What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body's response to infection or injury. When tissues are damaged, the immune system releases chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. This helps isolate foreign substances and damaged tissues from further damage.
There are five main signs of inflammation:
- Redness - increased blood flow turns the skin red
- Heat - inflamed areas become warm to the touch
- Swelling - fluid builds up in the tissues
- Pain - nerves are stimulated as a warning sign
- Loss of function - it hurts to use the inflamed area
Inflammation can be acute or chronic:
- Acute inflammation starts rapidly and becomes severe within minutes or hours. Its main signs are redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function.
- Chronic inflammation can last for several weeks, months or years. It may result from a failure to eliminate whatever is causing the inflammation in the first place.
Some common causes of inflammation include:
- Infections - bacteria, viruses, parasites
- Injuries - wounds, burns, fractures
- Toxins - pollutants, asbestos, silica
- Immune reactions - lupus, rheumatoid arthritis
- Stress