Is inflammation the hidden culprit behind your pain?
Ever get swollen joints after a tough workout or a sore throat when you are starting to get sick? That is inflammation at work. In this article, we break down what inflammation really is, the signs to watch for, and practical tips to keep it under control so you can feel your best.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is the very natural way the body protect itself from harm. When your body detects injury, infection, or harmful substances, the immune system releases chemicals that increase blood flow and send white blood cells to the affected area. This process helps the body heal and defend itself.
The real problem with inflammation is not the short-term kind called acute inflammation that helps your body heal, but the long-term kind of inflammation called chronic that stays in the body without you noticing. When inflammation does not switch off, the immune system keeps attacking even when there is no injury or infection. Over time, this can slowly damage healthy tissues and contribute to many serious health problems.
What is the concern?
Acute inflammation is temporary and resolves itself as you get better. We are more interested in chronic inflammation which acute inflammation that lingers and continues to attack the body. The tricky thing is that it may not always be obvious, infact the symptoms can be mild, many people may not even realise they have ongoing inflammation. Some common signs to look for include constant fatigue, body pain, joint stiffness, digestive problems, skin rashes, weight gain, autoimmune conditions, frequent infections and depression or mood changes.
How can you know if you have chronic inflammation?
The only way to detect chronic inflammation is to go to your GP who will carry out a series of blood tests to check your blood for signs of inflammation.
Can you make it better?
It is important to consult a doctor who can give you specific advice however for some people small changes to lifestyle help ease the cause of the inflammation. These include eating an anti-inflammatory diet i.e. real food (fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts), moving your body every day, having enough sleep, drinking more water, reducing stress and avoiding too much sugar and processed foods. These habits help your body calm down and ease the symptoms of inflamation.
In One Sentence
Inflammation is helpful when it is short-term and part of the body’s defence system, but when it stays too long, and becomes chronic, it can lead to serious health problems.
If you think inflammation might be affecting your health, the best thing to do is speak to your GP instead of trying to work it out on your own. Long-term inflammation can have lots of different causes, so getting proper advice matters. Check out this resources from the British Heart Foundation which expands on the topic. You can also follow our suggested cook books copied below to get more ideas on diet however as always this should not replace professional advice.
This article is not medical advice. The information contained in this article has been designed for educational and informational purposes only. It is provided solely to enable you to make your own choices. No material in this article is a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek your doctor’s advice or a qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding your health and wellness.
All products have been selected by our editorial team; however, we may earn a commission on some products purchased through links in this article. Please note that any hyperlinks or references are provided for your convenience & information only. We are not responsible for the quality, accuracy, timelines, reliability or any other aspect of these products and services that you obtain from a site we have posted a link to. We also have no control over third party websites and accept no legal responsibility for any content, material or information contained or accessed in them. We make every effort to attribute the correct source of every image we use. If you think an attribution is incorrect or missing, please contact us at info@violasedit.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.