Inflammation: An underlying cause of many conditions

It happens when you cut your finger. Or have an allergic reaction. Or catch a cold.

What is it?

Inflammation. You might see the signs of it as heat, fever, swelling, redness, tenderness or pain. It could also include fatigue or mood changes.

In whatever ways it shows up, it’s the body’s reaction to an injury or illness. And it’s part of the process of healing or recovery. And it usually goes away when you’re feeling better.

But many people experience underlying inflammation that can linger for months or years — often with symptoms that are hardly noticeable.

Just as in nature, some fires can burn underground and show up far from where they started — undetected. In the body, a similar slow-burn can happen without you knowing.

Risks of chronic inflammation

According to David Saenger, MD, a heart specialist at PeaceHealth in Springfield, Oregon, ongoing inflammation can lead to or worsen many health conditions such as:

• Asthma
• Autoimmune conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis or lupus)
• Breathing conditions (e.g., emphysema and bronchitis)
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Heart disease and stroke
• Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis)
• Type 2 diabetes

The good news is that your doctor can check your inflammation levels with a blood test that looks for C-reactive protein (CRP). This protein is made by your liver. Levels of CRP go up when you have inflammation in your body. Testing can show whether your inflammation levels are higher than normal. Your doctor may use other tests to learn more about what might be causing your higher CRP levels.

Steps to reduce inflammation

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen can reduce pain and swelling. And that’s useful for temporary relief, but it’s not a long-term fix for chronic inflammation, says Dr. Saenger.

Here are five key things you can do to reduce inflammation in your body:

1. Exercise or move every day. Being physically active is highly beneficial. Decades of research have shown this to be true. One study from 2017 found that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise can reduce inflammation. Another from 2023 explains how exercise helps at a cellular level.

Talk with your doctor or other caregiver about adopting these activities:

• Walking, running or other moderate intensity activity that gets your heart and breathing rate up for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
• Lifting weights or other types of strength training twice a week.

2. Practice calming your mind. Feeling worried or stressed out can have an impact on your physical body. Emotional stress can cause hormones to be released that put you on the defense.  In a true life-or-death situation, that’s a good thing. But it’s usually far better to find ways to cope with and overcome fears to put them into perspective.

You can try meditation, prayer, journaling, music or art therapy. If you struggle with mental health, ask your primary care provider about getting an evaluation or a referral for therapy.

3. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Foods can play a significant role in inflammation. Research such as this 2023 study on inflammation and ultra-processed foods shows some foods help reduce inflammation while others increase it.

Based on the lists below, consider cleaning your cupboard or fridge out of any foods that make inflammation worse. Then restock with healthier alternatives.

It might take a few weeks of eating anti-inflammatory foods before you feel or see a difference.

4. Make sleep a priority. Studies like one from 2019 show sleep to be incredibly important for inflammation levels. Interestingly enough, inflammation can contribute to poor sleep and too little quality sleep can raise inflammation.

Do whatever you can to improve how much and how well you sleep. If you need help, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for sleep is highly effective. Medications and tranquilizers can seem effective, but over the long term these usually make things worse. See what your doctor might recommend that fits your needs.

5. Get to or stay at a healthy weight. Experts say there’s a clear link between body weight and inflammation. Like sleep, the two go hand in hand. Inflammation can contribute to weight gain. And excess weight can lead to inflammation.  This is part of why obesity and cancer are so closely linked.

If you carry more than a few extra pounds, it is to your advantage to do what you can to lose some of it.

You may start with simple changes such as what and when you eat. Medically supervised weight-loss programs with pre-packaged food are also a good way to jumpstart thin-down efforts. If you need to lose more than 100 pounds, you might explore bariatric surgery. And you can ask your doctor or other caregiver if a weight loss medication would be right for you.

These are just a few ways to lower inflammation. They can be a crucial part in preventing or managing chronic health conditions.