Chronic Inflammation Symptom Quiz
A free 15-question self-assessment from Optimal Wellness
The Optimal Wellness Systemic Inflammation Symptom Quiz is a free 15-question self-assessment that scores how many chronic inflammation symptoms you are living with, on a scale of 15 to 75. It takes about three minutes. Your score is not a diagnosis, but it shows whether a conversation is worth having.
Chronic inflammation, also called systemic inflammation, is inflammation that persists for months or years rather than settling after an injury or infection. Because its symptoms are scattered across the body, it often goes unrecognised: the fatigue gets blamed on a busy season, the joint stiffness on age, the brain fog on poor sleep. Looking at all of them together is what makes the pattern visible.
Instructions
- For each question, rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 5:
- 1 = Never
- 2 = Rarely
- 3 = Sometimes
- 4 = Often
- 5 = Almost always / Severe
- Your score is calculated for you when you press Submit.
- Scores range from 15 (every answer "never") to 75 (every answer "almost always").
What your score means
| Score | Severity | What it suggests, and what to do |
|---|---|---|
| 15–30 | Low | Minimal symptoms. Maintain healthy nutrition and lifestyle, and keep monitoring your symptoms. |
| 31–45 | Mild | Some systemic inflammation may be present. Consider getting basic guidelines to lower inflammation, and begin tweaking nutrition and lifestyle. |
| 46–60 | Moderate | Noticeable symptoms that may affect daily life. Nutritional and lifestyle advice is required. Book an appointment with a certified professional to discuss your symptoms and how to lower your inflammation levels. |
| 61–75 | High | Significant symptoms suggesting systemic inflammation. Do not delay: contact a certified professional promptly for evaluation and treatment options. If symptoms worsen suddenly, consider urgent care. |
You know your body best. Whatever your score, please see a doctor promptly if you suspect you have an untreated medical condition, or if you have any of the following: unexplained weight loss, a fever that keeps returning, swelling that does not settle, or infections that keep coming back. These are symptoms that need proper medical assessment rather than a self-assessment.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. The Optimal Wellness symptom quiz is a self-assessment, not a medical test, and it is not a validated diagnostic instrument. It cannot confirm or rule out inflammation or any other condition. Only a doctor can do that, using examination and blood work. What the quiz does is put a number on a pattern you may have been carrying without naming, giving you the opportunity to address this early.
Where health coaching fits, and where it doesn't
Optimal Wellness does not treat or diagnose inflammation. What Christelle Snyman works on with clients is everything around it: the food, sleep, stress and movement patterns that either feed a symptom load or ease it, and the habit changes that make those shifts last.
For people managing an autoimmune condition, diabetes or another non-communicable disease, that work runs through Programme 1: Heal Through Food and Lifestyle, ten sessions over twelve weeks (R5 000).
If your score is in the mild or moderate range and there is no diagnosis behind it, Programme 2: Back to Basics covers the same ground more briefly: five sessions over six weeks (R3 000).
If you feel you need more support over a longer period, not only focusing on inflammation but on holistic health and wellness, there is also Programme 3: Optimal Health & Life Coaching, ten sessions over twelve weeks (R5 000).
All three are built on the 3-6-36 Method, the structured approach to habit change Optimal Wellness uses: three weeks to break a habit, six to form a new one, thirty-six to consolidate it. It is why programmes run over twelve weeks rather than a handful of sessions.
See all three programmes and what they include →
Common questions
Is systemic inflammation the same as chronic inflammation?
In everyday use, yes. Both describe inflammation that persists over months or years instead of resolving. "Systemic" emphasises that it affects the body as a whole rather than one joint or one area. You will see the two phrases used interchangeably, including by doctors.
How do I know if I have chronic inflammation?
You cannot know from symptoms alone. A doctor can test for it, most commonly with CRP or ESR blood tests. A symptom quiz like this one shows whether you have enough of the associated symptoms to make that conversation with your doctor worth having.
What causes chronic inflammation?
Common contributors include ongoing stress, poor sleep, a diet high in ultra-processed food, low physical activity, untreated infections, and autoimmune conditions. Usually it is several of these at once rather than a single cause, which is part of why it is easy to miss.
Can a health coach help with inflammation?
A health coach does not medically treat or diagnose inflammation. Research consistently links nutrition, sleep, stress and physical activity to levels of chronic inflammation, and Optimal Wellness works on exactly those daily patterns: what you eat, how you sleep, how much stress you carry, how you move. Medical treatment stays with your doctor.
What happens after I submit the quiz?
Your score appears on this page straight away. If you enter your email address, Optimal Wellness sends a short starter guide. There is no obligation and no automatic follow-up call. If you want to talk through your result, you can book a free 15-minute exploratory call.
Talk through your result
A free 15-minute exploratory call with Christelle Snyman. No obligation, online via Google Meet. Bring your score and we will talk through what is behind it and whether coaching is the right fit.
Or reach Optimal Wellness directly:
Email: christelle@optimalwellness.co.za
WhatsApp: +27 72 623 8555
Reviewed and updated September 2026 by Christelle Snyman, Registered Health Coach (UKIHCA #2213, COMENSA #13677).