There are natural times to feel tired, like when you’ve been on your feet all day, when you’ve been studying for hours, when you’ve just had to spend an afternoon with some of your less personable relatives. Fatigue is more than tiredness, though. Tiredness disappears when you’ve had enough sleep. Fatigue drags on and you may not be able to overcome it alone.

The potential list of causes of fatigue is a long one. It could be neurological, hormonal, some kind of infection, a sleep disorder, or a mental health condition, to name just a few. That means that if you’re going to the doctor to try to find out what’s causing your fatigue, there’s a lot to work through.

As with many things, a blood test is a good start. It can show if an underactive thyroid, anemia, or diabetes (also diagnosable with a urine test) is the cause. Checking for the Epstein-Barr virus will show if you have glandular fever. All can cause fatigue.

Blood tests are the first step to diagnosing celiac disease, a type of gluten intolerance that makes your immune system attack your body. If the blood tests are inconclusive, you may need a biopsy. A tube will be sent down your throat to take a sample of tissue from your small intestine.

For mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, it’s trickier. Your doctor is likely to ask you a lot of questions about how you feel and how long you’ve felt that way. It’s a lot more subjective, depending on your perception of yourself (and willingness to share) and the doctor’s interpretation.

That’s still not as difficult as the ongoing fatigue caused by myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We still don’t know its cause for sure (it might be a reaction to an infection, an immune system problem, a hormonal imbalance, or something genetic) or how it works, and there’s no one test to diagnose it. That just shows how important it can be to have effective testing and diagnosing procedures.

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One of the difficulties when it comes to mental health as opposed to physical health is that it’s much harder to objectively quantify. How do you measure things like how someone’s feeling at a certain time? Often it involves questionnaires and interviews, but people with a mental illness won’t always be direct about their experiences. They may not even know how to express them.

It gets even more difficult when it comes to trying to identify any childhood factors that may influence adult mental health. If you think it’s hard defining things in the present, imagine the extra challenge of trying to remember something from years ago first. Then there’s the fact that things like neglect and abuse are often contributors, and it can be very painful to talk about them.

Psychologists and psychiatrists won’t always confine their questions and testing to the patient themselves. With both genetic and environmental factors being so important in the development of mental illness, it can also be important to talk to parents, siblings, teachers and others who may either have observed the patient in their youth or may even display similar symptoms. That means even more challenges in trying to obtain an objective record.

That’s not to say there’s no physical element to diagnosing mental illness. Attempts to explain irrational or harmful human behavior may involve testing hormone levels or scanning the brain to see if there’s any damage. Having something you can point to as a clear cause makes it much easier to develop a treatment plan.

Being able to define and quantify an illness with objective, consistent and testable criteria is a vital part of identifying and treating it. That’s true even when you can’t see the cause. Establishing accurate testing is one of the most important ways to ensure that patients can have access to the support that they need.

This means being able to acknowledge the interplay of biological, psychological and environmental factors in the development of mental illness so that treatment can be tailored appropriately.

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If you’ve tried any of these miracle cures, you’ll probably have realized that many of them don’t have magical powers. It’s easy to make a claim with no scientific backing and have dozens of people listen, especially when the topic is something as sought-after as anti-aging.

You can’t just take one pill or rub in one cream to hold back the years, but there are a few ways that you can improve your general health enough that when you do get older, you can still feel pretty good. Sometimes it’s as simple as exercising regularly and getting a good night’s sleep. Another important factor is diet.

In general, a balanced diet rich in all the nutrients the body needs is a good idea. That includes lots of fruit and vegetables. Eat the right food and your skin will be smoother, brighter and healthier; you’ll have more energy; and even your mood can improve. All these things can make you feel younger.

Vitamin A, which we mostly receive through our diet, includes what are known as retinoids. These are essential for the growth and repair of healthy skin. Skin is one of the first areas to show visible signs of aging, so this is important for avoiding too many lines, wrinkles and blemishes. Vitamin A is also good for the eyesight, which can fade as you get older.

Common dietary sources of vitamin A include dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter. Oily fish is also rich in vitamin A, as is liver. In fact, too much liver can lead to too much vitamin A in your body, which can be dangerous if you’re pregnant.

With fish and liver both having such high vitamin A content, it’s no wonder cod liver oil supplements also advertise their vitamin A levels. Vegetables that are high in Vitamin A include carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes and leafy greens such as spinach and kale, along with fruit like papaya.

The other vitamin you are most likely to see discussed in the context of anti-aging is vitamin C, which has powerful antioxidant properties. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It’s most famously found in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, although you can also find it in everything from broccoli to potatoes. Because the body can’t store Vitamin C, you need to consume it fairly regularly.

Like vitamin A, vitamin C is important to skin health. In particular, it helps the body synthesize collagen, the protein in connective tissue holding together skin, bones, cartilage and ligaments. Collagen keeps your skin simultaneously strong and elastic. It’s collagen that is traditionally used in dermal fillers, a form of cosmetic surgery specifically designed to reduce lines and wrinkles.

Vitamins A and C are just two of the nutrients in your diet that can help you look and feel younger. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatories from a range of fruits, vegetables and other foods can protect skin, improve your appearance and generally make you feel great.

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Some of the things in Calment’s lifestyle may indicate why she lived so long. For example, she had a lot of olive oil in her diet, which is recognized for its health benefits. Her alcohol consumption was fairly minimal, which also helps.

On the other hand, she was an avid smoker who started using cigarettes when she was 21 and didn’t stop until she was 117. She also ate more chocolate than most doctors would recommend as healthy. According to statistics, that should have made it much more difficult for her to live a long life, but she not only survived but thrived. She was still walking unaided and her mind remained sharp right until the end.

Now, we’re not all going to live to 122, but we’re certainly living longer than our ancestors. We have antibiotics and vaccinations. We understand hygiene and germs. We know so much more about how diseases are caused and how to treat them, if not avoid them altogether.

It may be a bit more complicated than that, though (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181002-how-long-did-ancient-people-live-life-span-versus-longevity). Life expectancy is about the average age that a population can expect to reach before they die. It’s not the same as lifespan, which is how long they actually live. A few outliers can widely skew an average.

In the case of historical life expectancy, high rates of infant and maternal mortality may have thrown off calculations. People who made it through or avoided those particularly dangerous moments could have lived a similar length of time as us. Throughout human history, it’s also pretty clear that the wealthy tend to have the advantage when it comes to longevity.

A look at Ancient Rome shows that the rich were still regularly living to their 70s, even though life was a lot shorter for those involved in heavy manual labor or those injured during military service. It’s difficult to know for sure because they didn’t keep records back then in the same way we do now. The people we know about are the ones historians thought it was worth writing about – the ones who had a major impact on wider society, not the average citizen.

So what does this mean for our longevity today? Geography, race and class still play an often inescapable role. We can’t do anything about our genes. Even things that we should be able to control, like diet, can sometimes be hard to manage. There’s also a lot of conflicting and sometimes dangerous advice about supposed magical solutions to the problems of aging.

In general, the healthier your lifestyle, the longer you can hope to live. Even little changes to what you eat or how you exercise may help, as can finding ways to manage any major stresses in your life. They may not be easy, but there are ways to improve your longevity with a little effort.

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There are some standard tests that are likely to crop up whenever you have something wrong with you, and there are some more specialized kinds for when you’ve tried all the usual things and still can’t figure out the problem.

Whatever tests you need, the most likely place to start is with blood. Pretty much everything in the body runs through the blood at some point, so it’s also where you can spot a lot of potential issues. A blood test may require a big needle in your arm, but sometimes you can manage with just a few drops of blood squeezed from your fingertip.

Test panels are a collection of tests often performed together for improved efficiency. For example, a metabolic blood panel can measure sodium, potassium, urea, magnesium, creatine and other elements all at the same time. Sometimes cholesterol will be included as well. Another blood test is a blood gas test, which can diagnose what are called acidosis conditions.

A complete blood count (CBC) or full blood count measures white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin in your blood. This can be used for diagnosing conditions such as anemia, as well as various kinds of infection and even leukemia. A CBC can detect iron and B12 deficiencies.

Another common body fluid for testing is urine. This is probably most familiar for its role in drug testing and its use in pregnancy tests. Even the clarity, color and smell of the urine can be indicative, but full urinalysis will use a test strip to analyze its chemical composition. This may allow the diagnosis of conditions including urine infections and various kidney-related problems, such as kidney stones and chronic renal disease. Like blood tests, urine tests can also reveal elevated glucose levels, which can be associated with diabetes.

Testing isn’t all about bodily fluid. Biopsies involve the sampling of small pieces of tissue, or even just a few cells. A pathologist can examine these cells under a microscope to detect any abnormalities. For example, it may be used to analyze a tumor to identify if it’s cancerous. Pathology is the medical specialism responsible for studying the cause and effect of different diseases.

Sometimes medical testing will be based on your symptoms and the suspicions of the doctor. For example, if your symptoms are consistent with a hormone imbalance, you will need to have your hormones checked. If you’re going to have surgery or a major medical procedure, the doctor will probably need to know as much about your body and health as possible. Sometimes testing is recommended because of your age or other risk factors that make you more susceptible to a certain condition.

However it’s done, the doctors in the lab provide an essential service in monitoring your health and making sure every part of you is working as it should. Without testing, you’d never know what was wrong with you, if anything, and therefore wouldn’t be able to try to fix it.

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To start with, there is no absolute cure for getting older. Scientists have been looking for a long time, and so far, all they can do is slow the process. As a general rule, a higher quality of life means the negative effects of aging are less likely to have an impact. If your life is particularly stressful, you’re going to have to fight extra hard if you want to hold back the aging process.

There are lots of negative effects associated with aging. It starts with the cosmetic, like hair that recedes or goes gray and the occasional line or wrinkle. But then everything slows down, both physically and mentally. You lose some of the strength you had when you were young, and your joints might get stiff. Some conditions, like arthritis and dementia, are particularly associated with getting older.

So just what should you do when you feel the symptoms of aging creeping up on you? Well, it’s much like every other area of health. Basics like diet, exercise and sleep are important in every aspect of healthy living. Trying to avoid things like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption also helps with general fitness, and the better your general fitness, the less likely aging is to slow you down.

If you’ve tried all these basics and you’re still not satisfied, people have tried everything from supplements to surgery to try to keep themselves young. You can find long lists of possible dietary additions online that claim to be anti aging, though the scientific evidence supporting those claims is often pretty thin. If you’re in doubt, always check with a professional. That’s especially true before considering cosmetic surgery like dermal fillers or Botox.

When it comes to skincare, there’s an equally large and confusing stable of products with a supposed anti aging purpose. It’s always a good idea do a patch test with any new skincare product to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction. Retinol, or vitamin A, is important to maintaining healthy skin and that is scientifically proven.

Sometimes you don’t actually want to use anything that is too strong on your skin – a more gentle cleanser can keep it healthy and hydrated without causing damage. Exfoliants, on the other hand, can remove old and dead skin to keep you looking fresh. Other ways to protect your skin include making sure you use sunscreen when appropriate and not rubbing products into your skin too vigorously.

You might not be able to stop the aging process, but you can slow it down as long as you take care with the products you use and do your research. Everyone’s different, so you may need to experiment to find what works for you, but sleep, diet and exercise are still the most important starting points.

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Longevity shouldn’t just be about living long, but about living well. It’s not just about how long the average person can expect to live; it’s about how some people manage to bypass that average. We can’t all be Jeanne Calment, the French woman who claimed to be 122 when she died, but we can learn ways to improve our longevity.

You probably know that when you average out the life expectancy of people in Medieval times, it’s a few decades behind us today. That’s not because we’ve evolved into some magical new species that is unafflicted by the troubles that plagued people back then. Some of the biggest drivers are maternal and infant mortality, things we’ve taken huge steps to tackle.

Giving birth was an incredibly dangerous process in the past. That’s still true, especially if you’re in an underserved population (black women have some of the worse maternal incomes), but at least we do know the theory of how to reduce those risks. There are processes in place for everything from improved nutrition to vaccinations that help protect vulnerable infants.

Other improvements in longevity come not just from medical innovations, but legal and technological advances. You’re less likely to die in an accident because of a badly made piece of farming equipment or because your factory doesn’t have proper safety procedures. All of these factors help alleviate the impact of things we can’t change, like our genes.

There are also other things we should be able to control ourselves, but factors like geography and poverty can get in the way. You might know you need to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, but in some areas, those foods just aren’t accessible. The terrain isn’t good for growing crops, you’re too far away for shipping it to be remotely financially viable, and there’s only one small store in a hundred miles that you have to depend on for everything.

Similarly, gym memberships and exercise gear can be expensive and often exclude certain groups of people. However, there are other exercises you can try wherever you are, such as running. If you’re feeling tough, you could practice sit-ups or push-ups without leaving your home. Even a little effort can make a big difference to your length and quality of life.

It can also help to look at the rest of the world. The average American lifespan has dropped slightly in recent years, but other countries are still doing well. Japanese people have the highest life expectancies, and the reasons may be fairly simple (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2004/jun/10/thisweekssciencequestions1).

Japanese people seem to be good at avoiding stress and its associated negative health impacts (which can also lead to behaviors that reduce life expectancy, like smoking and excess alcohol consumption). They do eat well, with diets high in seafood and fish oil. Their overall caloric intake is generally less than it is in America. It seems that diet and exercise are some of the best things you can tackle as an individual to improve longevity.

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Aging is something we all have to go through, and it comes with some unwelcome side effects. We get slower, and tire more easily. Fertility declines. There’s a loss of both strength and mobility. Lots of diseases and medical conditions, including arthritis, osteoporosis and dementia, become more common. There are cosmetic changes too, such as the gray hair and wrinkles that many people try so hard to hide.

Scientists have been trying to find a way to slow – if not stop – the effect of aging for years. There’s no absolute cure, at least so far. There are, however, certain supplements and practices that may be able to ease the process. Combined with the basics of healthy living – good diet, plenty of exercise, a sensible amount of sleep and no smoking – aging doesn’t have to be so bad.

Curcumin is one dietary supplement associated with reducing the impact of aging, possibly because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re wondering what that is, it’s one of the main constituent parts of turmeric, a popular spice. It’s been used as an alternative medicine for centuries, though modern scientific research is mixed on its effectiveness. Green tea is another possible dietary supplement with mixed scientific backing.

Another way that people have tried to reduce the effects of aging is through the use of collagen. This is a type of protein that helps connect other tissues, organs, muscles and bones together. Both human and bovine (cow) collagen have been used in medical contexts, such as helping burn victims recover. They are also used as fillers to alleviate wrinkles and other signs of skin aging.

You can also try to alleviate the symptoms of aging by reducing or removing certain things from your life. Smoking and too much alcohol are known to have a host of negative effects, and this can include aggravating the aging process. They’re also associated with stress. Stress can cause problems in pretty much every area of your physical and mental health, including making you age more quickly and with more side effects.

Of course, you can’t just remove stress from your life, but you can find ways to alleviate it. Sleep, diet and exercise are important. It also helps to have a positive attitude. Allow time for your favorite hobbies or to spend time with friends and family. Break unwelcome tasks into manageable chunks. Learn to identify and manage your own bad habits.

Some of these methods treat the symptoms of aging directly, while others are useful for alleviating other causes or conditions associated with aging. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are popular as anti aging supplements. As always, consult with your doctor if you have any doubts about what you are taking, especially if you are taking other medication. Supplements should complement a healthy lifestyle, not take the place of a good diet and exercise regimen.

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At its most basic, longevity means life expectancy. It’s about how long an average person can expect to live, and about those people who live especially long for reasons that may or may not be obvious.

People in the olden days didn’t live as long as us not because of their biology, but because they lived before modern medicine, easy (relatively speaking) access to healthy food and those admittedly sometimes annoying health and safety regulations that nevertheless have dramatically decreased your chances of dying in an accident.

Historically, two of the biggest drivers of low life expectancy have been maternal and infant mortality. Giving birth is incredibly dangerous, and babies obviously aren’t as well equipped to deal with all the world’s dangers as adults. We understand the causes of mortality better now, and we have developed techniques to help deal with them. In recent years, however, America’s average life expectancy has dropped slightly.

A study of average life expectancies can reveal interesting statistics. Women tend to live longer than men. Black men in particular have shorter life expectancies (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2017/015.pdf). As for geography, it’s Japan that tops the table of life expectancy by country. When it comes to individuals, the oldest person to ever live is allegedly Jeanne Calment of France, who claimed to be 122 when she died.

Of course, just how effective these life-extending measures are depends on a host of other things, like where you live and your income level. There are still lots of things that can make it difficult to access good quality healthcare, while food deserts with poor nutrition are far too common.

There are lots of things that can affect life expectancy, and not all of them are under your control. It all starts with your genes, so you may want to blame your parents for that just like you do your eye color and tendency to forget things.

Luckily, it’s not all in the genes. You can still have a significant impact on your own longevity through lifestyle changes. So what should you do if you’re unlucky enough to be born with bad genes in an area lacking in basic amenities? There’s a lot of conflicting advice, but most experts agree that a diet with plenty of vegetables is a good start.

That may be difficult if you’re in a food desert, but there are other steps you can take. Exercise is important in any form; you don’t have to splash out for a gym membership or expensive equipment. Going for a jog or doing sit-ups at home can still have a positive impact.

If you’re stressed, you may be tempted into bad behaviors such as smoking or excess alcohol consumption, and one of the many problems they cause is a reduced life expectancy. Try to avoid these situations, make sure you get enough sleep and ensure you enjoy positive experiences such as time with loved ones. These should all help your longevity.

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Community can mean different things in a health context. Sometimes it refers to people with the same health problems or experiences – a community of cancer sufferers, or people with schizophrenia, or diabetics, for example. Sometimes it’s about the people receiving the same treatment plan or services, such as all the people who attend a certain clinic. What is clear is that the important role of communities in healthcare is becoming increasingly recognized.

There will probably be some shared values and cultural attitudes in a community. This can cause difficulties if it means resistance to outsiders coming in with health recommendations. Health providers need to learn how to work with communities if they want to best meet their needs. This means open dialogue and an understanding of specific issues affecting that one group of people. Communities may be united by class, race, gender, age, sexuality or disability, among other factors.

A community may be geographically based. This means locals are likely to have access to the same services, from hospitals to gyms to what groceries are available in stores. Water and power are likely to come from the same place, and they’ll breathe the same air. That also means residents may end up sharing the same health problems, and solutions may need to be targeted to the community as a whole (https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/blog/what-is-community-health/) rather than just individuals.

Health problems rooted in communities can have a knock-on effect on other issues, which in turn cycle back to make those health problems worse. For example, areas with high levels of crime and poor public safety tend to have worse health outcomes. Natural disasters will have a more devastating impact in places where health and infrastructure are already poor. Meanwhile, housing, schools, employment and accessible public spaces can all increase community health.

The internet has allowed new communities to spring up all around the world. People who might feel marginalized in their local area can find like-minded individuals who may live thousands of miles away. They may not be physically there for each other, but they can share concerns and give advice. It means no one has to be alone, and everyone can have access to some kind of community support.

If you’re looking to improve your own health as an individual, finding a community to support you can be one of the most effective ways to do it. It means you don’t just have to rely on yourself, and if you have a bad day, there will be someone else to nudge you forward. There are lots of programs that allow you to connect with like-minded individuals for exercise and dieting, both things that can allow you to take control of your own health.

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To have the kind of 50s you deserve, you must not let illness rob you of health if you can prevent it. At the very least, when you are in your 50s, make sure you get the following tests done (and if your doctor recommends anything else, have those tests done, too!)

Screening for colon cancer

At age 50, colon cancer screenings are normally recommended. While a colonoscopy is the test that is used most often, there are more options these days than before. Talk to your doctor about which type of screening test is the best choice for you.

Frequent scale stepping

A lot of people tend to start gaining weight in their 50s as their metabolism slows down with age. Watch your weight carefully, and fight back against any gains with workouts and a better diet. When you are overweight, you have an increased risk for many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Blood pressure testing

High blood pressure often doesn’t have any symptoms, which is why it is known as the “silent killer.” However, high blood pressure, when untreated, can attack your kidneys, your eyes, your brain and your heart. Don’t let this quiet menace creep up on you. Get yours tested regularly.

Cholesterol profile

Cholesterol, like blood pressure, is often silent when high but can have serious health consequences. Get your levels tested regularly, preferably once a year but at least every two years. If you do have high cholesterol already, it’s likely your doctor will want you to be tested more frequently.

Blood sugar levels

Untreated diabetes does have some signs, but it can become very dangerous before you realize you have it. Sometimes, people mistake the symptoms of diabetes for other conditions. Get your blood sugar tested at least every one to two years. If you do end up with diabetes, take steps immediately to manage it.

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Before you shell out hundreds of dollars on that anti-aging miracle cure you saw on TV–which, sadly, probably doesn’t work–make sure you’re not making these common skincare mistakes.

Not using the right skincare products

Skin care goes beyond just washing with a gentle soap and water. Eventually, you will see signs of aging, and the best way to help correct your existing skin damage while preventing damage in the future is by implementing a solid anti-aging skincare routine.

Products meant as anti-aging tend to have active ingredients that are better at keeping your skin looking younger than your traditional moisturizers. This doesn’t mean you need to run out and break the bank on expensive items, either. Simply look for products that have things such as peptides and antioxidants in them for better results. And, if a product isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to try something else.

Not washing your face at night

Most people wash their face in the morning, but not everyone does it at night. The rapid regeneration of your skin cells are what keeps your skin looking younger, and most of this happens when you sleep. However, your skin needs to be free of the oil, dirt and other impurities that build up over the day for the best results. In addition, all those products you apply to your skin at night won’t be as well-absorbed and effective if you’re applying them to a dirty face.

Use a cleanser that is nourishing and gentle to remove all the impurities from your face at night before you apply any of your anti-aging skincare products. If you can, try to avoid using cleansing wipes. Although these are convenient, they tend to be less effective and often result in you just smearing the day’s impurities around your face instead of removing them.

Not using sunscreen often enough

You likely already dutifully apply sunscreen every time you head to the beach, but what about on days when you’re out in the sun without doing a sunshine-related activity? The sun’s rays can rapidly age your skin, so it’s crucial you apply it anytime you’re heading out into the sun – not just for the beach or pool.

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You are probably already doing the “basics” when it comes to longevity: eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and exercising regularly. Now, it’s time to go a little deeper and take a closer look at some of the lessons you should learn for true longevity.

It’s about living better, not just living longer

True longevity is not just about adding a few years on to your lifespan. It’s also about boosting your life quality as you reach old age. The goal isn’t to keep people in nursing homes for longer; instead, it’s to keep people younger for a longer period of time so they don’t have to spend years in a nursing home.

Sometimes, deprivation isn’t a bad thing

Modern life is pretty comfortable, but a little bit of discomfort may encourage greater longevity. As noted by Harvard Medical School longevity researcher Dr. David Sinclair, we have systems built in to protect us during tough times, and these longevity genes don’t kick in unless our body believes times are about to be tough, such as during exercise or when we’re hungry (https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/dr-david-sinclair-longevity/). While this certainly doesn’t mean you should starve yourself or go to extreme measures to induce discomfort, it does mean that eating less sometimes and working out are worth doing, especially if you tend to overeat and don’t currently exercise regularly now.

Aim for happiness

Being happy can actually improve your odds of living a longer life. By that same token, it is also important to avoid stress and anxiety as much as you possibly can since both may impact your health and your overall lifespan.

It’s never too late to start longevity habits

The sooner you start, the better, but there really is no cut-off age for the implementation of longevity habits. You can make these changes when you are in your 40s or even in your 80s and still see a benefit. Adopt healthier eating habits with less meat and plenty of plants, get yourself moving more and make sure you get enough sleep each night to keep yourself living longer and feeling younger.

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Jokes aside, when I delved into the world of medical blood work, I did find out that I believed some pretty common myths about blood tests. You might, too, so check out the common myths I debunked below.

Blood tests tell doctors everything

Your doctor does actually get a lot of information from your blood work. They learn whether a wide variety of different substances normally found in your blood are within the normal range, including your white and red blood cell counts, your blood sugar levels, your levels of common vitamins, your hemoglobin levels and your cholesterol levels. Some specific tests can also pick up on the presence of particular diseases. Conditions impacting your thyroid or liver, for example, may first appear to your doctor on your blood work results.

However useful blood work is, it cannot uncover every problem. While the results can show whether you have abnormal levels of a particular substance, they may not indicate what the root cause of the problem is.

A person with arthritis, for example, may have evidence of inflammation in their blood work results, but the tests won’t explain other discomfort or pain connected to the condition they may be experiencing. This is why you may need more tests after you have your initial blood work done. Think of it as an investigative tool for your doctor; once they get some clues, they may need to search deeper and uncover more clues to determine what is causing or contributing to your condition.

Blood tests are terrible experiences

This was more true in the past when medicine and technology was far less advanced, but that is not the case today. Phlebotomists–the people who are trained to take blood samples–these days have more tools and learn more techniques to make blood draws as painless and easy for patients as possible. Even if you can’t stand the sight of needles, you can still get your blood drawn for a test. Just let your phlebotomist know; they also are trained in tactics to prevent a patient with a phobia from seeing the needle!

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So, today, I’m going to cover five signs that you may have a problem with inflammation. Chronic inflammation can be a sign of an underlying health condition or problem, and it can also take its toll on your body and age you before your time.

You’re tired all the time

Many health conditions linked to inflammation have constant fatigue as a sign. If you go to sleep but wake up feeling as if you haven’t slept or are just exhausted all the time during the day, it’s a sign something isn’t right.

You’re always having aches and pain

Stiffness, loss of joint function, pain and aches are signs of inflammation. These symptoms are your body trying to tell you that something is wrong.

You’ve gained weight for no reason

If you’re gaining weight for no real reason and it doesn’t seem like you can lose weight, you could have an underlying inflammatory condition.

You’re struggling with redness and itching

Itchy or red skin are classic inflammation signs. When your liver is inflamed, it can produce higher C-reactive protein levels, which are an inflammatory body marker. Both psoriasis and acne, for example, are examples of skin inflammatory conditions.

You’re having digestive issues

Your immune system is largely housed in your gut. When you have inflammation in the GI tract, you could struggle with diarrhea, constipation, bloating and other digestive problems.

As noted by John Hopkins, there is also a documented link between your gut and your brain, known as the “brain-gut connection” (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection). While research is still ongoing in this area, it’s believed your brain and gut communicate with each other, so it’s important to listen to what is being said, medically speaking.

If you have some or all of the signs of chronic inflammation above, it’s time to speak to your doctor about what you are experiencing. Taking care of the root cause of your inflammation now can help ensure you live a longer life in the future and that you are as healthy as you can possibly be while doing so.

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