Acute And Chronic Inflammation!

The Root Cause Of Diseases Like Diabetes, Heart Disease And Cancers!

Everyone knows hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, arthritis and cancers.

Few know that the root cause of these dangerous disease is inflammation!

What is inflammation?

We have all experienced injuries from our childhood when we fell and scratched our skin of legs and hands etc. We develop redness, swelling, pain and the area also becomes hot, and possibly bleeding if there is a wound, more than a mere scratch.

The redness, swelling, pain and heat are due to acute inflammation of the tissues of the area.

This is inflammation.

It is natural part of the process of healing of our bodies.

This is part of the body’s defence mechanism.

Inflammation can be acute and chronic.

Acute inflammation:

Whenever our body suffers from an injury or encounters an infection or a toxic substance, its immune system, which is the body’s defence mechanism, swings into action and unleashes its inflammatory cells and substances called cytokines at the site of injury.

Cytokines further stimulate more inflammatory cells to be unleashed in the area. The inflammatory cells trap and eliminate the invading bacteria or viruses or the toxin to initiate the healing process of the body.

This process causes pain, heat, redness and swelling. There may be some loss of function as the painful hand or leg becomes stiff as movement causes pain.

This is the process of acute inflammation which helps protect and heal the body after the injury. This process is healthy.

Chronic inflammation:

But sometimes the process of acute inflammation continues too long, even after the threat of the injury is over and the body continues to produce inflammatory cells which begin to attack healthy body tissues.

Untreated acute inflammation from infections, injury or toxins, chronic exposure to pollution or industrial toxins and autoimmune disorders lead to chronic inflammation.

Unchecked, this continuous state of inflammation becomes chronic inflammation and leads to diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease and cancers.

In fact the root cause of almost all chronic diseases is chronic inflammation.

Chronic stress, bad food, complete lack of exercise or long term high intensity over exercise, obesity, smoking, regular alcohol consumption can also cause chronic inflammation.

The foods causing chronic inflammation:

Fried foods, fast foods.

Frozen meats cured with nitrites to preserve them and prevent growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Refined oils and trans fats.

Foods like pastries, white bread, bakery products prepared with sugar, refined carbohydrates like rava, maida, refined corn flour.

Life style factors leading to chronic inflammation:

Obesity.

Complete lack of exercise or exercising to the maximum limit too frequently.

Smoking, drinking alcohol.

Continuous stress.

Long term exposure to smoke and other air pollutants.

Treating inflammation:

Acute inflammation is easier to treat with rest, ice and good wound care.

Chronic inflammation is treated by nutritional supplements like Vitamins A, C and D and zinc and omega 3 or fish oil supplements and inclusion of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, low fat dairy, sea food and anti inflammatory spices like turmeric, garlic and ginger in food.

Preventing chronic inflammation:

Eating healthy.

Exercising moderately and regularly three to five times, daily better.

Maintaining healthy weight.

Keeping stress away by using techniques like meditation, yoganidra and pranayam.

Stopping smoking and avoiding drinking alcohol or keeping its consumption to the minimum.

Avoiding exposure to smoke and pollution.

Preventing chronic inflammation is preventing most chronic diseases!

So the pathway to healthy living is to eat healthy, exercising regularly, staying slim and stress free, avoiding smoking, alcohol and exposure to pollution.

Also read articles ‘Preventing Hypertension’, ‘Preventing Diabetes’ and ‘Heart Heathy Diet And Lifestyle!’ on this website.