Arthritis affect 43 million people in the United States. That’s basically 20% of the American population. By 2020, this number is will pass 60 million people.

But is inflammation bad? Read on for all you need to know about inflammation in your body.

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a natural process that takes place in our bodies to protect us from infection, burns, bacteria, trauma, and viruses.

When the body senses an invader, white blood cells rush to the site to destroy the invading organisms.

When you get a paper cut or hurt your knee, your body will respond in the form of inflammation. It is the immune system’s way to promote healing and defend against illness.

Then why is there so much hype around anti-inflammatory foods? And why are there so many drugs on the shelf to decrease inflammation?

Why Is Inflammation Bad?

Inflammation is the body’s defense mechanism. But sometimes, the immune system triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign invaders to destroy.

This happens with autoimmune disease such as arthritis. In these cases, the body attacks normal tissues as if they are infected and causes damage to these tissues.

When the inflammation response is constantly triggered, it can do damage to the body.

Inflammation is also linked to other chronic diseases, though the exact link isn’t clear yet.

What Are the Symptoms of Inflammation?

There are several symptoms of inflammation. These include joint pain and stiffness, redness, and swelling. Sometimes the area is warm to the touch.

Loss of joint function due to chronic inflammation is also possible.

But it’s not all bad. A study at the Children’s Hospital Boston found that two proteins activated by inflammation are crucial to maintaining normal blood sugar levels in obese and diabetic mice.

That means that inflammation has a positive role to play in chronic conditions. Future research will help shed more light on this relationship.

But if you suffer from unwanted inflammation, there are things you can do to help your body.

What You Can Do to Reduce Inflammation

There’s a lot of hype around anti-inflammatory foods and diet. These recommend lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and avoiding processed foods.

Following a healthy diet can reduce inflammatory proteins in the blood. But that’s not all. Clean eating promotes healthy weight and lowers bad cholesterol levels.

Whether it’s the food that reduces the inflammatory response or the lifestyle change that lowers inflammation is hard to tell. Either way, it’s a good thing.

Anti-inflammatory medications like NSAIDs and steroids reduce inflammation. But, these drugs are limited in their success at treating diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

And there are some problematic side effects. Some NSAIDs can actually increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and make you more prone to infection.

New research has linked CBD use with lower inflammation. Visit Wellspring CBD to learn more.

Final Thoughts

So, is inflammation bad for your body? It depends. An inflammatory response is helpful unless your body is sending the response so often that those white blood cells begin to attack healthy tissue.

Though there is still a lot we don’t know about treating inflammation, we do know that a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle will help.

Next, check out these five steps to a pain-free life.