What’s Inflammation? Everything You Need to Know
Last updated on May 21st, 2023 at 08:33 pm
10 minutes read.
In this article:
Overview
Inflammation happens in everyone, whether you’re aware of it or not. Your immune system creates inflammation to protect the body from infection, injury, or disease.
There are many health issues you wouldn’t be able to heal from without inflammation.
Inflammation is part of the innate defense mechanism of the body against infectious or non-infectious etiologies.
Sometimes with autoimmune diseases, like certain types of arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells.
You may experience inflammation due to some health conditions, irritants, and medications. Long-term inflammation may lead to symptoms that affect your overall health.
What’s Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself from infection, illness, or injury.
As part of the inflammatory response, your body increases its production of white blood cells, immune cells, and substances called cytokines that help fight infection.
Simply say; Inflammation is your body’s defense against infectious agents. However, chronic inflammation may be a sign of disease, infection, or malfunctioning of body organs.
Types of inflammation
Inflammation can divide into three types based on the time of the process that responds to the injurious cause. These include:
1. Acute Inflammation
Acute which occurs immediately after injury and lasts for a few days.
Acute inflammation is a limited beneficial response, particularly during the infectious challenge
Symptoms appear quickly. This type restores your body to its state before injury or illness.
2. Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a slower and generally less severe form of inflammation. Chronic inflammation may last for months or even years when acute inflammation fails to settle.
It can occur even when there’s no injury. Chronic inflammation has been linked to autoimmune disorders and even prolonged stress.
3. Subacute Inflammation
Subacute is a transformational period from acute to chronic and lasts from 2 to 6 weeks.
Symptoms of inflammation
There are five fundamental signs of inflammation that include: heat (calor), redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), pain (dolor), and loss of function
The specific symptoms you have depend on where in your body the inflammation is and what’s causing it.
Long-term inflammation can lead to a number of symptoms and affect your body in many ways.
Common symptoms of chronic inflammation can include:
- body pain
- constant fatigue and insomnia
- depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
- gastrointestinal issues, like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
- weight gain
- frequent infections
Symptoms can also vary depending on the condition that has an inflammatory component.
For example, in some autoimmune conditions, your immune system affects your skin, leading to rashes. In other types, it attacks specific glands, which affect hormone levels in the body.
In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks your joints. You may experience:
- joint pain, swelling, stiffness, or loss of joint function
- fatigue
- numbness and tingling
- limited range of motion
In inflammatory bowel disease, inflammation occurs in the digestive tract. Some common symptoms include:
- diarrhea
- stomach pain
- cramping, or bloating
- weight loss and anemia
- bleeding ulcers
In multiple sclerosis, your body attacks the myelin sheath. This is the protective covering of nerve cells. You may experience:
- numbness and tingling of the arms, legs, or one side of the face
- balance problems
- double vision, blurry vision, or partial vision loss
- fatigue
- cognitive problems, like brain fog
Causes of inflammation
Many factors can lead to inflammation, such as:
- chronic and acute conditions
- certain medications
- exposure to irritants or foreign materials your body can’t easily eliminate
Recurrent episodes of acute inflammation can also lead to a chronic inflammatory response.
There are also certain types of foods that can cause or worsen inflammation in people with autoimmune disorders.
These foods include:
- sugar
- refined carbohydrates
- alcohol
- processed meats
- trans fats
Diagnosis
How is inflammation diagnosed?
There’s no single test that can diagnose inflammation or conditions that cause it. Instead, based on your symptoms, your doctor may give you any of the tests below to make a diagnosis.
According to Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, inflammation can be diagnosed through the following lab test:
- Blood tests
There are a few so-called markers that help diagnose inflammation in the body. However, these markers are nonspecific, meaning that abnormal levels can show that something is wrong, but not what is wrong.
- Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE)
SPE is considered the best way to confirm chronic inflammation. It measures certain proteins in the liquid part of the blood to identify any issues.
Too much or too little of these proteins can point to inflammation and markers for other conditions.
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
CRP is a pentameric protein synthesized by the liver, whose level rises in response to inflammation.
CRP is an acute-phase reactant protein that is primarily induced by the IL-6 action on the gene responsible for the transcription of CRP during the acute phase of an inflammatory/infectious process
CRP is naturally produced in the liver in response to inflammation. A high level of CRP in your blood can occur due to several inflammatory conditions.
While this test is very sensitive to inflammation, it doesn’t help differentiate between acute and chronic inflammation, since CRP will be elevated during both.
High levels combined with certain symptoms can help your doctor make a diagnosis.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (sedimentation rate, sed rate, and ESR for short) is a common hematology test that may indicate and monitor an increase in inflammatory activity within the body caused by one or more conditions such as autoimmune disease, infections or tumors
The ESR test is sometimes called a sedimentation rate test. This test indirectly measures inflammation by measuring the rate at which red blood cells sink in a tube of blood.
The quicker they sink, the more likely you’re experiencing inflammation.
The ESR test is rarely performed alone, as it doesn’t help pinpoint specific causes of inflammation. Instead, it can help your doctor identify that inflammation is occurring. It can also help them monitor your condition.
- Plasma viscosity
This test measures the thickness of blood. Inflammation or infection can thicken plasma.
Other blood tests
If your doctor believes the inflammation is due to viruses or bacteria, they may perform other specific tests. In this case, your doctor can discuss what to expect with you.
If you have certain symptoms — for instance, chronic diarrhea or numbness on one side of your face — your doctor may request an imaging test to check certain parts of the body or brain. MRIs and X-rays are commonly used.
To diagnose inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions, your doctor may perform a procedure to see inside parts of the digestive tract. These tests can include:
- Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is a vital tool utilized in modern medicine today. Its versatil ity and utility make it a vital life-saving procedure, both in the short and long-term setting
It is performed using a hand-held flexible tube-like device called the colonoscope, which has a high-definition camera mounted at the tip of the scope, as well as accessory channels that allow insertion of equipment and fluids to cleanse the colonoscope lense and colonic mucosa.
It’s used to detect inflammation, abnormalities, or overgrowth in the colon
- Sigmoidoscopy
Flexible sigmoidoscopy remains a common tool used for the periodic screening of colorectal cancer.
- Upper endoscopy (EDG)
It’s used to detect dysphagia, Gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal strictures, celiac disease, and unexplained diarrhea.
Home Remedies to Reduce Inflammation
Sometimes, fighting inflammation can be as simple as changing up your diet. By avoiding sugar, trans fats, and processed foods, you can put yourself on the path to feeling better.
There are also foods that can actually fight inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
- berries and cherries
- fatty fish, like salmon or mackerel
- broccoli
- avocados
- green tea
- mushrooms
- spices, like turmeric, garlic, onions, ginger, and clove
- tomatoes
You can further help reduce inflammation by doing the following:
- Take supplements. Your doctor can help you decide which one is best and safest for you.
- Use hot or cold therapy for physical injuries to reduce swelling and discomfort.
- Exercise more often than not.
- Manage and reduce your stress levels. Try these 16 tips to get started.
- Quit smoking.
- Treat and manage any preexisting conditions.
Related: List of 15 Anti-inflammatory Foods to Reduce Inflammation Naturally
Related: How does Alcohol affect your Liver? All you need to know about Alcohol-related Liver Disease.
Other treatment options for inflammation
If your inflammation is due to an underlying autoimmune condition, your treatment options will vary.
For general symptoms of inflammation, your doctor may recommend several options:
NSAIDs and Aspirin
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a class of medications used to treat pain, fever, and other inflammatory processes. Most can be bought over the counter.
Common NSAIDs include:
- aspirin
- ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Midol)
- naproxen (Aleve)
Prescription varieties also exist, such as diclofenac, that your doctor may prescribe when treating acute inflammation or certain conditions.
NSAIDs can be very effective for inflammation, but there are some interactions and adverse side effects that follow it, especially with long-term use. This is one of the reasons aspirin was banned in some countries to date
Most times these adverse side effect doesn’t occur when you take the drug. It develops perhaps after you finish taking the medication.
Be sure to tell your doctor about other medications you’re taking and if you have any side effects while taking an NSAID.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are a type of steroid commonly used to treat swelling and inflammation as well as allergic reactions.
Corticosteroids typically come as either a nasal spray or oral tablet.
Follow up with your doctor while taking corticosteroids. Long-term use can cause side effects, and certain interactions can occur.
Topical Analgesics and Other Creams
Topical analgesics are typically used for acute or chronic pain. They may have fewer side effects than an oral counterpart.
Topical creams and products can contain different medications. Some are prescription only, so it’s best to get advice from your doctor.
This is especially the case if you’re treating long-term inflammation, like arthritis.
Some topical anti-pain cream contain an NSAID like diclofenac or ibuprofen. This can be helpful for people with inflammation and pain in a specific body part.
Other topical creams may contain natural ingredients that have some evidence of anti-inflammatory properties.
Make sure you don’t use a topical cream that only works for pain, such as capsaicin
FAQ (Frequently Ask Questions)
What’s the meaning of CRP?
CRP is a protein that your liver makes. Normally, you have low levels of c-reactive protein in your blood.
Your liver releases more CRP into your bloodstream if you have inflammation in your body. High levels of CRP may mean you have a serious health condition that causes inflammation.
Conclusion
Inflammation is a normal and natural part of your body’s immune response. Yet, long-term or chronic inflammation can lead to damaging effects on your body.
It seems to be associated more often with autoimmune disorders.
Acute inflammation is a normal part of the healing process and may occur when you’re experiencing a sore throat or even a small cut on your skin.
Acute inflammation should go away within a few days unless it’s left untreated.
If you’re experiencing any signs of long-term inflammation, make an appointment with your doctor. They can run some tests and review your symptoms to see if you need treatment for any underlying conditions.
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