Special Issue - Inflammation
Persistent inflammation throughout the body can lead to long-term health problems. To understand why this happens and how best to address it , keep reading. Illustration by Kanupriya Singh.
Dear reader
This is the first issue for the paid subscribers of Good Vibes. In this issue I have tried to cover most of the things that you need to know about Inflammation. I hope you will find this beneficial.
Are you someone who's been experiencing more headaches, joint pain, and fatigue than usual? You may be dealing with inflammation - an immune system response that can create uncomfortable physical symptoms when it becomes chronic. While acute inflammation is normal and necessary to help heal occasional injuries and fight off illness, persistent inflammation throughout the body can lead to long-term health problems. To understand why this happens and how best to address it , keep reading for an in-depth exploration of what inflammation is, its causes, and ways to prevent it.
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that inflammation, a normal physiological process that’s long been recognised for its role in healing, can have dire health consequences when it simmers within the body in a chronic state. Research has found that many less-than-desirable daily habits, such as an unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, and persistent stress, promote chronic inflammation. This, in turn, is linked to the development of some of our most challenging diseases, including heart disease, dementia, and diabetes.
Understanding Inflammation
When the immune system is alerted to damage or danger in the body—such as infection or injury—it sends cells that fight invading microbes, clean up debris, and begin the healing process. The response is called acute inflammation, and it’s temporary.
But sometimes the immune response continues over a long period, injuring a specific part of the body. This chronic inflammation can be triggered by any number of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (which attacks the lining of the joints) or inflammatory bowel disease (which attacks the digestive tract lining). Chronic inflammation can also result from an unhealthy lifestyle—being sedentary, smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, not getting enough sleep, drinking too much alcohol, or being stressed all the time. Those habits promote inflammation throughout the body, and play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and diabetes.
In 1871, Rudolf Virchow, the German scientist known as the “father of modern pathology,” Virchow was also the first to surmise that, while short- term (acute) inflammation promoted healing, long-term (chronic) inflammation could have damaging implications, including the development of cancer. Through advancements in scientific research, we have discovered a fascinating interplay between genetics, lifestyle choices and inflammation. Our genes set the stage for how our body responds to injury or illness; yet what we choose to eat and whether we exercise can still influence this inflammatory process - from initiating immune responses that both guard us against danger as well as repair any damage caused by it.
We have tools at our disposal that no other generation has had for understanding and dealing with inflammation.
Diseases linked to chronic inflammation
When you have chronic inflammation, your body is in a constant state of high alert. The release of inflammatory chemicals can affect many different systems in your body and be a cause or consequence of multiple diseases.
