What You Should Know About Inflammation

February 10, 2022

Do you struggle with swelling or puffiness in certain parts of your body? Do you sometimes feel stiffness or suffer from bruising easily?

You could be suffering from acute or chronic inflammation.

In this blog, we’re going to discuss what exactly inflammation is, what it does to the body and how it can affect a person’s quality of life.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system protects you from bacteria, viruses, and other harmful intruders, and is often the root cause of certain diseases.

There are two types of inflammation –acute and chronic.

Acute inflammation occurs as the response to a cut on your finger or scrape on the knee. To heal the cut, your body sends inflammatory cells to the injury and begins the healing process.

Chronic inflammation happens when your body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there is no outside danger.

What causes inflammation?

Inflammation can be caused for various reasons, including autoimmune disorders, stress, intake of refined sugars and other inflammatory foods, and smoking/alcohol use. Exposure to toxins and untreated acute inflammation can also increase chances of chronic inflammation.

What are signs of inflammation?

Common symptoms are:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Heat
  • Pain
  • Loss of mobility

Signs of chronic inflammation can be:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Chest pain
  • Fatigue
  • Joint pain
  • Skin rash, like psoriasis

How can you reduce/treat inflammation?

A change or modification in your diet can make a difference in the inflammation you may be experiencing. Try to incorporate non-inflammatory foods in your meals, like fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains.

Try to limit your intake of foods that can increase inflammation, like refined sugars, unhealthy fats, processed carbs and high fructose corn syrup.

Find ways to manage your stress levels. Exercising regularly is a great way to manage stress and to keep inflammation at bay.

A holistic approach can be useful when seeking treatment for inflammation. DNA testing can help determine food sensitivities, environmental influences, etc.

Integrative Wellness also offers several methods to help treat inflammation, including:

  • Nutritional Counseling
  • DNA Testing
  • IV Therapy

If you’re interested in combating inflammation, reach out to Integrative Wellness at 304-808-6985 to learn about the treatment options listed above.

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