DISCLAIMER
This website does not provide medical advice. The information on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician.
You might be familiar with the word ‘inflammation’ and know that it is not a good thing. But do you know exactly what it is, what causes it, and the health issues that it can lead to?
By understanding the meaning and causes of inflammation, you may be better equipped to learn how to address it. Continue reading to learn more about inflammation, including common signs and symptoms, ways to treat it, and how medication may be able to help.
Inflammation is the body’s natural defense mechanism. For instance, when you get a paper cut and it swells up and turns red, that is an example of acute or short-term inflammation. It is one of the ways that bodies heal themselves.
Short-term inflammation is an integral part of the body’s healing process. But if there is too much of another type of inflammation, called chronic or long-term inflammation, then the opposite effect happens. The inflammation can lead to long-term health issues.
Unfortunately, chronic inflammation is not as noticeable as acute inflammation. While you can tell acute inflammation by redness and swelling, chronic inflammation is invisible since it is inflammation in the body, not on the outside of the body.
An excess of inflammation can be caused by a host of reasons, including:
- An unhealthy diet
- Stress
- Smoking cigarettes
This chronic inflammation can potentially lead to illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, fatty liver disease, arthritis, depression, and diabetes. To reduce the chance of having these illnesses, it is recommended to try and reduce inflammation.
Doctors can spot inflammation by testing for specific markers in the blood. A blood marker is a sign of illness or disease that can be isolated from a blood sample. When a doctor is looking for inflammation, they test samples of your blood for the following markers:
- C-reactive protein (CRP) marker
- Homocysteine
- TNF alfp
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
If you have high levels of these markers then you may have chronic inflammation. If this happens to you, do not despair. You can help fight inflammation by adopting healthier habits, including more nutritious eating, stress management, and exercise.
