Dr. Paul Deglmann
Meghan Feir Walker
Have gut issues been afflicting you?
Gut health has a huge impact on your overall health and quality of life, but sometimes, it’s not as obvious that a gut problem is to blame for symptoms. While many symptoms of gut inflammation are obvious, such as indigestion, nausea, and bloating, other symptoms like fatigue and mood disorders can even be caused by an underlying gut problem.
With this wide range of symptoms, how can you know if a gut issue is to blame? Along with explaining what gut inflammation is and how to determine if you may be experiencing gut inflammation, we’ll also be going over what tests can uncover underlying gut issues and how to reduce gut inflammation so you can heal and start functioning well once again.
What is gut inflammation?
First off, it’s important to understand what gut inflammation is. Gut inflammation occurs when the lining of your digestive tract becomes irritated, swollen, or damaged. A wide range of problems can cause this irritation, swelling, and damage, including microbiome imbalances, infections, autoimmune disorders, dietary issues, chronic diseases, environmental factors, and many others.
When the gut is inflamed, digestion, nutrient absorption, and your overall quality of health can be greatly affected. When digestion isn’t working well, it may be because of a reduction in the production of stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and/or bile flow. If the small intestine is inflamed, you won’t be able to properly absorb or access the nutrients from your food or supplements.
If gut inflammation persists, you likely have systemic inflammation along with poor digestion and nutrient absorption. These problems can impact almost every part of your body and can lead to digestive symptoms, autoimmunity, chronic fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, eczema/psoriasis, joint pain, headaches, hormonal imbalances, and many other issues.
How do you know if your gut is inflamed?
Many factors can cause gut inflammation, and many symptoms can be indications of likely gut inflammation.
Common causes of gut inflammation include:
- Poor diet, food sensitivities, food allergies
- Impaired digestion
- Dysbiosis/Infections
- Stress
- Toxicity
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Certain medications
- And more
Common symptoms of gut inflammation include:
- Bloating/gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Acid reflux/GERD
- Heartburn
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- And more
Less obvious symptoms that can occur from gut inflammation include:
- Brain fog/poor memory
- Fatigue
- Skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, etc.
- Joint pain, muscle aches
- Headaches/migraines
- Poor sleep
- Anxiety/depression
- Frequently getting sick
- Respiratory symptoms
- And more
While many people have gut inflammation, some people don’t have any of these symptoms and may be experiencing other symptoms or are temporarily avoiding the impact until more damage is done.
To know whether your gut is inflamed, it’s important to test and not guess.
Stool tests are the best and most direct way of looking at inflammation in the gut and determining if there is an imbalance within the microbiome that could also be contributing to the inflammation.
In addition to the stool test, other tests that can indicate gut inflammation and shine a light on what you can do to heal your gut include:
- Food testing
- Genetic testing for gluten sensitivity predisposition
- Food allergy testing
- Food sensitivity panels
- Organic Acids Test (OAT)
- Toxicity testing
- Organophosphates, glyphosate, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, phthalates, BPA, mycotoxins, heavy metals
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormone testing
- More
What is the fastest way to reduce gut inflammation?
Simple immediate steps you can take to reduce gut inflammation include:
- Remove ultra-processed foods, added sugars, GMO foods, seed oils, etc
- Avoid eating late at night
- Elimination diet
- Consider intermittent fasting
Please note: When you are considering fasting, always make sure you consult with your healthcare practitioner to find out if it’s a good option for you. Some people don’t function well when fasting, so always consult an expert first.
How do you reduce intestinal inflammation long-term?
At RHS, we believe many factors influence gut health. This is why we take a holistic approach toward healing.
Steps we use at RHS to reduce gut inflammation:
- Remove inflammatory foods and focus on eating clean, whole foods and foods that are nutrient-dense
- Support digestion (stomach acid support, digestive enzyme support, gallbladder/bile support), if needed
- Support the gut lining/barrier, if needed
- Address any overgrowths of bacteria, yeast/fungi/candida, and/or parasites, if needed
- Repopulate the gut and build up the beneficial bacteria
Other practical ways to reduce intestinal inflammation over time include:
- Hydrating properly every day
- Getting out in the sun
- Getting good, restful sleep
- Practicing good stress management strategies
- Moving your body often in a way that your body tolerates well
- Breathing clean air
While all of these approaches will help support your gut health, remember: To determine which steps you need to take and how to follow your plan in the best way possible, you need accurate, thorough testing.
What is the No. 1 most inflammatory food?
Many types of food and food preparation techniques can promote inflammation, but the main culprits are processed, refined sugar, seed oils, GMO foods, and anything ultra-processed. Avoid these as much as possible, especially when dealing with gut inflammation.
When to seek help
If you have chronic gut health issues, have tried various diets and supplements, have had several tests done, but still don’t have answers, working with a functional medicine practitioner may be the missing link in your healing journey.
While you may have had testing done in the past to determine the cause of your gut issues, chances are your testing wasn’t digging deeply enough or looking in the right direction. Not all testing is created equal, and not all testing is directed at the right things.
Thorough, accurate, and honed-in testing, paired with a skilled functional medicine practitioner who can translate the results, can make all the difference when you’re trying to get better. They can then come up with a detailed, tailored plan for you to recover.
Next steps to take
Whether you’re dealing with gut issues or just feeling like you’re constantly lagging, understanding what you’re facing and the root cause(s) is imperative to your healing.
By learning more about your conditions and the reasons they developed, you can take proactive steps toward enhancing your digestive health, whole-body health, and overall quality of life.
Are you ready to learn more about your gut health and how to improve your digestive health? Read more on our blog about gut health, or schedule your free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Paul to explore a personalized approach for a helpful and effective path to recovery.
Watch the video
To watch the video accompanying this article, click here.
Share the article and follow us on social media
If this article was helpful to you, consider sharing it with family and friends. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more beneficial health information on chronic tick-borne infections and other topics.
