Pain, swelling and redness are the most common signs of inflammation. It’s said that once you have any or all of these symptoms, your body is already trying to battle inflammation – damage, infection or even disease is already occurring.
There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic.
- Acute inflammation occurs as a result of injury, such as a cut, sprain, bone or muscle injury.
- Chronic inflammation occurs as a result of damage to tissues, blood vessels and joints, and is commonly associated with arthritis.
Understanding inflammation is key to helping maintain good health.
Rather than seeing it as something to stop or beat, inflammation should be considered as something to be monitored, in order to get appropriate treatment at the right time.
Managing inflammation
It’s recommended that treatments for inflammation are customised for the kind of inflammation being experienced.
While management has traditionally involved more generic treatments – OTC NSAID medications, and in some cases curcumin (the active compound in turmeric that contains powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) – it’s argued that focusing on the specific cause is a better way.
Blood tests that search for inflammation biomarkers can provide some clues as to the nature of any inflammation, and guide towards targeted treatment.
Early warning signs
One of the main advantages of monitoring inflammation through blood tests is that early warning signs can be picked up.
Drop Bio Health Principal Scientist Dr Connor O’Meara says these warning signs can help to guide lifestyle changes that could help manage inflammation.
“Inflammation is the body’s early warning system, not just for infection but also for preventable disease attributed to poor lifestyle,” he said.
“A systemic and chronic elevation of inflammatory markers have consistently been detected in those with sedentary lifestyles and suboptimal nutrition, which predate the development of heart disease.”
Tracking inflammatory markers among those making lifestyle changes can also act as a motivator, reinforcing lifestyle changes. It can also prevent the onset or progression of more serious diseases.
“Similar trends in inflammatory markers have been observed in people afflicted by alcohol, and sleep- and stress-related conditions,” Dr O’Meara said, adding that monitoring inflammatory markers can be a tool that helps manage one’s lifestyle and adherence to lifestyle measures.
Inflammation and onset of disease
While inflammation can occur in response to lifestyle habits and acute injuries, it’s said that several autoimmune conditions can cause inflammation and some inflammatory conditions are associated with the growth and spread of some cancerous tumours.
Biomedical scientist Professor Darren Saunders, a scientific adviser at Drop Bio Health, says this is a key part of cancer replication with chronic inflammation having been associated with the increased risk of several types of cancer.
“Chronic inflammation can cause the accumulation of DNA damage, which is an important part of the underlying processes that cause normal tissue to transform into a tumour,” he said.
A 2020 study published in the journal Neurology reveals the link between inflammation and the onset of dementia.
The Goldilocks Zone
While biomarkers collected from blood samples can be a good indicator of inflammation levels in the body, it’s important to note that these biomarkers can deviate from expected ranges in response to a virus or localised infection. Additionally, not enough inflammation in these markers can be just as concerning as too much inflammation.
Similar to the children’s story of Goldilocks, whatever is considered ‘just right’ in terms of inflammatory biomarkers is key: the immune system needs some inflammation to fight off infections, and for the body to function normally, so finding the right balance is important.
Balance is central to ensuring that the rate of inflammation is optimal.
This is the Goldilocks Zone level: not too little, not too much.
It can be difficult to know when inflammation is getting out of balance, so this is where monitoring inflammatory biomarkers can be useful.
“Various molecules – eg, proteins, hormones, etc – carried in the blood give us an insight into the function of the immune system, of which inflammation is just one important part,” Professor Saunders said.
“By measuring the levels of these chemical messengers, we can monitor inflammation and track changes over time.”
This article was originally published in the July issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine.
