An anti-inflammatory is a medicine that calms inflammation: the hot, red, painful swelling that happens when a part of the body is hurt or is fighting an illness. As an adjective it describes the medicine or the cream (an anti-inflammatory gel); as a noun it is the medicine itself (she took an anti-inflammatory).

An anti-inflammatory anti-inflammatory（抗發炎藥） is a medicine that calms inflammation是一種能舒緩發炎的藥: the hot, red, painful swelling也就是紅腫發熱、會痛的腫脹 that happens when a part of the body is hurt or is fighting an illness發生在身體某個部位受傷或正在對抗疾病的時候。As an adjective當形容詞用時 it describes the medicine or the cream它是在形容藥或藥膏 (an anti-inflammatory gel)（像an anti-inflammatory gel抗發炎凝膠）; as a noun當名詞用時 it is the medicine itself它指的就是藥本身 (she took an anti-inflammatory)（像she took an anti-inflammatory，她吃了一顆消炎藥）。

Doctors reach for this word when the problem is not only pain, but swelling — a twisted ankle, a sore joint, a rash that puffs up. Though actually, in ordinary talk people often say painkiller for any pill that makes them feel better, and that hides a real split: some medicines only cover the pain and the fever, while an anti-inflammatory tries to quiet the swelling too.

Doctors reach for this word醫生會用這個字 when the problem is not only pain, but swelling當問題不只是痛、還有腫脹的時候 — a twisted ankle像扭傷的腳踝, a sore joint痠痛的關節, a rash that puffs up或是腫起來的疹子。Though actually不過其實, in ordinary talk在日常說法裡 people often say painkiller人們常常把 for any pill that makes them feel better任何能讓自己舒服點的藥都叫painkiller（止痛藥）, and that hides a real split這掩蓋了一個實際的區別: some medicines only cover the pain and the fever有些藥只處理疼痛和發燒, while an anti-inflammatory tries to quiet the swelling too而anti-inflammatory還會設法讓腫脹消退。

You will hear it in clinics and on packets; it is a careful, slightly formal word, not a playground one. Some anti-inflammatories are mild enough to buy at a pharmacy; some are strong steroid medicines a doctor must watch.

You will hear it in clinics and on packets你會在診所和藥品包裝上聽到、看到這個字; it is a careful, slightly formal word它是個講究、有點正式的字, not a playground one不是隨口說說的用語。Some anti-inflammatories有些anti-inflammatory藥 are mild enough to buy at a pharmacy溫和到可以直接在藥局買到; some are strong steroid medicines a doctor must watch有些則是強效的類固醇藥物，需要醫生密切留意。

People also stretch it a little: an anti-inflammatory diet is a popular, looser way of saying food that may help with swelling, which is a hope more than a promise.

People also stretch it a little人們也會把這個字用得寬鬆一點: an anti-inflammatory diet anti-inflammatory diet（抗發炎飲食） is a popular, looser way of saying food that may help with swelling是一種通俗、比較鬆散的說法，指可能有助於消腫的食物, which is a hope more than a promise但這比較是一種期望，而不是保證。