Harvard Health Content API

The best treatment for inflammation depends on the type of inflammation and its cause.
Some common causes of acute inflammation and examples of their treatment include:
•    Infection – antibiotics or antiviral medications
•    Gouty arthritis – anti-inflammatory medications (in the short-term) and treatments to lower uric acid (in the long-term)
•    Trauma – splinting, casting or surgery
Some common conditions marked by chronic inflammation and examples of their treatment include:
•    Rheumatoid arthritis – anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications
•    Cancer – chemotherapy, surgery, radiation
•    Obesity – loss of excess weight
Low-grade, chronic inflammation may accompany an unhealthy lifestyle. An “anti-inflammatory diet” (such as the Mediterranean Diet), loss of excess weight, regular exercise, and stress reduction may help reduce this type of inflammation.

A hallucination is the perception of an experience which does not have confirmation in reality. The five types are:
•    Auditory hallucination: hearing things that have no external sound
•    Visual hallucination: seeing something that isn’t visible to others.
•    Olfactory hallucination: smelling something that doesn’t smell to others.
•    Gustatory hallucination: experiencing a taste, often an unpleasant one, that shouldn’t happen
•    Tactile hallucination: a false sensation on the skin

Groin pain is commonly due to tendinitis, strains or sprains that will likely improve on their own with time. Groin pain accompanied by any of the following symptoms should raise the possibility of a more serious condition requiring prompt medical attention:

•    Fever
•    Painful swelling over the groin area
•    Difficulty or inability to walk or bear weight
•    Difficulty or pain with urination or blood in the urine
•    A lump or swelling in the scrotum or pain in the testicle

A delusion is a false belief based on an incorrect interpretation of reality.  People who suffer from persecutory delusions falsely believe that someone or something is attempting to harm them.  With erotomanic delusions, people believe that someone famous is in love with them.  Those with grandiose delusions have an exaggerated sense of self-worth or power.  People with jealous delusions believe their significant other is being unfaithful without evidence.  Somatic delusions involve a false belief that one has a physical or medical problem.  And people with mixed type have a combination of two or more types of delusions.

Allodynia is extreme sensitivity to touch.  Patients with allodynia experience pain from activities that usually are not painful, such as wearing a shirt or brushing hair.  There are several conditions that can be associated with allodynia, including diabetes and shingles.  Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition in which people experience pain and tenderness throughout the body, is another disorder associated with allodynia.

Blisters happen most often from friction or a second-degree burn. Friction blisters occur from skin rubbing on skin or another object. Friction blisters can heal on their own once the frictional force is eliminated or they can be punctured after gently cleaning the surface with alcohol. Leave the covering intact to prevent infection. Regarding blisters due to a burn, it’s best to not puncture it to avoid introducing infection.  

Pruritis means itching. There are so many causes. People may itch in just one body part or feel like they itch everywhere. Pruritis can occur with or without a visible rash. If a rash is present, the location and appearance can sometimes make the diagnosis straightforward. But identifying the exact cause of pruritis with or without a rash can be challenging and may require additional diagnostic testing, including a skin biopsy.

Leukopenia is the medical term for a low white blood cell count. The usual lab report will show a normal range of 4,500 to 11,000 white blood cells per microliter of blood. However, many healthy people have white blood cell counts that are lower than 4,500. There are other possibilities because there are many causes of a low white blood cells count. The white blood cell count may be low due to:
•    Infection, especially viral infections such as mononucleosis or even the common cold
•    Toxins (such as alcohol) or medications
•    Bone marrow diseases, including certain types of cancer
•    Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, in which the immune system attacks blood cells
•    An enlarged spleen, as is often the case in people with cirrhosis
•    Congenital (life-long) bone marrow disorders
•    Prior radiation therapy
•    A vitamin deficiency, such as a low level of folic acid

New swelling in just one foot can be caused by a blood clot in the leg or by an injury to the foot or ankle. When both feet are swollen, the cause is almost always fluid retention in the legs.
The most common reason for swelling in both feet is “incompetent” valves in the leg veins. The leg veins return blood to the heart after the blood has delivered oxygen and nutrients to the foot and lower leg.
Unlike the arteries, the veins can't rely on the pumping action of the heart to move the blood in the right direction. The veins need the valves to stop blood from backing up. Many people have malfunctioning vein valves. This can cause back pressure in the veins, which leads to fluid leaking out of the bloodstream and into the feet. Often varicose veins are seen.
Other reasons for swelling in both feet include:
•    Heart conditions, specifically heart failure
•    Severe lung disease
•    Kidneys that are not functioning normally
•    Anemia
•    Malnutrition
•    An underactive or overactive thyroid gland
Usually there will be other symptoms with the above health problems, not just swollen feet.

Anasarca refers to the accumulation of excess fluid throughout the tissues in the body leading to very significant weight gain. Anasarca is most often due to heart failure, very low levels of the protein albumin in the blood, cirrhosis or certain types of kidney disease. Diuretics (“water pills”) are almost always needed. But to control the excess fluid, the underlying condition causing the anasarca also needs to be addressed.