5 Ways to Fight Inflammation
Some aging factors are beyond our control, but one of the biggest inflammation neednt be. Heres how you can extinguish the flames of chronic inflammation before they ignite.
What is Inflammation?
Under ordinary circumstances, inflammation is a healthy process that comes to the bodys aid when its injured. For instance, if you cut your finger while making dinner, the bodys inflammatory response sends in an army of white blood cells to the scene.
Unfortunately, inflammation isnt always so exact. Like a houseguest who overstays his welcome, inflammation sometimes hangs around too long and refuses to leave. Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for inflammation, since, as we age, our bodies are less able to disarm the inflammatory process. A genetic predisposition, high blood pressure or even smoking can also fuel the flames. When the inflammation switch refuses to turn off, the body operates as if it is always under attack. White blood cells flood the system for weeks, months and even years.
The problem is that the immune system cant handle the constant demand. When the immune system becomes drained, the body then has difficulty warding off other illnesses. For instance, viruses, bacterial infections, even cancer cells that are normally destroyed by a healthy immune system can now slip under the bodys radar. Ultimately, the immune system may even turn against the body itself the consequences of which are quite serious: Lupus, Graves disease, Crohns disease and fibromyalgia are all autoimmune disorders that come about when the body is assaulted by its own defenses. Scientists have known about autoimmune diseases for years, but now a new theory paints an even broader picture of how chronic inflammation helps other killers gain footholds.
Next: The Connection between Inflammation and Cancer
