Chronic Fatigue and Cell Danger
While I knew that what happened in my teens was important for my current health I didn't really understand just how significant things like viral infection and trauma was when it came to how I was feeling literally years later. I now understand that cell danger was a huge factor for me.
When I'm working with any form of chronic condition, be it fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, IBS, long covid or endometriosis, I am always interested in what happened last year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and 10 minutes ago - it all matters!
For example, when it comes to chronic fatigue, we can get stuck in a phase of inflammation. This might have been triggered from something that has long left the body, like a viral or bacterial infection. This inflammation can be driving symptoms.
Or maybe you got a parasite when you were travelling during your gap year and your digestion hasn't been the same since. The parasite is gone but your gut hasn't been the same since.
Cell Danger
Cell Danger Response, or CDR is essentially the body’s response to an infectious or non-infectious agent. Once triggered, the body will start to mount an inflammatory response to help remove or fight against the perceived threat. This can be clinically relevant for those with chronic conditions.
What Are The Triggers Of Cell Danger Response?
Trauma (emotional or physical)
Infection (viral, bacterial, or other)
Seasonal Change
Hypoxia
Pesticides
Stress
Heavy Metals
Symptoms Of Cell Danger Response
The symptoms of CDR trigger a survival response, of which the symptoms are wide and vary from person to person. Some of the symptoms include:
withdrawal from social contact
fatigue
brain fog
development of autoimmune conditions
decreased speech
fragmented sleep
head, muscle and abdominal aches
changes in the gut microbiome
increased sensitivity to touch, sound, and light
Cell Danger and Fatigue
Your mitochondria are the powerhouses of the body when it comes to creating energy and they also are involved in CDR. Mitochondria help to regulate CDR by keeping an eye on the conditions (cellular, environmental) around the cell itself. This is a huge link between our environment and energy production.
Managing Cell Danger Response - How Do We ‘Switch Off?
In order for the CDR to down regulate, a sense of cellular safety needs to be present. Cellular safety, or calm, can be created when the ‘threat’ is managed and/or signals of safety are restored. For example, environment is a big trigger for you, check and remove mould in your environment, moving forward work on reducing inflammation, avoiding toxins and managing stress.
However, for some the drivers of CDR are harder to identify and may benefit from functional testing such as metals, stool or oat to identify the triggers.
Want To Learn More?
Get in touch today to book a free discovery call and discuss the first steps towards being able to say ‘I used to be sick’