Signs And Symptoms of Inflammation
Today, we’ll talk about the signs and symptoms of inflammation. Why? Because many of today’s health problems are linked to chronic low-grade inflammation. It’s the sneaky destruction and loss of function of our tissues and it’s caused by aging, diet, stress and many other environmental factors. Most of us have chronic inflammation, even if we don’t have huge health complaints. The good news is, we can do something about it by adopting healthier habits.
What is inflammation and Why is It important?
When you hurt yourself, and more specifically the tissue your body is made of, of course, you’ll want to repair the wound as soon as possible! Enter, inflammation.
Essentially, inflammation is your body’s brilliant response to injury. It’s a repairing process that helps to remove the damaged (injured) tissues and build new ones (source). Here are a few things that happen when there’s any type of injury in the body:
- Microvessels surround the place where the injury has occurred.
- Your body deploys its brave soldiers – lymphocytes – to the crime scene. Their job is to fight off any unwanted and dangerous foreign objects – microbes, antigens, basically anything that is causing harm to your body.
- The deployed cells attach to the microvessels and do their work.
- If necessary, cells that are already infected or just beyond repair undergo cell death AKA cell apoptosis.
- Your cells start working hard to produce new tissue and blood vessels.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the inflammatory process and your body’s response, but if we were to go into great detail, this article might as well become a Biochemistry book.
The Dangers Of Chronic Inflammation
So, you might be wondering ‘if inflammation helps protect our body recover, why is it harmful?’.
Great question! The problem isn’t in the fact that inflammation happens, more so that it sometimes doesn’t fully go away. This is when it becomes chronic. It can go on for days, weeks, months and even years.
Sadly, this never-ending chronic inflammation can contribute to a number of health complications and diseases. Among them atherosclerosis, obesity, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis (source).
The Signs and symptoms of inflammation:
Basically, there are 5 signs or symptoms of acute inflammation: (source)
- Heat
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Loss of function (not being able to move joints, to smell when you have a cold or to breathe when you have bronchitis).
Acute inflammation is different than chronic inflammation and comes with different symptoms or no symptoms at all. Chronic inflammation usually occurs silently and might not cause any big issues for a long time. However, there might be some typical signs and symproms of chronic inflammation as well. If you’re experiencing things like
- bloating and digestive issues (like constipation or acid reflux)
- fatigue or insomnia
- depression, anxiety or any type of mood disorders
- skin conditions
- weight gain or weight loss
- pains throughout the body
- frequent infections
then chances are, your body is dealing with chronic inflammation (source). It depends where the inflammation is. The best way to confirm is doing some blood work.
What causes Chronic inflammation?
Where does it come from? What does it want and why won’t it go away? Alright, that was a bit dramatic. But, back on track – it is definitely important to find the source of the issue, so we can actually fix it and not just cover it up by using drugs.
Some common causes of chronic inflammation include:
- Stress – Both emotional and physical stress can be dangerous and can cause your body to release more inflammatory cytokines
- Sleep disorders – If your body is constantly unrested, you become more prone to infections
- Obesity – Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ and can secrete inflammatory markers
- Gut dysbiosis
- Isolation
- Physical inactivity
- Poor diet
- Disrupted circadian rhythm
- Repeated infections
- Environmental toxins
As you can see, many of these causes are purely choice-based. Therefore it depends on you, and nobody else, to make a change and to keep chronic inflammation at bay!
How to reduce Chronic inflammation?
So if you’re having some signs and symptoms of chronic inflammation and want to make a change, here are some daily habits to help you reduce it:
- Exercise regularly. Exercise is crucial for your overall physical and mental health! We are made to move and you can even see it in regards to inflammation. A sedentary lifestyle is linked to chronic inflammation and on the other hand, physical exercise is shown to reduce several pro-inflammatory molecules and cytokines in the body.
- Keep a Low-Glycemic High-Fiber Diet. The refined carbs and saturated fats you consume, the worse you’ll feel and your body will also take a toll, because these foods are inflammatory. Instead, focus on eating more vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs, legumes and fish. These foods are great for your gut health and are proven to lower inflammatory markers.
- Sleep more. It is a fact that sleep-deprived individuals are more prone to inflammatory issues. Sleep is incredibly important, so don’t avoid getting your beauty rest!
- Get more vitamin D and Magnesium. These are two of the most anti-inflammatory nutrients that people often lack these days. Whether it’s from supplements or the sun, getting enough vitamin D can suppress inflammatory markers and help you sleep better, promote cell life, and brain growth and boost your overall health. Magnesium on the other hand,
- Drink tea! Whether it’s green, black or herbal tea, this is a much better choice than coffee!
More Health And Fitness
Well, now that you know what the signs and symptoms of acute and chronic inflammation are, I hope you decide to take care of your health! For more healthy habits and tips, check out these:
