Inflammation is your body's response to infection, irritation or other stimuli. At its core, inflammation is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli. When a threat to your body is detected, chemicals are released that cause inflammation as a form of protection and healing.
Acute inflammation is the initial response and is short-lived, lasting only a few days. Signs include redness, swelling, heat and pain. For example, when you cut your finger, acute inflammation occurs as the injury site becomes red, swollen and tender while your body works to heal the wound.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the inflammatory response persists, causing continuous damage. This can occur with autoimmune disorders, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and more. Chronic inflammation has been linked to several diseases and may worsen conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and neurological disorders.
Controlling inflammation is crucial for preserving health. Lifestyle changes like eating an anti-inflammatory diet, limiting alcohol intake, quitting smoking and managing stress levels can help reduce inflammation. Renewal Hormone Center also offers customized hormone therapy programs using bioidentical hormones that can get to the root cause of inflammation by balancing key hormones like cortisol. If you struggle with symptoms of chronic inflammation, our dedicated physicians can develop a personalized treatment plan to help you feel your best.
To summarize:
I hope this gives you a helpful overview of what inflammation entails as well as solutions for addressing it! Let me know if you have any other questions. Controlling inflammation has been crucial for many of my patients in relieving disease symptoms and regaining health.