Inflammation is your body's natural response to irritation, injury, or infection. It's a sign that your immune system is working to heal and protect you. Some key points about inflammation:
- It's a normal protective reaction. Inflammation helps destroy, dilute, or contain harmful agents and start the healing process.
- The main signs are redness, swelling, heat, and pain. More blood flows to the area, causing warmth and redness. Fluids and immune cells rush in, resulting in swelling. Chemicals from immune cells can irritate nerves and cause pain.
- It can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation starts rapidly and lasts a few days. If it continues, it becomes chronic inflammation that can last months or years. Chronic inflammation is associated with diseases like arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.
- The most common causes are infections, injuries, and toxins. Bacteria, viruses, irritants like pollen, and toxins from things like cigarettes can all trigger inflammation. Even small injuries like a sprain or cut will lead to inflammation as your body heals.
- Key inflammatory mediators include cytokines, histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins. These chemicals are released by damaged cells and immune cells to promote more blood flow, immune responses, pain, and fever.
- Common treatments aim to reduce these mediators. These include NSAIDs like ibuprofen to block prostaglandins and antihistamines like Benadryl to block histamine. Steroids and DMARDs used for arthritis also lower cytokine levels.
Reducing inflammation is crucial, but some amount of inflammation is necessary and even beneficial for healing. At
Harmony Hormone Clinic, we help patients struggling with chronic inflammation by optimizing their
hormone balance. Balancing key hormones like
testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and
thyroid hormones can greatly reduce systemic inflammation. Our integrative therapies combine bioidentical
hormone replacement with lifestyle changes like diet,
stress management, and
exercise for optimal inflammatory control and health. Contact us today to learn more about our inflammation treatment programs!