Inflammation is the body's protective response to irritation, injury, or infection. It's characterized by redness, heat, pain, swelling, and loss of function. When tissues in your body are injured, the inflammatory process begins immediately. Let's break this down:
Inflammation occurs for a good reason - it's the body's first response to harmful stimuli. It's a defense mechanism that protects and heals us.
Acute inflammation starts rapidly and becomes severe rather quickly over hours or days. Think of a cut, bee sting, or sprained ankle. This intense initial response brings a rush of immune cells to eliminate foreign substances and start the healing process.
Chronic inflammation is long-term and open-ended, lasting for months or years. This type of ongoing, persistent inflammation contributes to numerous diseases like arthritis, asthma, Crohn's disease, tendinitis, and more. Unresolved acute inflammation can also become chronic.
To sum up, inflammation is characterized by the five cardinal signs of redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function. It serves a useful purpose in our bodies as a protective reaction to harmful stimuli like pathogens, damaged cells, toxins, and trauma. The inflammatory process brings immune cells, proteins, and fluids to the site of injury to heal and defend against foreign invaders. While acute inflammation is normal and resolves when healing takes place, chronic inflammation that persists can lead to inflammatory diseases and damage over time. Understanding inflammation allows us to support this essential defense mechanism.