Let's Talk About Inflammation
Let's talk about inflammation! First of all, what the heck is inflammation? You hear how it’s related to diseases but what is it really and what causes it? And what is the difference between an infection and inflammation? Let’s take a look. An infection is when a virus or bacteria or a parasite has entered the body and starts to reproduce and illness ensues. Chemicals are released into the blood stream from the invaded tissue and the immune system mounts a response. White blood cells and plasma proteins race to the infected area and release chemicals and start gobbling up the invaders. This causes inflammation! It’s characterized by the typical signs of redness, swelling, pain and heat at the site of the infection or injury. This is Acute Inflammation. It can be caused by all sorts of things like infection by a pathogen, burns, cuts, chemical irritants, allergies to pollen or bee stings. This is the innate way the body heals itself. It’s a short term, quick to action process. Without it, a single infection would be deadly.
But what happens in Chronic Inflammation?
Scientists are discovering that chronic inflammation is the root cause of diseases like Autoimmune Diseases (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, MS, etc.), Neurological Diseases (Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Autism, etc.), Diabetes, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Pulmonary Diseases, Arthritis, etc.
Why does this innate process of healing the body go so haywire that it actually causes so many diseases? The inflammatory process is supposed to be short and sweet and very controlled but when it becomes a constant, low level activation of the immune system, the very components that fight disease start breaking down healthy tissue. When inflammation occurs in the thyroid gland it’s called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. When it happens in the heart and blood vessels, it’s called cardiovascular disease. In the joints, arthritis. In the brain, dementia. So, what are the stressors to the body that cause the inflammatory process to continue and become a chronic condition damaging and scarring healthy tissues throughout the body?
Here is a list of stressors that have been linked to causing chronic inflammation.
- Toxic Diets – diets high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, processed carbohydrates, bad fats
- Leaky Gut
- A Sedentary Lifestyle
- Toxic exposure to things like heavy metals, pesticides, toxins in body care products and cleaning products
- Stress – both mental and physical
- Food allergies – gluten, dairy, etc.
- Hidden infections – gum disease, Lyme disease and its co-infections, Epstein Barr, toxic mold
- Obesity – fat cells can also produce inflammatory molecules themselves
Finding and addressing the stressors that push your immune system into overdrive is critical to preventing chronic diseases and healing the body. Removing these stressors will help prevent progression of disease and possibly reverse damage produced. We will be talking about ways to help you change your lifestyle in order to see huge improvements to your health. Stay tuned!
