How to Fight Hidden Causes of Inflammation

Tamping down inflammation is a must for people with chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. But you can be exposed to damaging inflammation without having a specific medical condition.

What is inflammation?

When your body encounters an offending agent (like viruses, bacteria or toxic chemicals) or suffers an injury, your immune system is activated and sends out its first responders: inflammatory cells and cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).

These cells begin an inflammatory response to trap bacteria and other offending agents or start healing injured tissue.

This can result in pain, swelling, bruising or redness. However, inflammation can also affect body systems in ways you can’t see.

Inflammation prevents the body from adequately reacting to stressors and puts the aging process on an unwanted fast track, increasing the likelihood of problems like heart disease.

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The negative effects of inflammation can be so significant that leading researchers from the University of Bologna in Italy coined the phrase inflamm-aging. So making anti-inflammation lifestyle choices is good for everyone.

RELATED: Five Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis

What are the symptoms of inflammation?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, inflammation can present itself in the following ways:

Acute inflammation may cause:

• Flushed skin at the site of the injury.
• Pain or tenderness.
• Swelling.
• Heat.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic inflammation symptoms may be harder to spot than acute inflammation symptoms. Signs of chronic inflammation can include:

• Abdominal pain.
• Chest pain.
• Fatigue. (example: systemic lupus)
• Fever. (example: tuberculosis)
• Joint pain or stiffness. (example: rheumatoid arthritis)
• Mouth sores. (example: HIV infection)
• Skin rash. (example: psoriasis)

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How to Avoid Inflamm-aging

• Eat a heart-healthy diet focusing on foods like fatty fish, fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that sugar is highly inflammatory.
• Get active with moderate cardio exercise. Remember: Good health guidelines call for 30 minutes a day on at least five days per week.
• Lose excess weight, especially if you’re carrying those pounds around your middle.
• Avoid exposure to all forms of secondhand smoke, and of course, if you smoke, quit.
• Limit alcohol to one drink per day if you’re a woman, two if you’re a man.
• Clock seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Some people need more, others need less, but this is the sweet spot between not enough and too much.
• Manage stress. Stress is often unavoidable, but you can minimize its effects with techniques like deep breathing and meditation.
• Stay social with strong connections to friends and family.

When to see a doctor

Talk to your doctor about ways to boost your heart health and any other steps appropriate to your needs to counter inflammation.

If you experience a worrisome injury or are experiencing ongoing pain, swelling, stiffness, or other symptoms, consult with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to help you narrow down the cause and find ways to help you feel better.

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can greatly reduce the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, these drugs are not without risk.

The US Food and Drug Administration has requested that warning labels be added to all NSAIDs — both prescription and over-the-counter versions — advising users of the increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and heart problems.

The FDA also requires manufacturers of over-the-counter NSAIDs to prominently display NSAID on the label and to include a warning about the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Your doctor can help you decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks in your case, or whether another pain relief option would be better.