Inflammation is a reaction issued by the body's defense system when a foreign agent, such as a germ, bacteria, virus, or foreign body, enters, or upon exposure to any injury in the body's tissues.
If the inflammation is external, its typical signs and symptoms can be clearly distinguished: redness, high body temperature, swelling, and pain. These signs also appear when an internal organ in the body becomes infected.
types of inflammation
Inflammation may be acute or chronic. Here are the details:
1. Acute inflammation
It is a series of processes that begin with the excess blood flow to the site of the injury, and blood congestion is the cause of redness and a local rise in temperature, which are the most prominent initial symptoms of inflammation.
In the next stage, the degree of local vascular permeability increases following changes in it, and in this case, the leakage of blood fluid and its contents from the blood vessels to the affected site occurs, and the direct result of this process is edema, and swelling, and this swelling causes pressure on the nerve terminals topical, which is the source of pain.
2. Chronic inflammation
It arises when the effect of the harmful agent on the tissue is continuous, or after the destruction of a tissue and the creation of a vacuum, and it is characterized by the infiltration (infiltration) of leukocytes of the two types of lymphocytes and plasma cells, as well as the production of new capillaries along with connective tissue cells to receive connective tissue tissue) in place.
Later the capillary blood vessels disappear and scars consisting of connective tissue are formed.
Symptoms of inflammation
Among the main symptoms of inflammation are the following:
redness of the area;
Chills.
Loss of energy and fatigue.
Anorexia.
muscle stiffness;
Headache.
Joint stiffness and failure to function properly.
pain in the joints.
Swollen joints and feel hot.
Causes and risk factors for inflammation
There are many causes that lead to inflammation, as follows:
1. General causes of inflammation
Inflammation may result from the following main causes:
Infectious diseases, such as: pneumonia, and Erysipelas.
Physical damage to tissue, such as: radiation, high temperature, and burning.
Acid chemical damage.
Excess production and deposition of substances inside the body, such as: uric acid, which causes arthritis.
Autoimmune conditions, which are cases of abnormal and improper production of antibodies against auto-compounds in the body while provoking an inflammatory process in the tissue under attack.
2. The cause of acute inflammation
The central culprit contributing to the acute inflammatory process is white blood cells of the type: neutrophils, macrophages, and monocytes.
These cells are naturally present in the bloodstream, they are scattered among all tissues of the body and are part of the body's defense system. The cells respond and issue a reaction within minutes after an injury or initial stimulation.
The substances that lead to the activation of these white blood cells and the production of the reaction represented by the acute inflammatory process is very complex, it can be clarified through the following:
It turns out that as soon as the foreign body (Antigen) enters the tissue, or as soon as there is damage of any other kind, a group of substances that have a significant impact on the surrounding environment are generated or secreted at the affected site.
One of the most prominent of these substances is a protein belonging to the complement group, which is a group of about 20 proteins that form part of the immune defense system in the body, and this protein has the ability to influence directly and indirectly what is happening around it, and through it the blood vessels expand in The site of inflammation and increased blood flow.
Increasing blood flow leads to an immediate rise in the number of white blood cells in the place, and in addition to the increase in blood flow, the protein causes these cells to stick to the wall of blood vessels, in addition to raising the level of blood vessel permeability.
White blood cells enter the area of the affected tissue, and with the blood cells entering there, the proteins have the ability to cause these cells to move directly and locally to the affected site.
Various local activities begin, as the leukocytes secrete to the surrounding environment intermediate substances aimed at recruiting and activating (reactivation) many other leukocytes additional to the affected site, and these leukocytes all secrete enzymes to digest the antigen that entered and attacked the tissue, and thus they begin the process of swallowing the foreign antigen together With the ingestion of the remains of destroyed cells from the tissue (Phagocytosis).
If the tissue is completely and completely destroyed, pus may form in the place consisting of the remains of dead cells and white blood cells, and although the inflammatory process is itself, as we mentioned, part of the defense system in the body, it often causes severe damage. Man, as a result of an exaggerated reaction to the developments and processes mentioned.
complications of inflammation
Inflammation may affect the internal organs of the body, causing the following:
Myocarditis.
Lung inflammation.
Kidney infections.
Diagnosis of inflammation
The disease is diagnosed as follows:
1. Physical examination
In the physical examination, the doctor focuses on the following:
joint pain pattern and if there are signs of inflammation.
The presence of stiffness in the joints in the morning.
Other symptoms experienced by the patient.
2. Examinations that are performed
The doctor asks the patient to perform the following tests:
X-ray examination.
A blood test that shows indicators of inflammation in the blood, such as: C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Inflammation treatment
There are many treatments used to get rid of inflammation, which are as follows:
. home remedy for inflammation
Inflammation can be reduced by doing the following:
Quit Smoking.
Cut back on alcohol.
Maintain an ideal weight.
Stress treatment.
Exercise regularly.
Take supplements that prevent inflammation, such as: vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin D, omega-3, and magnesium.
2. Drug therapy
The treatment is as follows:
Treating inflammation caused by bacterial infection
When the inflammation is caused by an infection, the infection is treated with antibiotics.
Non-bacterial infection treatment
As for non-infectious inflammation, it is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs such as:
Corticosteroids, such as prednisone.
NSAIDs including:
Acetylsalicylic Acid.
Diclofenac (Diclofenac).
Indomethacin
These drugs block the production of prostaglandins, which lead to the expansion of blood vessels and increase the level of permeability of the walls of blood vessels in the area of inflammation, and on this basis, these drugs impede the transfer of white blood cells to the area of inflammation and thus prevent the entire inflammatory process.
3. Surgical treatment
In some severe cases, in which inflammation causes joint rupture, a surgical intervention is performed. The most prominent of these surgeries are the following:
Arthroscopy
The doctor makes a few small cuts around the affected joint and inserts thin instruments to repair a tear, repair damaged tissue, or remove pieces of cartilage or bone.
Osteotomy
Your doctor takes a piece of bone near a damaged joint.
Synovectomy
All or part of the joint lining is removed if it is inflamed or has grown a lot.
Arthrodesis
Pins or plates can permanently fuse the bones together.
Joint replacement
In some cases, the doctor may have to remove the damaged joint and add a new artificial joint in place of the damaged one.
Inflammation prevention
Eating a healthy diet helps prevent various infections, which are as follows:
1. Eat food rich in anti-inflammatories, such as:
tomato.
olive oil.
Green leafy vegetables.
Nuts, such as: walnuts, almonds.
Oily fish, such as: salmon, tuna.
Fruits, such as: oranges, berries.
2. Stay away from foods that trigger inflammation
Among the most prominent foods and drinks that trigger inflammation:
Refined carbohydrates, such as: white bread.
Fried food.
Sugary drinks, such as soda.
Processed and red meat.
Obesity, grease and pork.