Inflammation - Renew Hormone Clinic

Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's protective response to irritation, injury, or infection. It's characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. When tissues in your body are injured, the inflammatory process begins immediately. This process helps protect and heal damaged tissue.

What causes inflammation?

Inflammation can be triggered by:

• Infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. Your immune system releases chemicals to destroy the pathogens, which also stimulate inflammation
• Injuries such as wounds or burns. Chemical signals are released to repair the damage, causing inflammation
• Diseases like arthritis, gout, IBS, etc. These chronic conditions cause ongoing inflammation
• Toxins or allergens. The immune system overreacts to harmless substances, seeing them as threats

How does inflammation work?

When an injury or infection happens, immune cells are sent to the site to begin the healing process. Blood vessels swell to allow more immune cells into the tissue. This causes redness and warmth. Immune chemicals also make blood vessels leakier, allowing white blood cells to get to the site of injury more easily. This leakage of fluid into tissues causes swelling. Immune activators make nerves more sensitive, causing pain. These responses help contain infections and prevent further damage.

What are the key functions of inflammation?

Inflammation has 3 main functions:

• Isolate and destroy infecting organisms or remove debris from injured tissue
• Clear out dead and damaged tissue so healing can begin
• Stimulate systemic responses like fever to support healing

Once the threat is neutralized, the inflammatory response turns off. Excess fluid and immune cells are reabsorbed back into circulation. Swelling goes down, blood vessels constrict, and tissues return to normal.