or dairy as previously.
Most importantly, the more we can control our gut health and minimise inflammation - the healthier we are, and this starts with diet and lifestyle factors as the primary tool...
(See next blog post on managing inflammation)
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