Inflammation - Harmonize Hormones

Inflammation

Inflammation is your body's response to injury or infection. It is a complex biological process that involves your immune system, blood vessels, and many molecular mediators.

The main purpose of inflammation is to help your body heal from harm. When tissues in your body become injured or infected, your immune system triggers an inflammatory response. Specialized immune cells are activated and recruited to the site of injury.

Key things that happen during inflammation:

• Blood vessels near the injured or infected site become more permeable. This allows more immune system cells and proteins to leak out of the blood vessels and enter the tissues where they are needed.
• More blood flows to the area thanks to vasodilation. The increased blood brings in a fresh supply of immune cells and healing factors.
• Immune cells like macrophages engulf and destroy bacteria, viruses, and damaged tissue by phagocytosis. This helps clear out the infection or injury debris.
• Chemical mediators like histamines and cytokines are released. These drive the inflammatory response and signal for more immune cells to join.
• Fluid build up and swelling occurs. This is due to increased blood vessel leakage and blood flow to the area.

The 4 main signs of acute inflammation are:

• Redness
• Heat
• Swelling
• Pain

Inflammation is usually acute and temporary as part of the healing process. However, in some cases, it can become chronic and promote disease instead of healing. This occurs in conditions like arthritis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease.

While inflammation often has negative connotations, it is actually a vital part of your body's healing arsenal. A properly regulated inflammatory response successfully eliminates infections, clears out wounds, and facilitates tissue repair. Inflammation keeps us healthy by promoting healing from the many hits our bodies take on a daily basis.