How To Reduce Chronic Inflammation

What is inflammation? Acute inflammation is the body’s natural, short-term healing response to injuries or infections. It usually resolves on its own within a few days. However, persistent inflammation that does not resolve or is caused by chronic diseases, autoimmune disorders, or certain lifestyle factors can develop into chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can damage the healthy tissues, cells, and organs in the body and cause organ failure or death if left untreated. In this article, we will discuss how lifestyle changes, diet, and certain medications can help reduce chronic inflammation. 

What Is Chronic Inflammation? 

When we experience any injury, illness, or infection, the body releases inflammatory molecules called macrophages and neutrophils, which travel to the site of infection and cause redness and swelling as a part of the healing process. 

Without these inflammatory compounds, our infection or injury doesn’t heal. This inflammatory response is needed but only for a short period of time. If it doesn’t go away or the body continues to release macrophages and neutrophils for a prolonged period or without any injury or disease, it can become problematic. The persistent, abnormal, and long-term activation of the body’s inflammatory response is known as chronic inflammation.

Chronic Inflammation Symptoms  

The common symptoms of chronic inflammation include: 

• Persistent infection or injuries that don’t heal
• Chronic fatigue 
• Depression, mood swings, or anxiety
• Body pain 
• Weight gain or weight loss 
• Chest pain
• Skin rashes
• Mouth sores
• Low grade fever
• Digestive irregularities, such as constipation or diarrhea

How To Reduce Chronic Inflammation 

Treating chronic inflammation is based on a combination of lifestyle changes, diet, and medications, depending on its cause. Here are some ways to reduce chronic inflammation:

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Chronic inflammation can result from carrying excess body fat, as fat tissue can release inflammatory mediators, which can contribute to the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Optimizing your diet to achieve a healthy weight can improve your energy and reduce your metabolic risks. Making practical plans to eat a plant-based diet, increasing your exercise, getting adequate sleep, and reducing your stress can all help with weight reduction.

Make Certain Lifestyle Changes 

Chronic inflammation can result from smoking, ongoing stress, excessive alcohol consumption, or prolonged exposure to irritants, chemicals, or toxins. Therefore, reducing chronic inflammation requires specific lifestyle changes.

For instance, if you smoke, drink excessively, or work in an environment with exposure to irritants or chemicals, it’s essential to avoid these harmful triggers and adopt healthier habits to reduce inflammation.

As mentioned above, other factors that can cause chronic inflammation in your body are obesity, low levels of physical activity, and a diet rich in trans fats or salt. To reduce chronic inflammation, you must regularly engage in moderate-intensity exercise or physical activity and manage your weight. Ideally, getting 25 to 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week can help to reduce chronic inflammation.

Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Diet 

Incorporating certain foods in your diet that are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce chronic inflammation. 

Some of the top foods that help fight and reduce inflammation include: 

• Leafy greens 
• Fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• Spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic
• Fresh fruits
• Tomatoes 
• Nuts
• Olive oil

Foods that cause inflammation and should be avoided include: 

• Fried foods
• Refined carbs, like white rice, cakes, pastries, pizza, and pastas
• Sodas
• Processed meats

In addition to the above, you can follow an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce inflammation naturally.

Two of the most common anti-inflammatory diets include: 

DASH Diet 

The DASH diet was mainly designed to reduce hypertension and manage blood pressure, but as it focuses on adding whole foods to your meals and limiting processed foods and sweets, it can help reduce and fight inflammation. 

The DASH diet recommends the intake of vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, nuts, and whole grains and limits the intake of refined grains, saturated fats, sweet beverages, and red meat. In addition to the above recommendations, make sure you also try to minimize excess salt intake.

Mediterranean Diet 

Like the DASH diet, the Mediterranean diet also emphasizes adding healthy fats and plant-based foods and using olive oil as the primary source of fats. 

The high intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats in the Mediterranean diet helps reduce chronic inflammation. This is because it possesses high amounts of vitamin C, E, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce oxidative stress and inhibit inflammatory cytokines. 

Medications 

Your doctor may also recommend some medications to help fight chronic inflammation, including: 

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) 

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a type of medication that reduces inflammation by blocking prostaglandins, which are compounds in the body responsible for pain and inflammation.

They are commonly given to treat inflammation caused by chronic autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or age-related degenerative musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis.

Some common NSAIDs include: 

• Ibuprofen 
• Diclofenac 
• Naproxen 
• Aspirin 

Corticosteroids 

Corticosteroids are sometimes given in chronic inflammatory conditions like asthma and autoimmune diseases. It is also given when inflammation does not resolve from NSAIDs or lifestyle changes. They work by lowering the immune system’s ability to cause inflammation. There are however side effects associated with chronic steroid use (such as upset stomach, high blood sugar, or osteoporosis), so make sure you talk to your doctor to see if this medication is right for you.

Common corticosteroid medicines include: 

• Hydrocortisone 
• Cortisone
• Prednisone

Conclusion

While acute inflammation is a necessary and temporary part of the body’s healing process, chronic inflammation presents a more complex challenge, often triggered by lifestyle factors, diet, and underlying health conditions. Left unchecked, chronic inflammation can severely damage the body and increase the risk of serious diseases. However, by making mindful lifestyle changes, following an anti-inflammatory diet, and using medications under medical supervision, it’s possible to manage and reduce chronic inflammation effectively.