Inflammation

Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on July 14, 2024
Written by Shawna Seed
7 min read

Inflammation is a process by which your body's white blood cells and the things they make protect you from injury or infection from outside invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.

How inflammation works

Chemicals from your body's white blood cells enter your blood or tissues. This raises the blood flow to the area of injury or infection. It can cause redness and warmth. Some of the chemicals cause fluid to leak into your tissues, resulting in swelling. This protective process may trigger nerves and cause pain.

Higher numbers of white blood cells and the things they make inside your joints can cause irritation, swelling of the joint lining, and loss of cartilage (cushions at the end of bones) over time. 

Acute inflammation

This type is short-lived and goes away within hours or days. It's a response to an illness or injury. Your body sends inflammatory cells to the site of the problem so you can start recovering. Examples of things that can trigger acute inflammation include: 

  • Cuts 
  • Viral illnesses such as the flu
  • Bacterial infections such as strep throat 

Chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation can last months or years, even after the thing that triggered the inflammation is gone. In certain diseases, your body's defense system -- your immune system -- triggers inflammation when there are no invaders to fight off. This process is involved in some types of arthritis, for instance. In these autoimmune diseases, your immune system acts as if regular body tissues are infected or somehow unusual and attacks them, causing damage.

If you have acute inflammation, you may know exactly what caused it: an injury or a bacterial or viral illness. The causes of chronic inflammation can be harder to figure out. Among the things that can cause chronic inflammation are: 

  • Lack of exercise
  • Chronic stress
  • Obesity
  • Too many unhealthy microbes in your gut
  • Too few healthy microbes in your gut
  • Poor sleep
  • Exposure to toxins, such as air pollution or dangerous chemicals
  • Tobacco use
  • Drinking too much alcohol 

Inflammatory diseases

Common inflammatory conditions include: 

  • Neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson's 
  • Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis
  • Gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis
  • Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety
  • Cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease
  • Lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
  • Metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes
  • Certain cancers

Inflammation and arthritis

Some types of arthritis are the result of inflammation, such as:

Osteoarthritis -- the most common type -- is a degenerative disorder, not an autoimmune disease. Think of it as a "wear and tear" issue.

A specific part of your body might be affected, or your symptoms might be more general.

Inflammation in joints

When a joint is affected, the symptoms include:

  • Redness
  • A swollen joint that may be warm to the touch
  • Joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • A joint that doesn’t work as well as it should

Often, you’ll have only a few of these symptoms.

Flu-like symptoms

You might have symptoms that leave you generally feeling unwell. They can include:

Other symptoms

You also might have: 

  • Pain in your belly
  • Rash on your skin 
  • Diarrhea, constipation, or acid reflux
  • Sores in your mouth
  • Weight gain or loss 
  • Depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders

How inflammation affects your internal organs

Other symptoms of chronic inflammation depend on which organs are affected. For example:

  • Inflammation of your heart (myocarditis) may cause shortness of breath or fluid buildup.
  • Inflammation of the small tubes that take air to your lungs may cause shortness of breath.
  • Inflammation of your kidneys (nephritis) may cause high blood pressure or kidney failure.

You might not have pain with an inflammatory disease because some organs don’t have many pain-sensing nerves.

If you seem to have chronic inflammation, your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam, focusing on:

  • The pattern of painful joints and whether there are signs of inflammation
  • Whether your joints are stiff in the morning
  • Any other symptoms

They’ll also look at the results of X-rays and blood tests for biomarkers such as:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP)
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

Your doctor will look for ways to treat your inflammation symptoms and also any underlying causes. 

 

 

 

Treatment for diseases that cause chronic inflammation may include medications, rest, exercise, and surgery to correct joint damage. Your treatment plan will depend on several things, including your type of disease, your age, the medications you’re taking, your overall health, and how severe the symptoms are.

The goals of treatment are to:

  • Correct, control, or slow down the disease process
  • Avoid or change activities that aggravate pain
  • Ease pain through pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Keep joint movement and muscle strength through physical therapy
  • Lower stress on joints by using braces, splints, or canes as needed

Medications for inflammation

Many drugs can ease pain and swelling. They also may prevent or slow inflammatory disease. Doctors often prescribe more than one. The medications include:

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen)
  • Corticosteroids (such as prednisone)
  • Antimalarial medications (such as hydroxychloroquine)
  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, leflunomide, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine
  • Biologic drugs such as abatacept, adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, infliximab, golimumab, rituximab, and tocilizumab

Some of these also are used to treat conditions such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, or to prevent organ rejection after a transplant. But when chemotherapy types of medications (such as methotrexate or cyclophosphamide) are used to treat inflammatory diseases, they tend to have lower doses and less risk of side effects than when they’re prescribed for cancer treatment.

If your doctor prescribes any medication, it’s important that you meet with them regularly so they can watch for side effects.

Home remedies for inflammation 

Some ways to ease long-term inflammation include:

Surgery

You may need surgery if inflammation has severely damaged your joints. Common procedures include:

  • Arthroscopy. Your doctor makes a few small cuts around the affected joint. They insert thin instruments to fix tears, repair damaged tissue, or take out bits of cartilage or bone.
  • Osteotomy. Your doctor takes out part of the bone near a damaged joint.
  • Synovectomy. All or part of the lining of the joint (called the synovium) is removed if it’s inflamed or has grown too much.
  • Arthrodesis. Pins or plates can permanently fuse bones together.
  • Joint replacement. Your doctor replaces a damaged joint with an artificial one made of metal, plastic, or ceramic.

 

 

The things you eat and drink can also play a role in inflammation. 

Foods that reduce inflammation

  • Tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Leafy green vegetables (spinach, collards)
  • Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
  • Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines)
  • Fruits (berries, oranges)

Foods that trigger inflammation

  • Refined carbohydrates (white bread)
  • Fried foods (french fries)
  • Sugary drinks (soda)
  • Red and processed meats (beef, hot dogs)
  • Margarine, shortening, and lard

 

Inflammation is your body's response to an injury or illness, or to the perception of one. When it's acute, you might have redness and swelling for a few days as your body activates white blood cells to combat the problem. Chronic inflammation can last months or years. In some cases, your immune system is misfiring and attacking healthy parts of your body. You might need medicine or surgery to relieve your symptoms. You can take steps at home, including quitting tobacco, reducing alcohol consumption, getting moderate exercise, and eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods. 

Can I reduce inflammation in my body quickly?

For acute inflammation, you can: 

  • Rest the affected part of your body
  • Apply ice to the spot that's sore 
  • Keep any wounds -- cuts, scrapes, burns -- clean 

There's no quick fix for chronic inflammation. But certain habits can help you manage it. Regular exercise can have anti-inflammatory benefits. You also can try eating more foods high in natural antioxidants.

What does inflammation feel like?

When it affects your joints, inflammation can cause pain and stiffness. The area might be red, warm to the touch, or swollen. 

Sometimes inflammation causes symptoms that can feel like the flu -- headache, fatigue, fever, chills, or achy muscles. 

What is the best drink to reduce inflammation?

There isn't a single best drink for this. But you can choose things that are high in antioxidants. They include: 

  • Tea -- green, white, and black -- is high in polyphenols, which fight inflammation. 
  • Coffee also has polyphenols.
  • Juices such as orange, pineapple, tomato, and carrot are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant.
  • Red wine may have anti-inflammatory effects, though the research isn't clear.
  • Water helps flush toxins out of your system and keeps your joints lubricated.

What are the most inflammatory foods?

There's no 10 Most Wanted List of inflammatory foods. But things you may want to avoid or limit include: 

  • Red meat
  • Processed meats, such as lunchmeats, sausage, and bacon
  • Store-bought baked goods such as cakes, pies, brownies, and cupcakes
  • Bread and pasta made from white flour
  • Fried foods
  • Drinks sweetened with sugar 
  • Foods with added sugar, such as jam or syrup
  • Foods with trans fats, such as margarine, microwave popcorn, and nondairy creamer

Is coffee inflammatory?

Coffee contains natural anti-inflammatory substances called polyphenols. Some studies suggest links between coffee drinking and certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, but the research isn't clear. If you do drink coffee, limit how much. Two cups per day is about right. And beware of coffee and espresso drinks that contain a lot of added sugar or dairy.