Whether acute or chronic, inflammation can be a source of both physical discomfort and emotional distress. Thankfully, many people who experience long-term inflammation can be helped by lifestyle changes and various types of treatment.
What Is Inflammation?
It is a protective response by your immune system when it perceives an injury or infection.
When your body identifies threats such as cuts, scrapes, or certain types of illnesses, it redirects blood flow for the purpose of boosting the presence of white blood cells in the affected area. Certain sub-types of white blood cells are designed to surround and destroy any infectious agents found in the area.
Other parts of your immune system’s response include increasing the permeability of your blood cells and releasing fluids that contain antibodies and other proteins.
While this is occurring, you may experience symptoms such as a reddening of the skin, swelling, increased temperature near the affected area, and pain or tenderness.
What’s The Difference Between Acute And Chronic Inflammation?
There are two general types of inflammation, acute and chronic:
- The description in the previous section is an example of acute inflammation. The body identifies a threat and triggers a series of temporary reactions to neutralize the threat, prevent it from spreading, and eliminate it. Once the threat is no longer present, the inflammation dissipates. This typically takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
- Chronic inflammation occurs when your body misidentifies healthy cells as threats, which prompts your immune system to launch continued attacks on these cells. Depending on a host of factors, the duration of chronic inflammation can range from several months to several years.
Potential long-term symptoms of chronic inflammation include:
- Pain in the chest, abdomen, and/or joints
- Sores, rash, and other types of skin damage
- Elevated body temperature (fever)
- Unintentional weight gain or loss
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Muscle weakness
- Joint stiffness
- Impaired balance
- Fatigue and exhaustion
Causes Of Inflammation
An acute response occurs when the body believes it is in danger due to a virus, bacteria, or other pathogen.
Contributing factors for chronic inflammation include:
- Age (a person’s risk increases as they get older)
- Excessive stress
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Tobacco use
- Alcohol use
- Poor diet
- Obesity
- Deficient levels of testosterone and estrogen
- Certain medical conditions
What Conditions Are Associated With Chronic Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is linked with several common health conditions, including:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Heart disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Type-2 diabetes
- Lupus
- Crohn’s disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Asthma
- Vasculitis
Researchers have also found evidence that may link chronic responses to several mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
What Makes Inflammation Worse?
Many of the factors that increase a person’s risk of inflammation can also worsen existing problems. These include unhealthy diet, irregular sleep patterns, poor management of weight and stress, and continued use of alcohol and tobacco.
Foods and ingredients that can raise your risk of inflammation include:
- Red meat
- Fried foods
- Sugar
- Highly processed foods
- Saturated fats
- Trans fats
- Refined grains
- Refined carbohydrates
How Do You Reduce Inflammation In The Body Fast?
One option for quickly reducing it is to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). For more serious cases, prescription NSAIDs may be called for. Also, prescription corticosteroids such as prednisone may be used to treat related concerns.
How To Naturally Reduce Inflammation
Many fundamental self-care practices can also help you naturally reduce inflammation, such as:
- Following a healthy diet plan
- Incorporating physical activity into your daily schedule
- Getting an appropriate amount of sleep
- Improving your stress-management skills
Depending on what has caused the inflammation, certain dietary supplements may also be beneficial.
What Foods Reduce Inflammation?
A diet plan to reduce inflammation should emphasize foods such as:
- Water, herbal tea, and green tea
- Fatty fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acid, a category that includes salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines
- Fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, bell peppers, kiwifruit, and grapefruit
- Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage
- Juices with high amounts of vitamin C, such as cranberry juice, tomato juice, orange juice, apple juice, and pomegranate juice
- Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
- Various nuts, including almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds
- Various spices, including ginger, turmeric, pepper, and rosemary
- Dark chocolate
- Extra virgin olive oil
How NAD+ Helps Reduce Inflammation
If efforts such as changing your diet, exercising more, and taking supplements don’t alleviate inflammation, NAD+ infusion therapy may provide the relief you’re seeking.
What Is NAD+?
NAD refers to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which is naturally present in virtually every living cell. It is a coenzyme that is essential for important functions such as converting food into energy and repairing DNA.
NADs typically exist in one of two forms:
- NAD+ molecules can accept electrons from other molecules
- NADH molecules can donate electrons to other molecules
As people age, their naturally produced levels usually begin to fall. Research indicates that declining levels may be associated with increased risk, while elevated levels can be a protective factor.
How Does NAD+ Therapy Work?
NAD+ therapy involves intravenous (IV) infusions of a solution that contains NAD+.
This is a safe process that is usually pain-free except for a small pinch when the needle is inserted to begin the infusions. Though some people have experienced minor side effects after receiving supplemental NAD+, these effects are usually brief.
In addition to alleviating inflammation, other potential benefits of NAD+ therapy include:
- Enhanced functioning of the immune system
- Boost in energy
- Improved brain health
- Better sleep quality
- More effective mood regulation
At Conscious Health, NAD+ infusion therapy is provided under the supervision of licensed medical staff.
Contact Conscious Health Center in Los Angeles to Treat Inflammation Today
Conscious Health Center offers a dynamic array of innovative, evidence-based therapies to help people achieve better mental health and improved overall quality of life.
In addition to NAD+ infusion therapy, other services at our outpatient treatment center in Los Angeles, CA, include neurofeedback therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy, vibroacoustic therapy, ketamine therapy, and electromagnetic brain pulse (EMBP) therapy.
All services at our center are provided by experienced and compassionate professionals in a safe and highly supportive environment.
To learn more about NAD+ infusion therapy or to schedule a free consultation, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
Published: 7/11/2025
