BODY INFLAMMATION SELF-TEST

CRP stands for C-reactive protein, a substance made by your liver. Your body releases CRP into your blood as a natural response to inflammation. Inflammation happens when your body is fighting an infection, illness, or healing from an injury. It’s your body’s way of protecting itself and starting the healing process.

Sometimes, inflammation is short-term and helpful, but if it lasts too long, it can harm your body.

A CRP test measures the amount of this protein in your blood to check if there’s inflammation in your body. However, it doesn’t tell us the exact cause of the inflammation.

The CRP test is most often recommended if you have symptoms of an infection. These symptoms might include fever, chills, rapid breathing, muscle aches, or vomiting. You might also notice symptoms specific to the part of your body that’s affected, such as issues with your chest, urine, skin, or gut. These are the most common areas where infections occur.

The test can also be helpful if you suspect you have a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Additionally, CRP levels can be used to monitor how well a condition is responding to treatment. If the treatment is working, CRP levels should go down over time.

A CRP test helps detect inflammation in your body. Inflammation is a natural response that helps you heal from injuries or infections. However, if inflammation lasts too long, it can cause problems.

Mild inflammation can be normal after small things like a cut or a mild viral infection. But high levels of inflammation might be a sign of something more serious, like a bacterial infection or a chronic autoimmune condition. Knowing about them allows for tests to be done and treatment offered.

A high CRP level can have many causes, most commonly infections or chronic diseases.

Infections:

• Viral infections: Conditions like the flu, COVID-19, the common cold, or infections in the liver or gut.
• Bacterial infections: These can occur anywhere in the body, including the chest, skin, gut, urinary tract, or in abscesses (pockets of infection).
• Other infections: Rare infections like fungal infections or parasitic illnesses such as malaria.

Chronic inflammatory conditions:

• Rheumatoid arthritis: Inflammation mainly in the joints.
• Lupus: An inflammatory disease affecting many parts of the body, including the lungs, skin, kidneys, and blood.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, which mostly affect the bowel but can also impact the skin and joints.
• Vasculitis: Inflammation of blood vessels, which can affect different body parts, such as the skin, lungs, kidneys, brain, or nerves.
• Psoriatic arthritis: A type of arthritis that causes joint pain and swelling, often in people with the skin condition psoriasis.
• Ankylosing spondylitis: Inflammation that mainly affects the spine.

Other possible causes:

• Cancer
• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas.
• Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease: An infection of the female reproductive organs, such as ovaries and uterus. It is often caused by sexually transmitted diseases.
• Recent surgery: Though this increase is usually only small, larger increases might suggest infection.
• Trauma

There are other factors which can also slightly increase CRP, such as:

• Obesity
• Allergic reactions
• Cigarette smoking
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Pregnancy

Since CRP can be linked to many conditions, there aren’t specific symptoms directly caused by high CRP. However, general symptoms of inflammation may include:

• Fever
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Chills
• Muscle aches

Symptoms can depend on any underlying conditions an individual suffers from also.

Infections:

• Respiratory infections: Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Pain or burning when urinating, frequent urination, or cloudy urine.
• Skin infections: Redness, swelling, warmth, or tenderness.
• Gut infections: Diarrhoea, blood in stool, abdominal pain, or cramping.

Autoimmune conditions:

• Rheumatoid arthritis: Stiff, swollen, or painful joints, especially in the morning.
• Lupus (SLE): Tiredness, joint pain, or a rash (such as a butterfly-shaped rash on the face).
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Abdominal pain, diarrhoea (sometimes with blood), or weight loss.
• Vasculitis: Pain, skin rashes, or organ-specific symptoms like kidney problems or vision changes.

Tissue injury or trauma:

• Pain and swelling at the site of injury.

Cancer:

• Unexplained weight loss.
• Persistent fatigue (tiredness).
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Pain or unusual lumps.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of symptoms and, if you are concerned about any of these conditions or any of your symptoms, particularly if your CRP is high, you should consult a healthcare professional.

A high CRP result isn’t a diagnosis—it is a sign of inflammation in your body. Infections are the most common cause, but it is important to talk to your doctor so they can figure out what’s causing it. Your doctor might:

• Ask about your symptoms and medical history.
• Order more tests, like blood tests or scans.
• Provide treatment, such as antibiotics, if needed.

The next steps will depend on what they find, so it is important to seek medical attention if the test is positive.

If you have a high CRP along with any of the following symptoms (though this is not an exhaustive list), it is important to seek medical attention right away:

• High fever
• Severe or worsening pain
• Chest pain/ tightness
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent symptoms without a clear cause
• Unexplained bleeding
• Any other concerns about your health

A high CRP result isn’t treated on its own. Instead, your doctor will work with you to find out what is causing the high CRP. This may involve additional tests or investigations based on your symptoms.

Once the cause is identified, your doctor will recommend treatment specific to that condition. For example:

• Rest and supportive care for mild viral illnesses, like a cold or flu.
• Antibiotics for bacterial infections.
• Other medications to manage chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.