Silent inflammation is one of the major contributors to chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration. Its presence exacerbated by immune system overreaction as well as mycobacterium tuberculosis strains (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), fungus, protozoa or metazoal parasites that resist host defense mechanisms and remain within tissues for extended periods.
Diet and Nutrition
When you cut your finger, bruise your knee, or contract a cold, inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense against infections and injuries. But chronic inflammation – linked with serious diseases and long-term health problems – requires more. But you can take steps to decrease its levels.
Diet and nutrition can help decrease inflammation. According to Lara Snead, clinical dietitian at Suburban Hospital. “Consuming anti-inflammatory foods may help lower the risk of inflammatory diseases.”
Snead suggests following a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and healthy fats such as olive oil and fish to decrease inflammation while also decreasing risks associated with heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Multiple studies have linked such foods with less risk.
Exercise
When people imagine inflammation, they often picture swelling and redness caused by injuries or infections. While inflammation is sometimes an unpleasant process, it’s an essential response from our immune systems in response to harmful stimuli which helps protect us against germs while healing tissue damage.
The body’s inflammatory response involves both molecular reactions and cellular activity that identify an irritant, activate immune cells, release inflammatory chemicals, dilate blood vessels to increase blood flow to affected area and repair damaged tissues – often lasting several hours to several days.
But when the immune system remains vigilant for potential threats and fails to return to a state of homeostasis, persistent inflammation can become a health threat. Chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration and autoimmune conditions – and can even increase risks. Reducing inflammation through diet changes (anti-inflammatory foods are particularly helpful), weight loss efforts, regular exercising sessions or by eating an anti-inflammatory diet is an effective way of mitigating such risks.
Sleep
Inflammation is a natural response that helps our bodies recover from injury, acting as an immune response that protects us against germs and heals tissues. But prolonged inflammation can have serious repercussions for our health.
Acute inflammation typically manifests with visible symptoms like pain, swelling and redness; however, chronic inflammation often remains more subdued and therefore difficult for doctors to detect. This makes the issue even harder to spot.
Multiple factors can contribute to chronic inflammation. Exposure to environmental toxins, high-fat diets high in sugar and saturated fat, autoimmune diseases, physical inactivity and irregular sleep schedules all increase your risk for chronic inflammation. But lifestyle changes can help lower inflammation levels and improve health: even something as simple as regular physical activity such as walking can reduce inflammation levels; eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fatty fish will help. Furthermore, adequate quality sleep prevents your body from producing inflammatory cytokines that lead to chronic inflammation.
Stress Management
Inflammation is an integral part of your immune response system and helps the body fight infection or recover from injury, but when left unchecked it can become harmful to your health. Chronic inflammation has been linked with major diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity as well as more immediate problems like joint pain and fatigue.
The body’s normal inflammatory response involves white blood cells acting like an army to target invading bacteria by releasing toxic molecules which kill them and clearing away dead tissue, until all threats have passed and inflammation subsides. Once all threats have passed, inflammation ceases.
Chronic inflammation can be caused by environmental toxins, an unhealthy diet high in fat and sugar, smoking, auto-immune disorders and sleep disturbances. Furthermore, chronic inflammation tends to be more prominent among older individuals, obese persons or people living with certain health conditions such as diabetes, lung or kidney disease, cardiovascular disease or autoimmune disease.
An inexpensive blood test called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) can easily and affordably assess inflammation in your body. You may also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve pain, fever and swelling.