The Secret to Fighting Chronic Inflammation

When reading, listening, or talking about health you will eventually hear the term inflammation. When you twist an ankle or get a scrape, you can easily identify inflammation when your skin becomes red, warm, and swollen. But did you know that you can have inflammation inside your body also? There are many health conditions that cause inflammation within your body. Even though you cannot see it, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.

Inflammation is defined as a reaction of the immune system to an irritant to the body. In simpler terms, when your body doesn’t like something it will cause inflammation. The cause of the inflammation could be various things such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, injury, food, chemicals, and even auto-immune reactions. Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself and showing that it doesn’t like the irritant.

Five Signs of Inflammation

There are five main signs and symptoms of inflammation. It is important to remember that if the inflammation is internal, then you won’t be able to see it but you may still have some of these five signs.

• Redness
• Heat
• Swelling Pain
• Loss of Function/Movement

Acute Versus Chronic Inflammation

Having acute inflammation is a normal and healthy body response when you are injured or sick. Acute means that the inflammation is only temporary and will go away once your body is healed. In these instances, inflammation is a good thing because it is your body’s way of healing and fighting off the cause of the inflammation.

Having inflammation that is chronic, is not normal and can have severe effects on your health and body. Chronic means that it is ongoing. It is not healthy to have chronic inflammation. Your body is constantly fighting the cause of the inflammation.

Causes of Chronic Inflammation

There are too many causes of chronic inflammation to list but the most common culprits are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, autoimmune conditions, obesity, and bowel-related diseases.

How Do I Know If I Have Chronic Inflammation?

As discussed previously, if your inflammation is internal you will not be able to see it. Sometimes you may have pain or loss of function that indicates chronic inflammation but sometimes you may not have any indications. Often chronic inflammation is invisible. If you are worried about inflammation, make an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss it further. They can assess you and order testing if necessary.

What Kind of Testing Can Be Done for Inflammation?

The type of testing needed to detect inflammation will depend on the cause of the inflammation. Generally, blood work is ordered first. A C-reactive protein (CRP) test is used to measure protein made by the liver. This protein number rises when there is inflammation in the body. Another common blood test to test for inflammation is erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

This test looks at how fast the red blood cells fall to the bottom of a test tube. When the red blood cells fall quickly it indicates inflammation. Depending on the suspected cause of your inflammation, your healthcare provider may order more tests and medical imaging.

How Is Chronic Inflammation Treated?

The treatment for chronic inflammation will depend on what is causing the inflammation. In some cases, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to treat what is causing your inflammation. Although medications are helpful and completely necessary at times, there are other methods you can implement to help reduce inflammation and promote health.

What Can You Do To Fight Chronic Inflammation?

The big secret to fighting off and preventing chronic inflammation is that there is no big secret. It all stems back to the basics of living a healthy lifestyle. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight are all going to help fight chronic inflammation.

Foods To Help Fight Chronic Inflammation

Following an overall healthy diet is key to promoting health. The foods you eat to fuel your body can either help or harm your health. A healthy diet is essential to well-being, reducing the risk of disease, and improving quality of life.

A healthy diet consists of whole foods that come from the earth and are not processed. Research has shown that there are many natural foods that contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants are beneficial to health because they help prevent cancer and other diseases. The key to using a diet to prevent chronic inflammation is to eat natural whole foods and avoid processed foods. Some examples of foods that have anti-inflammatory effects include:

• Fruits such as berries and oranges
• Vegetables such as spinach, kale, tomatoes, and collards
• Fatty fish containing omega-3 (salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna)
• Nuts
• Olive oil

Foods That Cause Inflammation In The Body

Just like there are foods that have anti-inflammatory effects, there are also foods that promote inflammation. Foods that are processed cause inflammation in the body. These foods are also associated with medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Some examples of foods that are known to cause inflammation include:

• Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pastries
• Fried foods
• Soda and other beverages containing a lot of sugar
• Red meat and processed meats such as hot dogs
• Margarine, shortening, and lard

Get Moving

Exercise is an important element of living a healthy life. It aids in maintaining a healthy weight, cardiovascular fitness, and preventing disease. Another benefit of exercise includes fighting chronic inflammation. In a study published in 2016, researchers found that even just 20 minutes of moderate exercise triggers the immune system and provides anti-inflammatory effects (Dimitrov, et al. 2016). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends 150 minutes of exercise weekly. The 150 minutes do not have to be done all at once. It can be broken up into whatever schedule works for you. For example 30 minutes of exercise five days a week is the equivalent of 150 minutes a week.

Get Some Rest

Everyone knows that sleep is important but it is often neglected when our lives become busy. Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise. When you are sleeping your body and brain are healing and recuperating. Sleep helps maintain a healthy weight and boosts your immune system to help fight chronic inflammation. If you have trouble sleeping, talk with your healthcare provider about methods you can implement to promote sleep.

Key Takeaways

The secret to fighting and preventing chronic inflammation is to lead a healthy life. Maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding processed foods are key. Regular exercise can help boost your immune system and fight inflammation. Getting enough sleep is essential to promoting your health. These solutions sound simple but they can be difficult to implement in your busy schedule. Just know that it takes work to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that health should be one of your top priorities.

About the Author

Victoria Derlin is a nurse who started her career working in acute care and now works in primary care. She is passionate about advocating for nurses and patients. In her spare time, she rides horses, reads lots of books, bakes delicious pies, and spends time with her family. You can connect with her on instagram @nurse.vicki.rn

Resources Dimitrov, S., Hulteng, E., & Hong, S. (2016, December 21). Inflammation and exercise: Inhibition of monocytic intracellular TNF production by acute exercise via β2-adrenergic activation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Retrieved April 2, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159116305645