Table of contents:
- What is the inflammatory process?
- The importance of the inflammatory process in the body
- The danger if the inflammation doesn't go away
- Different types of acute and chronic inflammation
The term inflammation is often associated with external conditions such as swelling or open wounds. In reality, the inflammatory process is more complex. The inflammatory process occurs in various types of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. Even though it seems detrimental, this process is also needed as a defense for the body.
What is the inflammatory process?
The inflammatory process is part of the immune response (immune system). This mechanism is only needed under certain conditions for a short period of time. For example, when a part of the body has an open wound, the inflammatory mechanism will help remove damaged cells and speed up the healing process. Conversely, when inflammation occurs for a longer time than necessary, it tends to be detrimental.
The importance of the inflammatory process in the body
Inflammation begins when the body's cells are damaged and there is a release of body chemicals as a signal for the immune system. Inflammation as the first immune response aims to destroy foreign substances or objects that are considered harmful, be it damaged cells, bacteria, or viruses.
Removing the foreign substance or object is essential to initiate the healing process. Through various other mechanisms, inflammatory cells in blood vessels trigger swelling in areas of the body that are damaged and cause swelling, redness, and pain. Inflammation can be uncomfortable, but it is important in the healing process.
The inflammatory mechanism begins with irritation, where the body's cells begin the process of repairing damaged body cells. Cells damaged and infected by bacteria are excreted in the form of pus. Then followed by the process of forming new networks to replace the damaged ones.
The danger if the inflammation doesn't go away
This immune response if it occurs for a long time can damage the body. This is because substances or organisms that trigger inflammation can last a long time in the blood vessels and cause plaque buildup. The plaque in the blood vessels is actually considered a dangerous substance and as a result the inflammatory process occurs again. Finally, there was damage to the blood vessels. Damage due to inflammatory cells can occur in the blood vessels of the body, heart and brain.
Different types of acute and chronic inflammation
Inflammation can occur acutely for a short time or occur chronically, that is, persist for a long time.
Acute inflammation begins within seconds or minutes when a tissue is damaged. Whether it's due to physical injury, infection, or immune response. Acute inflammation can be triggered by several conditions such as:
- Acute bronchitis
- Sore throat or having the flu
- Blistered skin
- Injury
- Strenuous exercise
- Acute dermatitis
- Acute tonsillitis (disease of the tonsils)
- Acute sinusitis
In contrast to acute inflammation, chronic inflammation occurs with a more complicated mechanism that can last from years to months. Chronic inflammation can occur when the body is unable to eliminate the causes of acute inflammation, persistent exposure to inflammatory causes, as well as a form of autoimmune response in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue.
Diseases that are often associated with chronic inflammation include:
- Asthma
- Tuberculosis
- Chronic periodontitis
- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
- Chronic sinusitis
- Chronic hepatitis
Recurrent inflammation can also be caused by autoimmune conditions such as:
- Rheumatoid arthritis - inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues, sometimes other organs.
- Ankylosing spondylitis - inflammation of the spine, muscles and connective tissue between the bones.
- Celiac disease - inflammation and damage to the small intestinal wall.
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - inflammation of the pulmonary alveoli.
- Psoriasis - inflammation of the skin.
- Type 1 diabetes - inflammation in various parts of the body when diabetes is out of control.
- Allergy - all allergies to any part of the body cause an inflammatory mechanism to occur.
Apart from the conditions and diseases above, chronic inflammation is associated with various other diseases. Chronic inflammation tends to be difficult to detect because it has no specific symptoms. However, this condition can cause various chronic diseases such as cancer, arthritis and atherosclerosis.
