Inflammation - a Secret Killer

Time Magazine reportedly called inflammation a secret killer. Inflammation is linked with seven of the top ten leading causes of death in the America. The five so-called classic signs of inflammation are: heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of functions. So what is inflammation? One definition is a localized physical condition, typically as a reaction of tissues to injurious agents or infection. Others are similar. You can see localized acute inflammation after an accident with a sharp knife that breaks the skin. The redness, pain, and swelling are evidence that your body’s immune system is trying to heal. Ordinarily, healing is completed and the acute immune response returns to a “normal” or baseline response. However, if the immune response does not return to this position, chronic inflammation can develop and it is linked with many problems—the list being virtually endless. More tomorrow.