Inflammation is a natural process that we all experience. Quite often, when we think about inflammation1, we think about it solely as our body’s response to a survivable injury to our tissues or organs. And while it’s true that inflammation is that, inflammation has other critical processes. Inflammation also plays a part in defending and healing2 our bodies and tissue3.
Inflammation at a Glance
If you’ve ever experienced a scrape or sprain, you know the signs of inflammation. There’s redness, swelling, (the sensation of) heat, pain, and a temporary loss of function at the site of injury. Have you ever considered how these visible signs happen?
When there’s an injury, your body produces more red blood cells. Your red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, keeping your cells, tissues, and organs alive. The red blood cells travel to the area of your injury, giving it that red appearance. Blood flows through your dilated vessels to the surrounding and connective tissues, which contributes to swelling. At the same time, the blood is flowing through the other extremities. Your body signals different responses to the brain.
What Causes Inflammation?
There is a connection between inflammation and your immune system4. Inflammation is your body’s immune response to a threat⎯ infection, injury, or damage. Your body makes these immune responses to protect against or fight off such threats. Much of our inflammation happens because of one or more of these variables.
Infections
Not all of our infections cause inflammation. But the viral and bacterial infections that do cause inflammation, remodel your tissue’s blood vessels, making it hard for your body’s systems to do their many jobs.
Diet
Some of the foods we eat contribute to inflammatory states in the body. These diets are high in calories, fat, processed food, and carbohydrates. And they contain little fresh fruits or vegetables.
Gut Imbalances
Our gut contains microbiota5, which balances and influences our immune responses. Imbalances are associated with inflammation throughout the body, including the brain.
Environmental Toxins
Those living in urbanized cities have more exposure to environmental toxins, pollutants, and hazardous waste. These harmful chemicals increase or promote inflammation in the body.
Inflammation isn’t all Bad
There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation6 often resolves ⎯ the infection is gone or the injury resolves ⎯ and your immune system returns to its balanced state. We consider this good inflammation. On the other hand, chronic inflammation is lasting. Chronic inflammation is concerning because it is known to cause harmful health effects.
The Effects of Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation7 makes it hard for your immune system to function as it should, making you more susceptible to different infections and diseases. Chronic inflammation also affects your body and its systems, such as your brain, joints, and digestive system.
Inflammation and Your Brain
Your brain and immune system are part of a more vast system. So it should come as no surprise that there’s some influence between the two. Long-term inflammatory responses are associated with brain inflammation8, which appears to have some relationship with depressive symptoms and cognitive decline. We don’t know why this happens. However, we do know that brain inflammation contributes to the loss of certain brain chemicals. And this loss can cause brain imbalances and changes in your brain’s functioning9, which can increase the risk of developing certain mental health conditions. But that’s not all. Different brain states, such as those that cause mental health disorders, can activate inflammation in the body.
Inflammation and Your Joints
Cartilage protects the bone and tissue between your joints. However, chronic inflammation between your joints and joint tissue can lead to the breakdown of cartilage and cause painful conditions, like arthritis. Arthritis causes swelling, tenderness, and pain in your joints.
Inflammation and Your Gut
You know that the microbiota in your gut is responsible for maintaining your internal balance and that too much contributes to inflammation. Your gut also contains cells that protect against infections. However, when your microbiota is imbalanced, those cells are affected. This means that the line of defense is damaged, making you more vulnerable to infections and certain diseases.
In summary, inflammation isn’t a bad thing. However, too much of one thing is never good. And the same is true for inflammation. Chronic or lasting inflammation causes widespread effects throughout your body, which can trigger other diseases or conditions.