As you may know, inflammation is a positive and healthy response of your immune system. It is the very first line of defense to counter a bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic infection. It is also triggered by certain irritants like pollen, dust or allergens, as well as some physical triggers like accidentally scraping your elbows or getting a splinter in your finger.

Inflammation is well and good when an individual is healthy. But for those who have thyroid issues, it can be very problematic. The worst part of it is that most of these individuals affected by such thyroid issues are unaware that their own bodies are under attack. The only definite marker of thyroid issues is getting yourself checked.

Your doctor can request laboratory tests to see if you have a high grade marker for inflammation. A few of these lab tests include C-Reactive Protein test (CRP) or a ferritin lab test.

Why Should I Be Concerned About It?

Chronic inflammation usually starts with one area, later on affects more localized areas.and then pro-inflammatory enzymes can disseminate all over the body through your blood circulation. As a result, you damage the HPA axis of your brain – leading to the disruption of the signals sent to your adrenal gland (the part of the brain that produces cortisol).

When cortisol is not well regulated, it leads to other health concerns such as coronary disease, bone loss, depletion of iron, high blood pressure, chronic allergies, joint pain, and other autoimmune diseases.

What Can I Do To Take Action?

There are three major actions you can do to help restore your health. First, you need to treat your hypothyroidism right away. An optimal thyroid treatment will put back your body’s inflammatory response back to normal. Ask your doctor what kind of medications you can take to reverse this problem.

Second, discover and treat adrenal issues. It is easy to guess health issues when you feel like you are exuding with symptoms, but getting tested is the most accurate way of knowing what exactly is going on. Your physician will most likely ask you to get a 24-hour adrenal saliva test. He will then recommend treatments according to the findings of this test.

Third, identify what is causing the inflammation in the first place. The root cause of inflammation can come from a variety of sources. It can be from chronic stress, bacterial infection, hidden allergies, fatty liver disease, parasitic infection, celiac disease, low cortisol, positive heavy metal toxicity, or even cancer. Indeed poor lifestyle choices and even excessive consumption of oxalate foods can lead to chronic inflammation.

Fourth, check your gastrointestinal tract. A huge part of your immune system is the GI tract. The presence of good bacteria is essential for maintaining a good and healthy body. To prevent the bad bacteria in your gut from taking over, include fermented foods in your diet. Taking probiotics can also help restore the healthy flora of your gut.

What Else Could I Do?

Increase your intake of inflammation-fighting foods. Consume more omega-3 and less of omega-6. Though you need both to achieve optimal health, omega-6 can easily be found in many food sources while omega-3 sources are more limited.

Eat more fish sources as they contain the most omega-3 fatty acids. You can get them from salmon, mackerel, sardines and cod. You can also benefit from extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Try to avoid safflower, corn, soy, peanut and sunflower as they contain mostly omega-6.

Be mindful of what you eat. The healthier your food choices are, the quicker you heal your thyroid and other health issues. It is known that eating spices such as ginger and turmeric can help reduce the activity of the enzymes causing inflammation. Based on testimonials and product reviews, side effects of taking turmeric supplement are quite rare. A majority of the people who used this product stand by its efficiency in addressing the problems caused by chronic inflammation..

As you now know, chronic inflammation may be triggered by an imbalanced nutrition. You can ask your doctor about other supplements you can take to fill in the nutritional gaps your body requires. Some health-conscious users have opted for bioflavonoids, glucosamine chondroitin, selenium, herbal teas, bromelain, fish oil capsules, and aloe vera. And don’t forget to hit the gym and do some dead lifts.

Another natural method of aiding your body’s needs is getting rid of some of its excess body fat. It is known that fat cells trigger inflammation and this can easily fire up when you are overweight. Getting into a healthier and a more active lifestyle should help fix the problem. You can sign up for a gym membership, or be as active as you can possibly be to reach this goal.

Lastly, get tested for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) or Anemia of Chronic Disease (ACD) before taking any vitamins with iron.Taking iron supplements for ACD can be harmful. Talk to your doctor about it to get a serum ferritin test.