Inflammation originates from Latin for “set afire”. In many health conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis there is usually heat, pain, redness and swelling. In diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes inflammation does not produce many symptoms and is not very apparent. In such diseases inflammation is diagnosed through certain tests.
Good and Bad of Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s reaction to some injury or infection and it is good in the short run. It is part of the immune system’s response to heal an injury or fight an infection. On the other hand if it is long-lasting in the body then it can be bad for health. Chronic inflammation is a part of many diseases and serious conditions.
Can inflammation cause heart attack?
Inflammations of the arteries are seen in people with heart disease. When fats build up in the walls of the coronary arteries, the body reacts with inflammatory chemicals, since it finds it as an injury to the heart. This could trigger a blood clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.
Diabetes and inflammation
Type 2 diabetes and inflammation are linked and experts say obesity triggers the inflammation, which prevents the body from using insulin properly. That is why losing weight and keeping the inflammation off is the key step to lower the chance of getting type 2 diabetes.
Causes Alzheimer’s disease
It is known that chronic brain inflammation causes dementia in people. There is no evidence how it really works but it is acknowledge that inflammation does play a big role in the progression of the disease. That’s why anti-inflammatory drugs are give as treatment for Alzheimer’s .
Inflammation of the Stomach
Prolonged inflammation in the gut causes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These are also known as inflammatory bowel’s syndrome. It happens when the body’s immune system by mistake attacks the healthy bacteria in the gut and causes severe inflammation that lasts for a while. The symptoms of such a condition includes belly pain, cramping and diarrhea.
Rheumatoid arthritis
RA is caused due to inflammation of the joints. This can lead to even heart attack. The symptoms include pain, stiffness and red, warm, swollen joints.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Unlike in RA inflammation the inflammation in fibromyalgia does not affect the joints. The condition usually causes pain, tenderness and fatigue. Fibromyalgia causes inflammation from other illness.
When does inflammation quickly happen?
At times inflammation strikes all of a sudden when the body is fighting an infection. Cellulitis, skin infection or appendicitis can produce this sort of infection. There is no go in such cases but to consult a physician
How to prevent inflammation?
First and foremost is your diet, a diet rich in plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, plant proteins from vegetables, fish and healthier oils like olive oil. Next is adapting an active lifestyle and getting some quality shut eye or sleep every day. Finally sudden or chronic inflammation is caused due to smoking , which can be effectively stopped.