Acute Inflammation

Acute inflammation is a normal and necessary process that allows the body to attack hostile invaders such as bacteria, fungi and other foreign substances anywhere in the body. Acute inflammation often comes on rapidly and subsides once the body has neutralized the threat
and healed.

Common conditions that result in acute inflammatory
reactions include:

• A sore throat related to a cold or flu
• Acute bronchitis
• Scratches or cuts to the skin
• Physical injury or trauma

Chronic Inflammation

Unlike acute inflammation, which is short-lived, chronic inflammation can linger, lasting months or even years after the initial threat. Chronic inflammation typically starts as an acute inflammatory response; however, when your body’s healing powers go into overdrive, chronic
inflammation can occur. Alternatively, low levels of inflammation may be present even without the presence of an injury or illness. In this case, the immune system launches an attack on healthy cells and tissues.

Causes of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is meant to serve its purpose and then resolve. When it fails to clear up, it begins to deplete the body of vital resources and sets the stage for further illness. Common causes of chronic inflammation include:

• Untreated causes of acute inflammation, such as an infection or injury

• Long-term exposure to irritants like polluted air, heavy metals, industrial chemicals and pesticides

• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS), in which your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue

• Many experts also believe that certain lifestyle choices can contribute to chronic inflammation including smoking, chronic stress, alcohol use and obesity

Risk of Lingering Inflammation

As touched on previously, in the last few decades, scientists have found inflammation to be a common factor in many chronic conditions afflicting Western populations. The full scope of how chronic inflammation influences health and illness aren’t yet fully understood, and there are many factors at play. But it’s fair to say that managing inflammation levels can contribute to health, healing and lifelong well-being.