Inflammation can be easily recognized or can hide in plain sight for years.
When we think of inflammation we think of obvious signs such as redness, swelling, or irritation usually brought on by infection or injury. Depending on the body system affected it can present in many forms.
Inflammation is defined as a process in which your body's white blood cells react and enter your tissues or blood to protect you from infection from outside invaders such as bacteria or injury. This process is generally what causes the redness and warmth due to the blood flow being drawn to that area for healing. Think of it like soldiers being called to war, when they are needed the body sends an alert to release white blood cells to the area to fight.
Visual characteristics of inflammation: Redness, swelling, heat, and loss of function.
Non Visual characteristics of inflammation: Depression, mood swings, brain fog, body pain, digestive issues, frequent infections, weight gain, anxiety, insomnia, and some skin conditions.
Inflammation can affect many different organ and body systems within the body such as : Brain, Thyroid, Cardiovascular, Lungs, Muscles, GI tract, Bones, Kidneys, Liver, and Skin.
As we have discussed before when your GI tract is affected your mental health and skin can suffer. Some skin conditions are greatly influenced by diet and inflammation and can worsen such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, rashes, wrinkles, fine lines, and dermatitis.
When inflammation is left untreated, prolonged chronic inflammation can increase the likelihood to develop certain disease processes such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
There are two types of inflammation; Acute and Chronic
Acute Inflammation: Immediate, adaptive response with limited specificity caused by several noxious stimuli, such as infection and tissue damage.
Signs/symptoms:
Redness
Heat
Swelling
Examples:
Allergic reaction
Frostbite
Chemical Irritation
Infection
Burn
Trauma
Cuts
Laceration
Stabbing
Chronic Inflammation: Slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years. The ability to repair and overcome the damage becomes more difficult with time. Can be silent for a long time.
Signs/symptoms:
Fatigue
Allergy symptoms
Digestive problems
Joint pain
Weight gain
Headaches and brain fog
Anxiety
Depression
Examples:
Autoimmune disorders
Exposure to Toxins
Untreated acute inflammation
Smoking
Obesity
Alcohol
Digestive allergies or intolerances
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