Inflammation - Vital Hormones Clinic

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's response to injury or infection. It is a natural defense mechanism that helps protect and heal the body. When tissues in the body get injured or infected, the immune system releases chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. This brings more white blood cells to the area to help kill infection and clear out dead cells and toxins.

There are five main signs of inflammation:

• Redness - this is caused by increased blood flow to the area
• Swelling - fluids leak into the tissues
• Heat - inflamed areas feel warm to the touch
• Pain - nerves get activated, causing soreness
• Loss of function - it's harder to use the inflamed area

Inflammation can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation starts rapidly and lasts for a few days. It's the body's natural response to infection or injury. Chronic inflammation lasts longer and can cause harm over time. This often happens with autoimmune diseases, asthma, or arthritis.

If you're struggling with unexplained inflammation or hormone imbalance, the caring professionals at Vital Hormones Clinic can help get to the root cause with advanced testing and personalized treatment plans. Book a consultation today to start feeling your best again!

Now back to inflammation:

Although inflammation is normally helpful, too much can lead to tissue damage and disease. Here's what happens inside the body during inflammation:

1. Immune cells detect injury or invasion by bacteria/viruses
2. Mast cells release histamines and other chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak fluid and white blood cells into the area
3. More white blood cells, especially macrophages, travel to the site to consume bacteria and damaged tissue through phagocytosis
4. White blood cells release inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that further activate inflammation
5. After threats are removed, the inflammatory response ends and cells initiate the healing process

So in summary, inflammation is a crucial immune response for:

• Fighting infection
• Removing dead/damaged cells
• Stimulating healing after injury

But too much inflammation can damage healthy tissues and lead to inflammatory diseases. Controlling inflammation through medication, diet, exercise, and stress reduction may help manage these conditions.

I hope this gives a helpful overview of what inflammation is! Let me know if you have any other questions.