Causes of an inflammation
Pathogens (germs) like bacteria, viruses or fungi. External injuries like scrapes or damage through foreign objects (for example a thorn in your finger) Effects of chemicals or radiation.
Based on visual observation, the ancients characterised inflammation by five cardinal signs, namely redness (rubor), swelling (tumour), heat (calor; only applicable to the body' extremities), pain (dolor) and loss of function (functio laesa).
Some of the most common signs of chronic inflammation include: Body discomfort, including joint stiffness, tendonitis and muscle pain. Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea and persistent fatigue. Weight gain or unexplained weight loss.
When you're living with chronic inflammation, your body's inflammatory response can eventually start damaging healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Over time, this can lead to DNA damage, tissue death, and internal scarring. All of these are linked to the development of several diseases, including: cancer.
Blood tests known as 'inflammatory markers' can detect inflammation in the body, caused by many diseases including infections, auto-immune conditions and cancers. The tests don't identify what's causing the inflammation: it might be as simple as a viral infection, or as serious as cancer.
The three most commonly used inflammatory markers are called C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and plasma viscosity (PV).
Research has shown that chronic inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
One problem with promoting this approach, however, is that chronic inflammation does not always cause disease; it requires additional genetic and environmental factors. As such, attempts to alleviate chronic inflammation are confined to cases where it is already clear that disease has resulted.
Vasculitis means inflammation of the blood vessels.
This may be triggered by an infection or a medicine, although often the cause is unknown. Vasculitis can range from a minor problem that just affects the skin, to a more serious illness that causes problems with organs like the heart or kidneys.
Blood tests which detect inflammation are not sensitive enough to diagnose serious underlying conditions, generating an 85% false positive rate and a 50% false negative rate when used for this purpose, according to new research.
Chronic inflammation can contribute to an overproduction of inflammatory cytokines. As the body gets flooded with these molecules during chronic inflammation, the cytokines actually begin to attack healthy joint and muscle tissue, resulting in pain, swelling, redness, and stiffness.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as cod, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements.
But inflammation has also emerged as a key factor in serious diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, diabetes, and a variety of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS.
What are the signs of inflammation? The four cardinal signs of inflammation are redness (Latin rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor), and pain (dolor). Redness is caused by the dilation of small blood vessels in the area of injury.
A high level of CRP in the blood can be a marker of inflammation. A wide variety of conditions can cause it, from an infection to cancer. High CRP levels can also indicate that there's inflammation in the arteries of the heart, which can mean a higher risk of heart attack.
Research shows that stress can cause inflammation in the body, leading to a number of chronic health conditions.
Overall, preliminary evidence suggests anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and panic disorder, are associated with increased inflammation.