Consider inflammation like a smoke detector in a home; it is meant to alert you of danger. This danger requires immediate action, and the larger the danger, the louder the alarm. When the immune system recognizes something as ‘abnormal’, it sends out a signal to remove the danger as soon as possible.
Signs of Inflammation
Some of the common symptoms include:
- redness (increasing circulation to the area)
- heat (increasing temperature to kill bacteria)
- pain (a signal to stop using that body part, or stop eating if it is in your digestive tract)
- swelling (increased fluid to flood the area with immune cells and sweep the toxins into the lymph nodes for investigation).
Maintaining Homeostasis & Balance
When we say “The body is experiencing inflammation”, it means the immune system is in overdrive. It is fighting really hard against something it does not recognize. If the offending agent is around for a long time, the immune system draws more resources from the body, and the fight continues. Less important body functions are put into low power mode and resources are diverted to higher priorities. This is why many other symptoms of inflammation can include fatigue, muscle weakness and brain fog.
Now for an average person in decent health, these reactions can happen on an undetected level for years. Someone with immune over-reactivity, such as allergies, autoimmune disease or increased age may experience these effects sooner and much stronger. The hardest part of working with this inflammation is identifying the source. These can include environmental triggers, food allergens, emotional stress and household chemicals.