How to stop your body attacking itself
Inflammation is one of the biggest buzzwords in health and wellbeing. But it can be both good and bad for us
By Jane Yettram
How to stop your body attacking itself
Inflammation is one of the biggest buzzwords in health and wellbeing. But it can be both good and bad for us
By Jane Yettram
What is inflammation and when is it good for us?
Inflammation in response to a cut knee or a cold is nothing to worry about. It’s simply your body’s way of healing itself. Consultant Rheumatologist at Benenden Hospital Dr Amit Saha explains: “With a cold, for example, inflammation in your nose forms mucus. This mucus contains biochemical molecules that help destroy and expel the invading organisms that are trying to attack you.”
Similarly, the pain, swelling or redness you experience with a cut knee is caused by inflammatory cells getting on with their healing work.
When is it bad?
Inflammation becomes a problem, however, when – instead of battling invaders like the cold virus – inflammatory cells start attacking your own normal, healthy tissue. This is known as autoimmunity.
Take joint issues. “Normally, if you injure a joint, you get some inflammation and this helps repair it,” explains Dr Saha. “But with an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis, your body thinks the joint itself is the invader and attacks it.”
Of course, inflammation can’t expel your joint in the way it gets rid of a cold virus. “So, your body keeps attacking the joint, resulting in damage, pain and immobility.”
What are autoimmune conditions?
There are several autoimmune diseases associated with chronic inflammation:
Rheumatoid arthritis – a long-term inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in the joints.
Myositis – a rare condition where the body attacks the muscles causing weakness and tenderness.
Lupus – “Because the autoimmune system attacks connective tissue,” explains Dr Saha, “there can be inflammation in any organ – the skin, kidneys, liver, lungs and even the brain.”
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease cause inflammation in the bowel. “A sizeable minority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease also have a joint disease,” says Dr Saha.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, but for 10-30% of people it can also affect the joints.
Chronic inflammation can impact your mental wellbeing too. “Depression can be part of the whole disease process,” confirms Dr Saha. “You can get these inflammatory conditions at any age – from very young babies right up to people in their 80s or 90s. Women, though, are more likely to be affected than men.”
How can you help yourself?
The jury is out on ways we can reduce the risk of inflammation. But there are two key lifestyle changes that Dr Saha says can really make a difference.
1. Shed those excess pounds “We do have strong evidence that reducing your BMI is important,” he says. That’s because body fat itself seems to worsen inflammation. Plus, he adds, “certain medications work better for people with a lower BMI.”
Dr Saha has seen the difference losing weight makes for his own patients with rheumatoid arthritis. “They’ve come in for an appointment and I’ve not recognised them! Looking at their notes, I’ve seen that they’ve gone down from, say, 110kg to 70kg, and they feel much better.”
2. Give up smoking
“The vast majority of my patients are ex-smokers,” says Dr Saha. “I struggle with the ones who still smoke as certain drugs used to treat inflammation do not work as well in smokers. And their joints are not great.”
“We have strong evidence that reducing your BMI is important – body fat itself seems to worsen inflammation”
Check your diet
Following a Mediterranean diet (full of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, fish, lean meat and olive oil), as well as limiting salt intake, avoiding processed foods and controlling blood sugar are often said to help reduce inflammation. According to Dr Saha, the current evidence for this isn’t strong. However, he does confirm that “these changes are good for an overall prognosis. I advise all my patients to have a very moderate diet, with nothing in excess.”
One autoimmune disease that does have a strong dietary link is gout. A form of inflammatory arthritis, gout causes sudden and severe pain, often in the big toe joint, due to a build-up of uric acid crystals.
“If you have gout, reduce your intake of beer and other alcohol,” advises Dr Saha. Eating less meat and sugar can help too, as can increasing your vitamin C intake and eating cherries, which are believed to help reduce levels of uric acid.
When to see the doctor
Dr Saha’s key tip is to get checked out if you experience any inflammatory symptoms.
“If you have any new issues with your joints, your bowel habits or your nervous system – for example, numbness or pins and needles – see your GP to be assessed,” he says. “If it’s a simple mechanical issue with a joint, for example, the GP will be able to deal with it. But for autoimmune issues, you need to be referred to a specialist.”
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