Is low grade chronic inflammation a key driver of your health symptoms?

Chronic, low-grade inflammation is like a slow-burning fire in the body; it’s not always dramatic, but over time it can significantly contribute to fatigue, hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions, gut dysfunction, skin issues, anxiety and even burnout.

In my practice, I look for the underlying drivers of a health concern - and inflammation is often a significant contributing factor.

Here's how I assess whether chronic inflammation is playing a role in your symptoms....

Physical Signs I Look For

Low-grade inflammation often shows up in the body both in subtle and not-so-subtle ways - sometimes before it’s ever reflected in standard blood tests. During our consults, I look at the whole picture, including:

Mood + Mind:

• Brain fog, sluggish thinking

• Anxiety or “wired but tired” feeling

• Low mood or irritability

• Poor sleep

  
  

Skin:

• Eczema, acne, or rosacea

• Dryness, puffiness, dullness

• Slow wound healing

Digestion:

• Bloating or irregular bowel habits

• Food sensitivities or discomfort after eating

• A history of gut infections, SIBO, or IBS

• Poor immune function

• Food intolerances

  
  

Immune System:

• Frequent infections or slow recovery

• Reactivity to foods or chemicals

• Diagnosed autoimmune conditions

Muscles + Joints:

• Aches and pains not linked to injury

• Muscle soreness that lingers

• Joint stiffness, especially in the morning

Hormone Balance:

• Period pain, PMS, or heavy bleeding

• Cyclical acne or mood swings

• Irregular or changing cycles

• Signs of oestrogen dominance or progesterone insufficiency

Blood Tests I Use to Assess Inflammation

While symptoms tell part of the story, I also use functional pathology to uncover what’s going on beneath the surface. Here are some of the key bio-markers I review:

High-Sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP)

A marker of systemic inflammation, even small elevations can suggest chronic inflammatory activity.

Full Blood Count (CBC)

White blood cell patterns, haemoglobin levels, and platelet count can point to hidden infections, inflammation, or nutrient depletion.

Nutrient Markers

• Iron studies: Inflammation can lower iron by trapping it in storage (functional deficiency).

• B12, Folate, Vitamin D: Deficiencies can both cause and result from inflammation.

  
  

Liver Enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT)

These give insight into detoxification capacity and inflammatory load, especially if your liver is working overtime.

Metabolic Markers

• Fasting glucose and insulin

• HbA1c

• Lipid panel (with triglycerides/HDL ratio)Inflammation can interfere with blood sugar regulation and lipid metabolism, setting the stage for metabolic imbalance.

  
  

Hormones

• Cortisol (via saliva or blood): Chronic stress drives inflammation through the HPA axis.

• Thyroid markers (TSH, Free T3/T4, antibodies): Inflammation often underlies sluggish thyroid function, even with “normal” labs.

• Reproductive hormone tests (e.g. LH, FSH, oestradiol, progesterone, SHBG, free and total testosterone, prolactin)

  
  

Autoimmune Markers

• ANA, ESR, and specific antibodies depending on presentation (e.g., anti-TPO for thyroid autoimmunity)

Lifestyle & Nutrition Clues: What Your Habits Reveal

Blood tests and physical symptoms are just part of the story. Often, chronic inflammation is being fed daily; by stress, diet, or environmental exposures—without you even realising it.

When I take a case, I ask questions designed to uncover the subtle contributors to systemic inflammation:

Daily Habits I Examine:

• Sleep quality and circadian rhythm: Poor sleep is a major driver of inflammation.

• Stress load + recovery: Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, impairing immune regulation.

• Movement patterns: Both too little and too much exercise can be inflammatory.

• Environmental toxins: Ongoing exposure to mould, chemicals, alcohol, smoking, or vaping increases your inflammatory burden.

  
  

Nutritional Patterns I Look For:

• Ultra-processed-hyper palatable foods: These can trigger or sustain a low-grade immune response.

• Food intolerances or sensitivities: Even “healthy” foods can be inflammatory if your gut barrier is compromised.

• Low antioxidant and phytonutrient intake: If you're not eating the rainbow, you're not buffering oxidative stress.

• Blood sugar swings: Frequent snacking or carbohydrate-heavy meals can drive insulin resistance and inflammation.

• Digestive resilience: I assess not just what you eat, but how well you digest and absorb it, because inflammation often starts in the gut.

  
  

These patterns often validate what we see in pathology, and they give us actionable steps to start shifting inflammation.

Why a Holistic Interpretation Matters

Too often, blood tests are reviewed in isolation, or worse, only flagged if they're outside the "normal" reference range. But within holistic care, we look for patterns, not just outliers. We look at ALL pieces of the puzzle to make sense of the whole - In this work, context is everything.

Chronic inflammation can be a common driver of many health concerns but it’s not invisible when you know where to look for it. My clinical approach combines careful listening, symptom mapping, and thorough testing to uncover the full picture. Once we understand what’s driving the inflammation, we can start to reduce it, through nutrition, lifestyle practices, and targeted supplementation where warranted.

If you’re ready to uncover what’s really driving your symptoms - and want a clear, personalised plan to support your health from the root up - I'd love to chat..

Book a free Vitality Strategy Call to explore whether inflammation is playing a role in your health concerns and how I can support you.

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