**A natural part of the body’s immune system that can run amok. **
Inflammation is a natural response of the body to acute injuries, illnesses, or infections.
Autoimmune Diseases cause inflammatory responses to normal parts of the body. Arthritis is inflammation.
Inflammation can be acute (normal, good) and chronic (not normal, bad). Chronic inflammation is epidemic across America.
Inflammation causes pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes extra warmth to the inflamed area.
Inflammation Balance:
- Too little inflammation could lead to progressive tissue destruction by the harmful stimulus (e.g. bacteria) and compromise the survival of the organism.
- Too much inflammation, in the form of chronic inflammation, is associated with various diseases
Measuring general inflammation uses blood tests for:
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)