炎症

• Pinyin: yán zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 炎 = 火 + 火 (double fire — heat and burning sensation associated with inflammation); 症 = 疒 (sickness radical) + 正 (straight/correct — the characteristic identifying sign of a disease)

Meaning

Inflammation. A biological response of body tissue to harmful stimuli, characterised by redness, swelling, heat, pain, and impaired function. The standard medical term for inflammation.

Used in medical, scientific, and health contexts: 慢性炎症 (chronic inflammation), 急性炎症 (acute inflammation), 消炎 (to reduce inflammation; anti-inflammatory), 抗炎药 (anti-inflammatory drug), 炎症反应 (inflammatory response). The character 炎 relates to blazing heat, reflecting the heat and redness historically associated with inflammatory conditions.

Examples

1. 长期压力和不规律的作息习惯会导致体内持续存在低度炎症反应，这被认为是多种慢性疾病的重要潜在诱因。 Long-term stress and an irregular schedule can lead to persistent low-grade inflammation in the body, which is considered an important potential trigger for many chronic diseases.
2. 医生在诊断后确认患者的膝关节炎症较为严重，建议先采用保守治疗方案，同时评估是否有手术干预的必要。 After diagnosing the patient, the doctor confirmed that the inflammation in the knee joint was quite severe and recommended starting with conservative treatment while also assessing whether surgery might be necessary.
3. 新研究发现，某些天然植物提取物具有较强的抗炎活性，有望为炎症相关疾病的治疗提供更多的药物选择。 New research has found that certain natural plant extracts have strong anti-inflammatory activity and may offer more medication options for treating inflammation-related diseases.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, health, science, nutrition

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 大量研究证据表明，以蔬菜、水果和全谷物为主的饮食结构有助于降低体内炎症指标，对心血管健康具有长期保护作用。(A large body of research evidence indicates that a diet centred on vegetables, fruits, and wholegrains helps lower inflammatory markers in the body and provides long-term protective benefits for cardiovascular health.)
• 运动后出现的肌肉酸痛往往是轻微的炎症反应所致，属于正常的运动适应过程，一般在充分休息后会自行消退。(The muscle soreness that occurs after exercise is typically caused by a mild inflammatory response; it is part of the normal physical adaptation process and will usually resolve on its own after adequate rest.)

Don't Say

• 他发炎了 — while 发炎 is correct colloquially, at HSK 7-9 level the precise clinical term is 出现炎症 or specify the affected area, e.g. 膝关节出现炎症; in formal medical contexts always pair 炎症 with an anatomical location

Origin & History

炎 (blazing/burning — two fires) + 症 (symptom/condition — 疒 sickness radical + 正 correct, indicating the defining feature of a disease) — the burning sensation of an inflammatory condition

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal