Chronic Inflammation After 45: What It Is, Root Causes, and Overlooked Symptoms
In recent years, inflammation has become one of the most widely discussed—yet deeply misunderstood—factors influencing modern health. For many, the term “inflammation” brings to mind something acute and obvious: a swollen ankle, a red rash, or a sore throat. But there’s another side to inflammation—one that is far more subtle, chronic, and harmful. And it’s one of the biggest underlying drivers of chronic disease, premature aging, and hormone dysfunction, especially for women over 45.
What Is Inflammation—And Why It Matters
Inflammation is the body’s natural defense mechanism. It’s a vital part of the immune system’s response to injury, infection, or harmful stimuli. When you cut your finger, sprain your ankle, or catch a cold, your immune system triggers an inflammatory response. This short-term, acute inflammation is protective—it helps the body isolate the threat, eliminate it, and initiate healing.
The real problem begins when this inflammation becomes chronic—when it lingers long after the initial trigger has passed, or is continuously activated by lifestyle, diet, environmental toxins, and stress. This chronic inflammation is subtle and systemic. It doesn’t cause obvious swelling or redness. Instead, it operates silently in the background, creating a low-grade immune response that damages tissues, disrupts hormones, accelerates aging, and contributes to disease.
Researchers now link chronic inflammation to nearly every major modern condition, including:
– Cardiovascular disease
– Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance
– Autoimmune disorders
– Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline
– Hormonal imbalances (including perimenopause and menopause symptoms)
– Thyroid dysfunction
– Depression and anxiety
– Osteoporosis and joint pain
– Skin issues like rosacea and eczema
– Persistent fatigue and weight gain
In short: inflammation may not be the disease—but it’s often the terrain in which disease thrives.
Root Causes: What Triggers Chronic Inflammation in the First Place?
Chronic inflammation doesn’t stem from just one source. Rather, it’s the result of multiple overlapping stressors that build up over time. Many of these stressors are modern lifestyle realities—things we consider “normal” but that our bodies were never designed to handle in excess.
Here are some of the most common and clinically observed root causes:
🥤 1. Poor Diet & Processed Foods
Refined sugars, trans fats, artificial additives, excess omega-6 oils, alcohol, and low-fiber diets all provoke inflammatory responses. A diet lacking in antioxidants, polyphenols, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory nutrients creates internal stress at the cellular level.
💥 2. Gut Imbalance (Dysbiosis)
The gut is home to 70% of the immune system. When gut bacteria are imbalanced or when the intestinal lining becomes permeable (aka “leaky gut”), undigested food particles and toxins leak into the bloodstream—triggering the immune system to respond with inflammation.
🧠 3. Chronic Stress & Nervous System Dysregulation
The body cannot distinguish between real and perceived threats. Constant psychological stress keeps cortisol elevated, suppressing immune function and activating inflammatory pathways. Over time, this also leads to insulin resistance and fatigue.
🌙 4. Poor Sleep Quality
Sleep is the body’s master regulator of repair. A lack of restorative sleep increases inflammatory cytokines, reduces melatonin production (a natural antioxidant), and disrupts hormone balance—especially estrogen and progesterone.
🛋️ 5. Sedentary Lifestyle
Movement is necessary for healthy lymph flow and circulation. Without it, toxins and metabolic waste build up, immunity weakens, and the risk of inflammation rises.
☢️ 6. Environmental Toxins & Pollutants
Pesticides, heavy metals, mold, plastics (BPA), and household chemicals can accumulate in the body over time. These toxins burden the liver, disrupt hormone function, and provoke an inflammatory immune response.
🔁 7. Hormonal Imbalance
Fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones (all common after age 40) can increase inflammation if not supported. Estrogen, for instance, has anti-inflammatory effects—so declining levels can leave the body more vulnerable.
The Sneaky Symptoms of Inflammation: Often Misdiagnosed or Dismissed
One of the most frustrating aspects of chronic inflammation is that its symptoms often don’t seem connected. They’re diffuse, intermittent, or written off as stress, age, or “just how things are.”
As a result, many women live with inflammation for years without realizing it’s the root cause of their suffering.
Here are some commonly misinterpreted symptoms that may signal chronic inflammation:
– Feeling tired even after a full night’s sleep
– Puffy face or under-eye swelling in the morning
– Joint stiffness that improves throughout the day
– Brain fog, forgetfulness, and low concentration
– Digestive issues (gas, bloating, constipation, reflux)
– Anxiety, low mood, or irritability with no clear trigger
– Sugar cravings, especially in the late afternoon
– Unexplained weight gain or inability to lose belly fat
– Skin rashes, breakouts, or flare-ups that come and go
– Frequent headaches or muscle soreness
If you experience several of these regularly, your body may be caught in a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation—and it’s time to address the root cause, not just mask the symptoms.
Where to Begin? Small Steps Make the Biggest Change
One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to overhaul everything at once. They jump into restrictive diets, complex detoxes, or unrealistic wellness plans—only to crash, rebound, and feel worse than before.
That’s why I created RESET10.
🌿 RESET10: Your Anti-Inflammatory Kickstart
RESET10 is a 10-day challenge designed specifically for women 45+ who want to address chronic inflammation gently, sustainably, and without the overwhelm.
It’s not a detox. It’s not a diet.
It’s a structured foundation to help you reset your body’s inflammatory response using just one targeted action per day.
You’ll receive:
– A clear roadmap to reduce inflammation naturally
– Daily practices for gut health, energy, mood, and hormone support
– A gentle morning routine for nervous system regulation
– Easy anti-inflammatory meals and snack ideas
– Access to a supportive community and guidance from me
The goal? To empower you with small, powerful steps that actually stick.
🔗 Join RESET10 now for just €7
Coming Soon: RESET100 — The Full-Spectrum Wellness Program
While RESET10 gives you the first stepping stone, RESET100 is the full transformation.
Launching soon, RESET100 is a 100-day supervised journey designed to help women 45+ reverse inflammation, rebalance hormones, restore energy, and reclaim vitality—from the inside out.
It includes:
– Functional nutrition strategies
– Deep dives into gut repair, hormone balance, stress recover
– Weekly themes, expert tools, and advanced education
– A private coaching community led directly by me
– And access to my newest resource: Hormone 101
Whether you’re experiencing brain fog, joint pain, belly fat, or burnout—RESET100 will give you the structure and support you need to heal fully.
👉 Stay tuned—doors open soon.