Inflammations

An inflammation is a reaction from the body and not a condition by itself, which means that it’s different from an infectious disease.

Inflammations

An inflammation occurs when the immune system in the body reacts to a certain trigger, which might be internal or external. This is a normal reaction from the body towards any foreign thing that doesn’t belong to it. However, despite the fact that inflammations help the body, they might harm it as well when they occur where they shouldn’t be or if they continue more than normal.

An inflammation starts when something irritates the immune system, and that occurs when a pathogen enters the body or when a person gets injured. When that happens, the immune system begins to send inflammatory cells and cytokines, which start an inflammatory response to defend the body against the invaders or to heal the injured tissue. It’s normal to have some mild symptoms like swelling, pain, or discoloration because this means that the body is recovering itself.

Types of inflammations

There are two types of inflammation:

Acute inflammation

Acute inflammations are sudden and temporary, and they’re the normal body response to traumas and diseases. They usually last for a few hours or days, depending on the patient’s state. For example, infectious diseases usually cause an acute inflammation.

Chronic inflammation

In chronic inflammations, the body continues to send inflammatory cells even though there isn’t a threat to it, and that causes harmful effects. Chronic inflammations might last for months or years and might worsen or get better in periods. Autoimmune diseases are an example of chronic inflammation.

Causes of inflammations

Causes of acute inflammation include infections and injuries.

Causes of chronic inflammation include:

• Chronic stress.
• High consumption of foods that cause inflammation, like foods that are high in salt or trans fat.
• Now exercising enough.
• Obesity and having excess weight in the form of visceral fat (within the abdomen).
• Dysbiosis (an imbalance between the good and bad gut microbes),
• Disrupted sleep.
• Smoking.
• Heavy alcohol consumption.
• Toxin exposure.
• Chronic inflammation is also involved in certain diseases: autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, mental health diseases like depression and anxiety, and certain cancers.

Symptoms of inflammations

Symptoms of acute inflammation in the case of a trauma:

• Pain and swelling in the place of the injury.
• Flushed and warm skin.
• Inability to use the affected part of the body as usual.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation:

• Fever.
• Abdominal, chest, and joint pain.
• Skin rash.
• Mouth sores.
• Fatigue.
• Insomnia.
• Mood disorders.
• Weight loss or gain.
• Digestive issues, such as acid reflux, constipation, or diarrhea.
• Frequent infections.

Treatment of inflammations

• Acute inflammation is typically relieved by resting, taking care of the injury and over-the-counter drugs when needed.
• For chronic inflammation, it’s recommended to take nutritional supplements, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or corticosteroids, depending on the case. You also have to reduce the intake of inflammatory foods, follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy weight, and sleep enough.