What Are the Five Classic Signs of Inflammation?

Five classic signs that include redness heat, swelling pain, and loss of function.

Inflammation is the body’s response to any harmful stimulus. The stimulus may be an injury, infection, or irritation. The stimulus may be internal or external. Inflammation usually exhibits five classic signs that include:

• Redness
• Heat
• Swelling
• Pain
• Loss of function: Not able to move the injured part easily

Inflammation does not always show all five symptoms. It may sometimes occur “silently” without showing any symptoms.

Inflammation usually lasts for a short period (acute). In cases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, however, inflammation may be long-lasting (chronic). Acute inflammation goes away within hours or days, whereas chronic inflammation can last months or years. Below are a few home remedies to treat chronic inflammation:

• Regular physical activity
• A healthy diet that includes green tea, magnesium, vitamins B6, C, D, and E
• Reducing smoking and alcohol intake
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Strategies to cope with stress

Besides the above home remedies, inflammation can be treated in several ways. Treatment for inflammatory diseases may include: 

Medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen) or corticosteroids (prednisone)

• Rest
• Exercise
• Surgery to correct the inflammation in the injured body part

A treatment plan will always depend on the type of disease, age, any pre-existing diseases, and overall health. 

The goals of treatment should include:

• Correct, control, or slow down the disease process
• Avoid or change activities that aggravate pain
• Relieve 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

Some chronic inflammation requires surgical intervention to ease the pain and swelling. Below are a few common surgeries performed to give relief and make the patient feel better:

• Arthroscopy: This is usually done to fix muscle or tissue tears, and is even sometimes performed to remove pieces of bone. Small cuts around the affected joint are done to insert thin instruments to fix damaged tissue.
• Osteotomy: This is done to remove part of the bone near a damaged or infected joint.
• Synovectomy: All or part of the lining of the joint is removed if it is inflamed or has grown too much.
• Arthrodesis: This is done to fuse bones together with pins or plates after a severe injury.
• Joint replacement: This is done to replace a damaged joint with an artificial one made of metal, plastic, or ceramic.

An anti-inflammatory diet is a healthy diet that can reduce inflammation. Changing eating habits by emphasizing anti-inflammatory foods and avoiding inflammatory foods can control the bouts of inflammation.

Below are a few foods that have anti-inflammatory properties:

• Vegetables and leafy vegetables, such as tomatoes and spinach
• Edible oil like olive oil
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
• Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines)
• Fruits (berries, oranges)

With an anti-inflammatory diet, you can improve your health and reduce your risk of disease caused by inflammation.