Chronic Inflammation: The silent cause of fatigue, burnout, and poor health

Think of a special friend. Now imagine their house is on fire and you're standing outside, holding a hose connected to an endless supply of petrol. Would you aim it at the flames? Pour petrol onto the fire? I doubt it. Yet, chances are, you're doing exactly that to yourself right now.

Let me explain.

Imagine your body is a house on fire. It’s burning down and edging closer to collapse. You’ve called the firemen, and they’re doing their best to put the flames out but for some reason, the fire just keeps burning. The heat and smoke are so intense that you can’t see clearly enough to work out where it all began.

Then you look down and see you’re holding a hose. And it’s not spraying water - it’s spraying petrol. You’re feeding the fire instead of extinguishing it. No wonder the firemen can’t get it under control.

This is what I see often in people struggling with fatigue and it might be happening to you. The burning house is your body. The firemen are the therapies, herbs, or supplements you keep turning to in an effort to feel better. The petrol is the food you eat, the habits you keep, and the ways you push through when your body is telling you to stop. And the flames? The flames are a physiological process known as chronic inflammation.

If you're still pouring petrol onto the fire, the firemen can’t succeed. Before anything else, you need to stop feeding the flames and cool the inflammation.

What is chronic inflammation?

Do certain foods leave you bloated or crampy? Do you get frequent skin rashes, postnasal drip, or mouth ulcers? What about sore joints after exercise, headaches, brain fog, or trouble concentrating? Perhaps you struggle with allergies like hay fever, eczema, or sinus issues?

All of the above have one thing in common: chronic inflammation.

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury. Think of what happens when you twist an ankle or get stung by a bee: there is swelling, redness, heat and pain. This is acute inflammation and is your immune system stepping in to protect and heal.

Sometimes this inflammation doesn’t switch off. It settles in and affects your entire body in a low-grade, ongoing way, damaging your body instead of healing or protecting it. This is chronic inflammation.

While acute inflammation is obvious and easy to spot, chronic inflammation isn’t. It doesn’t come with visible swelling or redness. Instead, it quietly causes aches and pains, fatigue, poor sleep, mood swings, digestive problems or frequent colds and infections. With these vague symptoms it’s easy to miss and it can go on to contribute towards long-term conditions like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and even dementia.

If you're struggling with fatigue, there's a good chance chronic inflammation is playing a role. It’s important to identify not just what may have caused it, but also how you’re continuing to fuel it day after day.

I often find that the original cause of inflammation is quite different from what’s keeping it going. Like a house fire started by faulty wiring, a candle, or a dropped cigarette, it might begin one way but continue because someone keeps throwing on petrol, wood, or twigs.

What is quite frightening with chronic inflammation, is that it’s usually our lifestyle that feeds the inflammation and stops us from getting well. Our daily habits become the fuel, blocking recovery and keeping us stuck. The way we eat, move, and handle stress doesn’t just lead to burnout; it keeps us there.

This post is an excerpt from my book Drowning Lifeguards, where I explore how stress, trauma, and lifestyle can quietly drain your energy. If you're needing to calm the inflammation in your body then this book may be what you're looking for. Get your copy here >

Please note: The health and nutritional information provided by Ruth Hull and/or this blog is intended for general educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute or replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns regarding your health and before making any changes to your lifestyle or diet you should always consult your general medical practitioner or other health professional.

Photo by tyler richardson