If you twist your ankle, it swells. If you cut your finger, the area around it expands to protect the wound. Pull a muscle? Swelling. It’s the type of inflammation that’s easily visible, and the type that over-the-counter anti-inflammatories are designed to address. But the inflammation that you don’t see—the type that lingers within the body’s vital organs and systems—is the one that can be the hardest to pinpoint, but can come with the most severe side effects.

• Persistent and unexplained fatigue
• Joint pain and constant stiffness despite stretching and movement
• Skin issues including rashes, eczema, or psoriasis
• Chronic headaches and migraines
• Insomnia and trouble sleeping through the night 
• Constant feelings of heaviness, drowsiness, and discomfort 
• Respiratory and breathing issues
• In some cases, effects on cardiovascular health like hypertension 

In the functional medicine realm, there’s been a lot of research done on the relationship between chronic inflammation and chronic disease. Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting and healing itself (a vital function), but chronic inflammation never lets that line of defense let up. The body stays stuck in “protect and heal mode”, which can lead to a massive strain on a lot of organs and systems (leading to the symptoms above, and more).