Is This Why You Feel Bad? 6 Issues Tied to Inflammation

The health problem: Hair loss

What inflammation has to do with it: There's an autoimmune disease called alopecia areata that leads to hair loss not only on your scalp but over your entire body. "Your body creates an inflammatory immune reaction that targets the cells that produce hair," explains Lindsey Criswell, MD, MPH, the chief of rheumatology at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. "Hair loss can also be a symptom of lupus, another autoimmune disease."

What you can do: If you're dealing with major hair loss (not just regular thinning), ask your doctor if alopecia areata or another inflammatory condition could be the cause. Common treatments for hair loss include topical hair-growth stimulators, injected corticosteroids and, of course, anti-inflammatory medications.