What Is Inflammation?

“If you cut yourself and the wound gets infected, it’ll become inflamed. There’s a reason for that: The inflammation brings in all the white blood cells that help you fight the infection,” says Eric Ruderman, MD, a professor of rheumatology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

While short-term inflammation can help your body heal, inflammation that lasts too long can be a warning sign and lead to health issues down the road.

What Is Inflammation?

“Swelling is a part of inflammation, but what we perceive as swelling usually involves fluid buildup. You can have inflammation without obvious swelling, such as with early inflammatory arthritis or a nerve injury,” says Steven P. Cohen, MD, a professor of anesthesiology and the vice chair of Research and Pain Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who has researched inflammation’s role in chronic pain and rheumatological disorders.

There are two broad categories of inflammation: acute and chronic.

What Is Acute Inflammation?

This reaction requires coordinated engagement of your body’s inflammatory responses, says Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, a professor of immunobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. When you get an infection, for example, inflammation helps clear the pathogen and initiate immune responses, she explains. This helps the body remember the pathogen if you encounter it again, so you build up immunity.

• Bacterial infections such as strep throat
• Viral infections like the flu
• Wounds like a burn or a cut
• Injuries such as a sprained ankle

What Is Chronic Inflammation?

“Chronic inflammation no longer serves a useful function or as a warning sign in most cases, and is associated with chronic pain, heart disease, obesity, stroke, and even psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Cohen.

• Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
• Skin conditions like psoriasis
• Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

Symptoms of Inflammation

Inflammation can trigger a variety of symptoms depending on the type of inflammation and the root cause.

Symptoms of Acute Inflammation

• Swelling
• Pain or discomfort
• Skin redness or discoloration
• Skin that’s warm to the touch
• Temporary loss of function or movement (for example, an inability to comfortably move your wrist if you’ve developed a sprain)

Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Fever
• Pain
• Joint stiffness
• Skin rash
• Digestive symptoms such as acid reflux, diarrhea, or constipation
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
• Frequent infections
  

What Causes Inflammation?

• Contracting an infection from bacteria, a virus, or fungus
• Getting an injury like a cut, scrape, bruise, sprain, or other wound
• Being exposed to certain substances such as a toxic compound or chemical

• Recurrent Infections This includes contracting an infection that’s resistant to treatment or hasn’t fully healed, like tuberculosis or a parasitic infection.
• Autoimmune Disorders Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus trigger an abnormal immune system response, causing your body to mistakenly attack healthy tissue.
• Untreated Acute Inflammation This creates a cycle of a repeated injury.
• Ongoing Chemical Exposure This might include being exposed to an irritant like an industrial chemical at work over a long period of time.
• Ongoing Stress Long-term physical and emotional stress are linked to the release of inflammatory cytokine molecules.

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• Obesity Studies have shown that a higher body mass index translates to a higher secretion of inflammatory molecules.

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• Unhealthy Diets Those high in saturated fat and refined sugar are associated with an increased production of inflammatory molecules.

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• Lack of Sleep Data suggests that people with an irregular sleep schedule are more likely to have chronic inflammation.

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• Smoking Research has associated tobacco product use with a decrease in the production of anti-inflammatory molecules.

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• Alcohol Consumption Some studies show that excessive or long-term alcohol use can damage cells and boost pro-inflammatory molecules that lead to continued immune activation.

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• Age Evidence links older age and elevated levels of inflammatory molecules, likely due to factors like cellular breakdown, an increase in visceral (belly) fat, or exposure to damaging free radicals.

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How Inflammation Affects Your Health

• Damaging healthy tissues, leading to reinjury and a lack of healing

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• Keeping stress hormones elevated, which disrupts key processes like sleep, mood, cognition, and recovery

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• Interfering with metabolic signals, which contributes to issues like insulin resistance, an increase in blood sugar levels, and visceral fat storage

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Research suggests that experiencing higher levels of inflammation over a longer period of time may be linked to a variety of health conditions:

• Arthritis

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• Diabetes

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• Digestive disorders

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• Heart disease

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• Cancer

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• Chronic pain disorders

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• Kidney disease

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• Allergies

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• Asthma

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• Cognitive issues

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How to Treat and Reduce Inflammation

Treatment for reducing inflammation depends on the underlying cause, but your healthcare provider may recommend some therapies.

How to Reduce Acute Inflammation Fast

• Take over-the-counter (OTC) oral medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) can manage short-term pain and inflammation.

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   Topical NSAIDs (applied to the skin) are also available for conditions like tendonitis, which is inflammation or irritation of a tendon, Cohen says.
• Try cold therapy. Using an ice pack or cool compress for 10-minute intervals several times a day or as needed may alleviate swelling associated with an injury.

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   “NSAIDs and ice are better for acute than chronic inflammation, but they can help both,” says Cohen.
• Elevate the injured area. Elevating an injured body part to encourage swelling to alleviate allows excess fluid to drain from the affected area and can be done as soon as you notice swelling.

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• Take antibiotics. These may be necessary to kill a bacterial infection.

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  In general, healthcare providers recommend antibiotics if you’re experiencing clear signs of infection, like a fever or symptoms that persist or get worse.

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• Rest. Getting plenty of sleep allows your immune system to work through the healing process.

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How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

• OTC medications such as oral NSAIDs as directed by a healthcare provider can help manage pain.
• Prescription medications may include stronger versions of OTC NSAIDs, analgesics, and steroids.
• Sleep allows the body to activate proteins involved in the inflammation process and repair injured or infected tissue.

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• Low-impact physical activity can help combat inflammation and reduce pain while promoting healing.

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• An anti-inflammatory diet that includes adequate levels of nutrients such as vitamin B, vitamin D, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, and curcumin can help reduce inflammation in the body.

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• Avoiding alcohol could be beneficial, since research shows that consuming alcohol excessively or over a longer period of time may negatively impact the immune system and prompt inflammation.

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Medical Treatments for Chronic Inflammation

• Corticosteroids like prednisone for conditions such as asthma, lupus, and inflammatory arthritis are typically utilized on a short-term basis to help get the condition under control, Ruderman says. “The best, most effective, and fastest-acting way to control inflammation is steroids, but there are a number of side effects associated with steroids, so we try not to use that as our go-to main therapy,” he says.
• Metformin helps manage inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes.

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• Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease.

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How to Prevent Inflammation

• Decrease chronic stress. This helps regulate the immune system and inflammatory pathways.

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  It might look like starting a meditation habit, practicing yoga, or reading a book for 20 minutes a day before bed.

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• Incorporate physical activity on a daily basis. Expending energy through movement can help lower inflammatory molecules in the body.

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  To start, try getting at least 20 minutes of moderate exercise per day, such as cycling or brisk walking.

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• Avoid processed or fast food, and increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods. Foods like leafy green vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats have been shown to support a decrease in inflammation levels.

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   Tweaks like using olive oil instead of butter for cooking or swapping fried chicken for grilled can help make dietary changes more manageable.

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• Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night.Poor sleep has been linked to increased inflammation markers.

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   Start by creating a bedtime schedule to improve sleep duration and establish a comfortable bedroom environment to improve sleep quality.

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• Limit exposure to toxic chemicals. These can trigger inflammation if the body can’t rid itself of the substance. Ensure appropriate air ventilation in your living space if you’re using cleaning chemicals such as ammonia or bleach, and make sure home appliances are clean and functioning properly to avoid carbon monoxide exposure.

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• Quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. This can help lower levels of inflammatory cytokines in the body.

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   A healthcare provider can offer assistance and resources that support this process.

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The Takeaway

• Inflammation is the body’s normal reaction to injury or infection, but chronic (long-term) inflammation can be harmful to your health.
• Having an abnormal immune system response or a recurring infection that doesn’t go away can lead to chronic inflammation, which is associated with health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and stroke.
• In addition to medication for a particular inflammatory condition, research suggests that lifestyle tweaks like eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise, and reducing stress levels can help decrease and potentially prevent inflammation from occurring.