When you read about different health foods, exercises, preventative measures, they’re all about preventing inflammation.
And no one really goes further than that.
But not all inflammation is the enemy.
Chronic inflammation isn’t great. That’s the kind of inflammation people are usually talking about. It can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and even depression.
But short term inflammation? That’s just your body healing itself.
Here are a few times when inflammation isn’t something you need to worry about.
- When you’ve sprained your ankle. Inflammation for strains is juts your body making its own cast. It’s painful so that you don’t put any weight on it, and it makes the area stiff wo it doesn’t get injured any further. That inflammation should go away within a week.
- You just got done with a workout. The soreness and tenderness in your muscles after a workout is from muscle damage, but it’s the good kind. This kind of muscle damage allows your muscles to repair, stronger than ever.
- You’ve nicked yourself shaving. When you experience a small cut, your body is going to rush blood to it so that it heals faster. So yes, it’s inflamed, but that’s good. Of course, if it comes with symptoms like fever or redness radiating to different parts of your body, see a doctor.
- You have a fever. Though the rest of your flu may not feel great, the fever is necessary. Bacteria and viruses love to live in your normal body temperature, so your fever serves to cook them out.
- You have a bug bite or bee sting. The swelling in this area just means that your body is keeping the inflammation right where it is, and not letting it go anywhere else. The fluid there that raises the bump is breaking down the toxins you get from the bite.
See? You’ve got nothing to worry about. But of course, I can’t tell you anything definitively about your situation. If you feel like you should see a doctor, listen to your body.
