Often times, we can visually see inflammation. For example, cuts, sprained ankle, broken bones or even sore throat. But what about inflammation we can’t see? Chances are we don’t realize we have it until it’s too late…
In this article, we will answer these questions:
- What is inflammation?
- What are the different kinds of inflammation?
- What are the symptoms of Inflammation?
- Do I have inflammation and what can I do about it ?
- Are there anti inflammatory supplements I can take?
In order to get active optimal health, we need to understand the role inflammation plays in keeping us from getting to that level in our health journey.
What is inflammation ?
Inflammation is how our body responds to being injured. It lets our immune system know something is wrong so, it can start the process of healing and repairing the effected area.
That sounds like something we need right?
YES! Absolutely!
However, the problem happens when the inflammation hangs out too long or gets into the areas where it isn’t needed. I will talk more about this in the article.
What are the different kinds of inflammation?
Acute Inflammation: The Good
We usually know when this is happening because this is the inflammation we can see and/or feel. It’s our bodies response to an injury, surgeries or accidents. It is very localized and only effects the area that was injured or affected.
Acute inflammation is when the body is doing what it needs to do. A few examples of acute inflammation are cold, sinus infection, flu, appendicitis and tonsillitis.
Symptoms of Acute Inflammation:
- Redness
- Pain or discomfort
- Heat
- Swelling
- Fever
- Visual sign of injury
Chronic Inflammation: The Bad
Now let’s talk about the unseen inflammation.
Our body has an amazing ability to tell us when something is wrong as well as responding to the infected area. For instance, fever, pain, irritation and redness are all indications that we have an injury. This is an example of acute infection as we just read above.
The same way our body works with us, it can work against us. This is Chronic inflammation. This happens when acute inflammation is ignored or wasn’t properly treated or even ignored.
Chronic inflammation is like acute infection, but it is inside the body affecting different areas of the body. It is slow, steady and long term inflammation that make your body think there is an injury or infection when there is not. It can start to damage the healthy cells, organs and tissues. This can result in disease such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders, lupus and more.
Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation
- Body aches and pains.
- Fatigue.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Depression or anxiety.
- Gastrointestinal issues.
- Weight gain.
If you have experienced any of the symptoms above, you might have chronic inflammation.
What can I do about inflammation?
Eliminate poor lifestyle choices and habits: Being overweight, poor diet, stress and lack of exercise can contribute to chronic inflammation.
Change your diet: Anti Inflammation Diet
- Avoiding foods that cause inflammation such as sugar, dairy and carbohydrates.
- Get tested to see if you have any food allergies. so you can avoid them.
- Sticking to a plant based diet and eat foods like leafy greens, veggies, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices such as turmeric, rosemary and ginger are all foods known as anti-inflammatories.
Exercise: Regular exercise and moderate activities improves the immune system and decreases inflammation.
Get tested: Schedule an appointment with your doctor and have him/her check your CRP level.
Grab a good Anti Inflammatory supplement: Anti Inflammatory Supplements such as probiotics, turmeric and ginger are known to help fight inflammation.
VIEW TUMERIC & GINGER ON AMAZON HERE
It is so important to take care of chronic inflammation. This is the key to optimal health. This is something you can easily manage just by listening to your body and eating foods that won’t cause inflammation and taking a good anti inflammatory supplement like turmeric.
Act now and do it before it’s too late.
Legal Disclaimer
Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new supplement.
FDA Compliance
The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
To read our full disclosures click here
6 Comments
Such a great article ! I think most of my discomfort lately is just due to inflammation!
Well done explaining the difference between acute and chronic inflammation. I feel like many people overreact with acute inflammation because they think it is a bad thing or they ignore it and it becomes a bigger problem. Great post!
AGREE! Acute is the body doing what it should do.
Inflammation is such a tricky topic. I know it is misunderstood by many, so thank you so much for sharing this information! I definitely plan to put some of your tips into action personally!
HI Sara! Im so glad you enjoyed this article. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment
Such great information. I have an undifferentiated connective tissue disease (favor lupus) and inflammation is one of my top issues. This was such a great read, thank you for sharing 🙂