What would you consider a serious danger to your health? You were probably thinking about Heart attacks, strokes and cancer; right? Would it surprise you to know that one of the greatest threats to our health is chronic inflammation? All of us experience inflammation of one kind or another at some point in our lives; surely it cannot be very dangerous. Well, there are times where inflammation can be beneficial, and there are times that it can be harmful.
Inflammation is one of the bodies first responses to any kind of damage. If you were to cut your finger, bump your head or break an arm, within minutes that whole area starts to swell and become a red. This is a process where the body's white blood cells, oxygen and chemicals are pumped to the wound, and the active inflammation protects us from infection and foreign substances such as bacteria. Once the white blood cells have done what was needed and the wound starts to heal, the swelling then subsides. In some cases, the body's defense system triggers the inflammatory system's response when there are no foreign substances to fight off. Certain diseases can cause this to happen and they are called autoimmune diseases. In this case, the body's immune system, which is meant to protect it, causes damage to healthy tissue.
Arthritis is a disease that is most commonly linked to chronic inflammation. The term arthritis is a general description of inflammation of the joints. However, not all types of arthritis are a result of inflammation. Inflammation of the joints can occur when an increased number of cells and inflammatory substances from within the joint cause irritation and wearing down of the cartilage. When enough damage has been caused, swelling occurs in the lining of the joints. The types of arthritis caused by inflammation include rheumatoid arthritis, shoulder tendinitis, gouty arthritis and Polymyalgia rheumatic.
Chronic inflammation can also have a detrimental impact on internal organs. Inflammation of the heart is known as myocarditis and can cause shortness of breath or swelling of one or both legs. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes located in the lungs, disrupt the absorption of oxygen and can lead to an asthma attack. Inflammation of the kidneys sustained over a period of time can lead to high blood pressure and eventually kidney failure.
A growing number of medical practitioners are starting to understand the consequences of chronic inflammation and the risk that it poses to human health. If doctors are now getting concerned, then surely we need to as well. We need to ask ourselves why we develop chronic inflammation and how we can prevent it. Did you know that information can cause premature aging? No amount of anti-aging creams or plastic surgeries will help if you cannot keep inflammation under control. The only way to do this is to take control of our health and ensure that we detoxify ourselves on a regular basis. It is only by keeping toxicity levels low that we can avoid chronic inflammation and premature aging.
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