Understanding Inflammation

Inflammation occurs when your white blood cells team up to battle a bacterial or viral infection within the body. Most of the time, the white blood cells do their job quickly and you may never even notice. An ingrown toenail can lead to inflammation, so can a cut or scratch.

Other times, the body releases white blood cells but there really is no reason. Instead, the white blood cells attack healthy tissue. These conditions are known as autoimmune diseases and cause inflammation that can be crippling. Examples of these conditions include: Colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid arthritis and Vasculitis.

When your body senses an infection is present, it sends white blood cells to battle the foreign substance. Those white blood cells release chemicals and fluids meant to kill the bacteria or foreign particles and liquids flush out the surrounding area. Sometimes, the fluid leaks into surrounding tissue and press on the nearby nerves. This causes the pain and discomfort.

Video: Anti-Inflammatory Foods

External Versus Internal Inflammation

Inflammation occurs both inside and outside your body. An ingrown hair might cause a painful pimple that improves when the hair is removed. With external inflammation, you can see the infection and oftentimes treat it with antibiotic ointments.

Internal inflammation requires medical care. Depending on where the inflammation occurs, you could have any number of conditions. Take tendonitis as an example. Tendonitis occurs when repetitive motion of a muscle group irritates a tendon. The irritation causes your tendons to become inflamed and swell. With tendonitis, your doctor may need to prescribe cortisone injections or medications to help reduce the swelling allowing the tendon to heal. 

Symptoms of Inflammation

Symptoms of inflammation are very noticeable. Redness and swelling will appear. A joint may swell, feel warm and become stiff. Sometimes a fever and chills develop with a case of inflammation.

Key things to look for are pain, stiffness, redness and swelling. Those are sure signs of inflammation. Often, the reason behind the inflammation is clear. You may have a splinter or infected cut. If you cannot pinpoint an explanation, see your doctor. An undiagnosed infection may lead to blood poisoning!

Safety of NSAID's

In recent years, there has been scrutiny among professionals over the safety of NSAIDs.   Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are linked to heart failure, gastrointestinal disorders and renal toxicity. Gastrointestinal bleeding has been a leading problem with NSAID use.

Video: Gastrointestinal Risks with NSAIDs

In addition, studies have found that upwards of 0.3 percent of patients are actually allergic to the medications in NSAIDs and should not be using them. Allergic reactions include rashes, facial swelling and breathing difficulties. Doctors also found that people with asthma who also use NSAIDs had an increase in asthma symptoms.

Of greater concern is the fact that many NSAIDs are available over-the-counter. People taking these OTC medications may not understand the contraindications leading to dangerous reactions. You should never use NSAIDs if:

• You are allergic to aspirin
• You are on anticoagulants
• You have a blood clotting disorder
• You have an active peptic ulcer
• You are pregnant or nursing

Furthermore, if you have heart, kidney or liver impairments, contact your doctor before taking NSAIDs.

It's best to discuss treatments with your doctor. While NSAIDs help relieve pain and swelling, they not be right for you. Many products help relieve inflammation and may be safer for your body.

More Inflammation Products

Aloe Vera – Found in many homes, Aloe Vera features amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in B-sitosterol and mucopolysacchrides, researchers find Aloe reduces inflammation by 30% when applied on the skin.

Aspirin – One of the most well-known NSAIDs, aspirin helps relieve pain and inflammation. Aspirin is also believed to be beneficial in heart health.

Bromelain – Found in the fruit and stem of the pineapple plant, Bromelain capsules actively reduce inflammation. As Bromelain is found in pineapple juice, drinking a glass a day may help prevent inflammation from occurring.

Celebrex – A prescription NSAID, Celebrex is often used to help alleviate the painful symptoms of arthritis. Celebrex works by reducing the hormones that cause pain and inflammation.

Corticosteroids – Synthetic corticosteriods like glucocorticoids are effective in joint pain and inflammation. They are commonly used for arthritis, lupus and IBS. A topical cream helps alleviate inflammation on the skin.

Echinacea – Derived from a purple flower, echinacea's properties are believed to help alleviate cold symptoms. Further research found that the herb helps battle both viral and bacteria infections and inflammation.

Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) – Researchers have found that gamma-linolenic acids are extremely effective at stopping inflammation by improving nerve function. GLA occurs naturally in foods like black currants.

Ginger – For close to 30 years, extensive research has proven that ginger root contains great anti-inflammatory properties. The natural substance helps stop inflammation and reduces the resulting pain.

Green Tea – Rich in antioxidants, green tea helps reduce wearing of cartilage that can cause inflammation in joints.

Ibuprofen – Advil, Motrin and Nuprin are three of ibuprofen's common brand names. This over-the-counter NSAID is extremely effective at reducing fever, pain and inflammation.

Indomethacin – Another prescription NSAID, indomethacin is sold under the name Indocin and Indocin SR. The drug blocks the production of prostaglandin thus reducing inflammation and pain.

Naproxen – Naproxen is another OTC NSAID. Sold under the name Aleve, the drug reduces concentrations of prostaglandin in the bloodstream. This reduces inflammation and pain.

Omega-3 Fish Oils – Another natural remedy to inflammation, Omega-3 fish oils are found in seafood and fish oil pills. Omega-3 fatty acids have proven effective in reducing pain and inflammation, especially in arthritis cases.

Serrapeptase – Derived from silkworms, serrapeptase is used throughout Asian countries and much of Europe to stop the production of prostaglandin helping to reduce pain and swelling.

Vitamin E – Doses of the antioxidant Vitamin E have proven effective in reducing muscle inflammation. Vitamin E slows the release of cytokines from the white blood cells reducing inflammation.