Signs of Inflammation in the Body (And What to Do About It)

Inflammation gets talked about constantly in health circles, but it is often misunderstood.

Most people associate it with something visible, like a swollen ankle or a red wound. But the kind that quietly drives fatigue, joint pain, digestive issues, and mood changes? That is harder to spot and harder to resolve.

So, how do you actually tell if inflammation is a problem in your body? And what do you do about it?

Let’s walk through it.

What Is Inflammation? 

At a basic level, inflammation is your immune system responding to something it sees as a threat 1. 

That could be a pathogen, like bacteria or a virus. It could be an injury. Or it could be something less obvious, like ongoing irritation in the gut.

When that happens, your body releases signaling compounds that increase blood flow, bring immune cells into the area, and help coordinate repair. This is why inflamed tissue tends to feel warm, look red, swell, and hurt. Those signals are actually protective. They help you slow down and give your body time to heal.

In the short term, this process is effective and necessary. The issue is when that response doesn’t fully shut off.

In some cases, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells, causing harmful, ongoing inflammation 2. This can lead to autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and ulcerative colitis.

Chronic inflammation is also associated with a broader range of long-term health conditions, which we will cover below.

What Causes Inflammation? 

Chronic inflammation is rarely caused by just one thing. More often, it reflects a combination of inputs that keep the immune system slightly activated over time.

Many different things can cause inflammation. The most common include:

• Pathogens (germs) like bacteria, viruses, or fungi 3
• External injuries (like scrapes, cuts, sprains, and bruises) 
• Exposure to environmental chemicals 4
• Ongoing (chronic) stress 5

Many medical conditions directly involve ongoing inflammation, including 1: 

• Alzheimer’s 
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular disease (heart disease)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Certain cancers

In many other cases, it comes down to everyday factors. Diet plays a major role in chronic inflammation. Patterns that rely heavily on refined carbohydrates, ultra-processed foods, and certain fats are consistently associated with higher inflammatory markers 6. Low physical activity, ongoing stress, poor sleep, and obesity can all influence how the immune system behaves over time 7.

None of these causes inflammation overnight, but together they can create an environment where the body has a harder time returning to baseline.

Signs of Acute Inflammation

When inflammation is acute, the signs are localized and usually easy to identify 7:

• Redness
• Heat
• Swelling
• Pain
• Loss of function 

These are typically tied to a specific injury or infection and tend to resolve as your body heals.

Signs of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation tends to be far less obvious. Instead of a single, localized issue, it shows up as a pattern of symptoms that do not fully resolve.

Common signs of chronic inflammation include 8:

• Ongoing fatigue
• Joint or muscle discomfort
• Body pain
• Digestive symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
• Skin issues
• Depression, anxiety, or mood changes
• Insomnia 
• Weight gain or weight loss
• Frequent infections

One thing that is often overlooked: The gut plays a central role in immune regulation 9. When digestion is off, whether from imbalance, irritation, or food sensitivities, it can contribute to broader inflammatory signaling throughout the body. This is one reason gut-focused strategies are often part of the solution.

How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally 

One of the biggest misconceptions about inflammation is that it can be fixed with a single intervention. In practice, the most consistent results come from addressing a few key areas together and giving them time to work.

Research consistently shows that higher levels of inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with low physical activity, higher blood sugar, poor diet quality, and increased abdominal weight 8. That gives us a useful starting point: Rather than chasing a single solution, the goal is to shift the overall environment your body operates in. 

Start With an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Diet is one of the most reliable levers for reducing inflammation. Patterns like the Mediterranean diet, which emphasize whole foods, healthy fats, and a lower intake of processed ingredients, have been shown to significantly reduce elevated CRP (a marker of inflammation) 10, in some cases by up to 72% when combined with regular physical activity 11. 

In practical terms, this means pulling back on refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, and ultra-processed products, while prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense meals. Fat quality matters here as well. Diets high in trans fats and certain processed oils tend to promote inflammation, while omega-3 fats appear to have the opposite effect.

For people with digestive symptoms, temporarily simplifying the diet with either an elimination diet or an elemental diet, and then reintroducing foods can help identify triggers that may be contributing to ongoing immune activation.

Build In Movement

Exercise is one of the more consistent ways to lower inflammatory signaling, and its effects go beyond weight loss.

Clinical research shows that regular exercise can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines even when body composition doesn’t change 12

Exercise types that are good for inflammation include: 

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT) 13
• Strength training, aerobic exercise, or a combo of both 14
• Aerobic exercise 15 16

It doesn’t have to be intense either. One study found that just 30-40 minutes of exercise 3-5 times per week was helpful, especially for soothing anxiety and depression 17.

Stress Management

​​Stress is one of the more underappreciated drivers of inflammation 18. When stress becomes chronic, it can keep the immune system in a more activated state, contributing to the same low-grade inflammation you are trying to resolve.

Practices like mindfulness and meditation have solid evidence behind them for improving markers like CRP, blood pressure, and inflammatory cytokines 19. Even simpler interventions, like time in nature, have been shown to reduce perceived stress and shift stress hormones like cortisol in a favorable direction 20.

Prioritize Sleep

Controlled studies show that even short-term sleep restriction, meaning less than the recommended seven to eight hours, can increase inflammatory signaling in otherwise healthy individuals 21. This helps explain why poor sleep often overlaps with fatigue, irritability, and increased sensitivity to stress.

Improving sleep quality and consistency can have a meaningful impact on how the immune system regulates itself over time.

Consider Targeted Supplements

Probiotics 

Research shows that probiotics can help lower key markers of inflammation in the body, suggesting they may play a meaningful supportive role in managing inflammatory conditions 22. 

A 2020 meta-analysis (a high-quality study of studies) showed that probiotics significantly reduced blood markers of inflammation 22. 

Omega 3s

Omega-3 supplements, including DHA and EPA, can help lower inflammation in adults, but neither type is clearly better than the other 23 24.

Curcumin 

Curcumin supplements can help reduce inflammation in the body, especially in older adults, by lowering inflammatory markers like CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α 25. 

For more supplements with the research and best uses for inflammation, see our article, The 11 Best Anti-Inflammatory Supplements. 

Inflammation FAQs

What are the 5 classic signs of inflammation?

The five classic signs of inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function. These typically show up with acute inflammation, like an injury or infection, and are part of your body’s natural healing response.

How do you tell if you have inflammation in your body?

There isn’t one single symptom that confirms inflammation, especially when it’s chronic. Instead, it tends to show up as patterns like ongoing fatigue, joint or muscle discomfort, digestive issues, skin changes, or frequent illness.

If multiple symptoms are happening at once and not fully resolving, that’s usually a sign your body may be dealing with some level of underlying inflammation.

How long does it take to reduce inflammation?

That depends on what’s driving it. In some cases, people start to feel better within a few weeks of improving diet, sleep, and stress. For more persistent issues, it can take a few months of consistent changes to see meaningful improvement.

The key is consistency. Inflammation usually builds over time, so it tends to improve the same way.

How can I reduce inflammation naturally?

The most effective approach is to focus on a few key areas rather than looking for a single solution.

Start with diet by reducing processed foods and emphasizing whole, nutrient-dense meals. Support your gut health, stay physically active, manage stress, and prioritize sleep.

When those foundations are in place, supplements like probiotics, omega-3s, or curcumin may offer additional support.

What causes inflammation in the body?

Inflammation can be triggered by a range of factors, including infections, injuries, and chronic health conditions. In many cases, though, it’s driven by a combination of everyday inputs like diet, stress, sleep, and activity levels.

Over time, these factors can keep the immune system slightly activated, even without a clear illness or injury.

Can gut issues cause inflammation in the body?

Yes, they can. The gut plays a central role in regulating the immune system, so when digestion is off, whether from imbalance, irritation, or food sensitivities, it can contribute to broader inflammatory signaling.

This is one of the reasons gut-focused strategies are often a key part of reducing inflammation.

Bottom Line on Inflammation

Inflammation is not something you need to eliminate—it’s something your body needs to regulate. When it’s working properly, it supports healing and keeps you resilient. When it lingers, it can start to show up as the kind of symptoms that feel difficult to pin down but hard to ignore.

The most effective way to address it is not through a quick fix, but through consistent changes that help your body return to baseline. In most cases, that means focusing on diet, gut health, movement, stress, and sleep, and letting those changes build over time.

If inflammation has been an ongoing issue for you, it is often a sign that something deeper needs to be addressed. In the clinic, we help patients work through gut health, diet, and lifestyle in a structured way so they can see real progress. If you are ready for more personalized support, schedule a consultation with our team.

Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, natural health provider, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.