When a doctor says that a part of your body is inflamed, it’s probably not a compliment on your health. But inflammation isn’t always bad and, often, it starts out as a good thing.
So what exactly is inflammation? And when do we want more or less of it in the body?
[See: Expert-Recommended Diets for Inflammation]
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s “natural defense system,” explains Dr. Kaushik Govindaraju, an internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan in Manhattan. The body calls in this defense system when you are injured or ill and uses it to help get you on the path to healing.
“Our body sends a flood of inflammatory cells in order to fight infection or begin to repair damage,” Govindaraju says.
Any time you have an injury or an infection, your body sets off an inflammatory response characterized by redness, swelling, pain and heat. This response is designed to protect tissues and begin the healing process. Known as acute inflammation, this type of inflammation, typically resolves within a few days or weeks once the cause is addressed.
Types of Inflammation
There are two primary types of inflammation: acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Both types of inflammation manifest similarly, but differ in how long they stay in the body and in the health impact they have along the way.
Acute inflammation
Dr. Amy Kehl, a board-certified rheumatologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, describes acute inflammation as the “body’s immediate response to injury or infection.”
Your body sends out white blood cells, which dispatch and accumulate around the site of your injury, Kehl adds. Once there, the cells get to work defending your body from so-called “invaders.”
“This is not necessarily harmful and is actually vital to the body’s defense to external pathogens,” Kehl explains.
Some symptoms of acute inflammation include:
— Heat or warmth
— Erythema (redness)
— Fevers
— Swelling
Chronic inflammation
In some cases, inflammation lingers past the acute stage and becomes an enduring problem in the body. This type of longer-lasting inflammation is known as chronic inflammation.
“Chronic inflammation can begin the same way as acute inflammation, but paradoxically can become a problem when it is persistent,” Govindaraju says. “While low levels of acute inflammation are good and even essential to overall health, chronic inflammation can lead to long-term health issues.”
Chronic inflammatory disease is a problem that affects tens of millions of people in the United States. Common chronic inflammatory diseases include:
— Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease
— Cardiovascular diseases
— Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
— Diabetes
[READ: Fighting Inflammation With Glutathione Antioxidant Supplements and Injections]
Symptoms of Inflammation
While acute inflammation can cause immediate and often visible reactions, chronic inflammation’s longer-term symptoms may be more subtle, affect the body systemically and be harder to pinpoint.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation may include:
— Anxiety
— Chronic fatigue
— Chronic pain
— Common infections
— Insomnia
— Weight gain
— Weight loss
[READ: Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Mental Health]
What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation can have a variety of causes, including:
— Infections or diseases involving certain types of fungi, bacteria, parasites or viruses that can resist treatments and as a result, stay in the body for longer periods
— Exposure to irritants or chemicals that the body cannot properly break down or excrete naturally
— Autoimmune disorders that cause the body to issue inflammatory responses against healthy, non-invasive tissues
— Defects in the cells that issue inflammatory responses
— Otherwise having a dysregulated immune response
— Oxidative stress, or imbalances in the body that lead to cell damage
Risk factors
Everyone experiences inflammation at times, but some people may have higher risks for chronic inflammation than others. Factors that may increase your risk for chronic inflammation include:
— Chronic stress
— Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat, trans fats or refined sugars
— Increased age
— Increased fat tissue or high body mass
— Irregular sleep patterns or sleep disorders
— Smoking
Preventing and Coping With Chronic Inflammation
Creating or enforcing healthy lifestyle habits can help reduce your risk of chronic inflammation, or help you manage a condition if you already have it. Some habits that may support a healthy, anti-inflammatory body include:
1. Stay active with regular exercise
Regular exercise can be key to helping you maintain a healthy body. Because increased fat tissue and high body mass can increase your risks for chronic inflammation, staying physically active may help reduce your risks.
2. Follow a nutritious diet
Your diet can directly and indirectly affect your inflammation risks. Indirectly, what you eat can impact your body composition, and an unhealthy diet can put you at risk for obesity or other chronic diseases. Directly, certain foods may modulate internal pathways to inflammation, increasing your risk.
Some foods that are considered pro-inflammatory and may increase your risks for chronic inflammation or other diseases include:
— Processed meats
— Red meat
— Refined carbohydrates
— Sugary beverages
On the contrary, many colorful vegetables and whole foods are considered anti-inflammatory foods, and eating more of these may decrease your risks for chronic inflammation and other diseases:
— Broccoli
— Carrots
— Leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
— Peppers
— Pumpkin
— Beans
— Berries or other fruits
— Brown rice or other whole grains
With that in mind, sticking to whole foods and plant-based options, avoiding highly processed foods and limiting your meat intake may help reduce inflammation risks. Govindaraju recommends following a nutritious diet like the Mediterranean diet, or the DASH diet — which stands for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — if you have high blood pressure.
3. Manage stress levels
Stress can stimulate an inflammatory response in the body, and chronic stress is linked to a variety of diseases — some of which are life-threatening. Stress can impact your body’s response to pro-inflammatory foods.
Reducing stress or managing mental health conditions may thus help you reduce your risks for chronic inflammation. You can manage stress in a variety of ways, including working with mental health practitioners like psychotherapists or psychiatrists or investing in other personal mental health practices that serve you.
Talk to Your Doctor About Inflammation
If you have chronic inflammation, it is important to talk to your doctor about your specific diagnosis so that you can use or avoid treatments that they recommend or warn against.
Govindaraju adds to exert caution toward “anti-inflammatory” marketing and messaging that does not come from a licensed medical professional, like your doctor, as “some of these practices can be predatory, preying on one’s concern for their health.”
Additionally, don’t rely solely on anti-inflammatory medications — such as ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — to solve your problems. While these may be helpful for some people, they are not free of side effects and may not be safe for long-term use.
You’ll also want to talk to your doctor about your health history or any other underlying health conditions, as these may alter their advice for your treatment.
“It is important that any new health intervention you undergo — diet, exercise, medication, supplements — that you consult with your physician,” Govindaraju says.
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What Is Inflammation? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/12/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.