Definition
Inflammation is a natural immune response of the body to something that is an irritant [1]. The irritant might be a foreign body such as a splinter or thorn, bacteria from a wound, or by-product of tissue damage from an injury[2].
Inflammation can be acute which is vital for healing or it can last for prolonged periods of months or even years.
The inflammatory process can result in a number of immune responses:
- An accumulation of proteins in tissues causing an increase in fluid known as interstitial fluid.
- Release of white blood cells called neutrophils that go to the site of inflammation to help fight pathogens (bacteria and viruses).
- Dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow and delivery of immune cells and proteins to the site of injury.
Symptoms
Signs & Symptoms of Acute Inflammation
- Redness: Caused by an increase of blood flow to the area of injury
- Pain: Can be located at the site of injury or may spread to nearby tissues.
- Swelling: Caused when there is an increase in fluid in the tissues of the injury site.
- Loss of range: Often due to increased swelling in the area, pain or the mechanism of injury.
- Reduced function: If there is pain and swelling in a joint, around the abdomen or in the muscles this can make normal daily activities difficult until the inflammation reduces.
Signs & Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation
- Joint pain
- Gastrointestinal discomfort e.g. reflux, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pains
- Body pain, often widespread known as myalgia
- Chronic fatigue
- Insomnia
- Mood disorders, anxiety or depression
- Changes in body weight
- Recurrent infections
Treatment
How Is Inflammation Treated?
Lifestyle changes including increased levels of physical activity and dietary changes can reduce chronic inflammation levels. Reducing nutritional intake of refined sugars, processed foods and saturated fats are dietary changes that have been shown to reduce inflammation markers.
Infection
How Do You Get Inflammation?
Acute inflammation is the immune response to a physical change in the body that causes irritation:
- Physical injury
- Pathogens causing infection e.g. cold, flu, bronchitis, appendicitis, pneumonitis
- Allergens e.g pollen, dust or insect stings
Chronic inflammation can begin with acute inflammation or it can be a result of long term exposure to irritants. Sometimes the body is unable to fight off pathogens which then remain in the body causing chronic inflammatory responses.
Repeated exposure to external irritants such as dust mites, pollen or work related chemicals or regular ingestion of foods that cause an immune response can also lead to a chronic immune response and a breakdown in immune tolerance of such irritants [3].
Risks
Is Inflammation serious?
The key difference between acute and chronic inflammation is the time frame during which the symptoms last and the secondary symptoms of inflammation.
Acute inflammation can be very painful. This pain can originate from the injury itself or as a result of the swelling which can increase the pressure on nerves increasing pain, but acute inflammation is temporary [1,2].
Chronic inflammation however, can result in constant pain or discomfort, long term reduction in daily function, fatigue, brain fog, digestive discomfort or chronic disease.
Living with long term inflammation and its associated symptoms can also contribute to a person experiencing low mood, depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns. Recent studies also suggest that inflammatory cells are deposited in increased levels of body fat tissue, these then release inflammatory compounds into the body that increase the risk of developing chronic diseases [4].
These chronic diseases carry their own risk and impact upon quality of life. People living with chronic diseases are often at greater risk of hospital admissions, increased risks of co-morbidity (living with multiple diseases), increased work absence, reduced function and independence and a poorer quality of life.
Diagnosis & Detection
How is Inflammation detected?
A common blood test to determine levels of inflammation include the CRP or C-Reactive protein test. This is used by healthcare professionals as an indicator of infection and a measure of inflammation.
In people with an acute episode of inflammation, the CRP will raise for a short period of time. In those with chronic inflammation the CRP levels may remain high or even gradually increase over time [1,3].
Other tests might include measuring the levels of vitamin D in the body as this fat soluble vitamin helps the body fight infection.
Specific inflammatory markers can also be assessed from blood samples however, diagnosis of chronic inflammatory conditions are often made from a holistic consideration of symptoms and lifestyle factors.
Other Types
Are There Other Types Of Inflammation?
No other types but Chronic, low level inflammation is also linked to increased risk and progression of many chronic diseases [1,3,4,5]:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Arthritis and joint pain
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Allergies
- Hypertension
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Depression
- Some cancers
- Osteoperosis
- Autoimmune disease
- Sarcopenia
- Cognitive decline and dementia
The symptoms of chronic inflammation are varied but frequently include chronic pain, fatigue and a sense of feeling generally unwell.
When the body experiences chronic inflammation there are also other chemicals that are released into the body that have an effect on the nervous system. This can increase sensitivity and pain signals thereby increasing the pain experience.
Prevention
How Do You Prevent Inflammation?
- Reduce processed sugars and refined carbohydrates.
- Reduce trans-fats and saturated fats found in processed and packaged foods, baked food and processed seed and vegetable oils.
- Increase foods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols such as fruits and vegetables, these can protect against inflammation.
- The compound, curcumin, found in turmeric has been shown to improve inflammatory diseases and is most bioavailable (easily absorbed) when consumed in the presence of black pepper.
- Increased dietary fibre both soluble and insoluble has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers.
- Vitamin-D has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce inflammatory compounds within the body.
Diet and lifestyle have been shown to contribute to chronic inflammatory conditions [4], equally changes to diet and exercise levels have been show to effectively reverse symptoms and inflammation [4].
Some foods can aggravate inflammation within the body, making dietary and lifestyle changes can improve inflammatory symptoms.
In addition to dietary changes, increased levels of physical exercise have also been shown to reduce inflammation within the body. Not only has it been shown that increased physical activity levels can reduce inflammatory compounds within the body, it can reduce the inflammatory effects within tissues such as blood vessels thus reducing cardiovascular risks [4]. Increasing physical activity can be as simple as a daily walk.
Although inflammation is a natural, evolutionary response for survival, lifestyle choices can contribute to the development of chronic inflammation. Changes in diet and physical activity have been found to reduce and reverse these effects for healthier, happier and longer lives [5].
References
