Introduction
An inflammation can be understood as a sign of activation of the immune system. The reason why the immune system is activated varies from individual to individual. Pathogens, foreign substances, injuries as well as the presence of an autoimmune disease are possible causes which can be responsible for the occurrence of an inflammation.
The immune reaction, which usually manifests itself with symptoms such as swelling, redness, overheating and pain, is intended to eliminate the cause of the inflammation. This is a very complex process, which is accompanied by the activation of different systems. Almost every part of the body and organ can be affected by an inflammation. A distinction is made not only between the different localizations of an inflammation, but also according to the temporal course (chronic vs. acute) of the disease. The different components of the inflammatory fluid also serve to differentiate between the types of inflammation.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation, in medical terminology with the suffix -itis (hepatitis, tonsillitis), is a naturally occurring reaction of the body to a damaging external or internal stimulus with the aim of eliminating this influence. It is an expression of a pronounced activation of the immune system and is intended to initiate the healing process. The background to this is that the inflammatory reaction slows down the blood flow in the affected area and increases the permeability of the vascular walls so that defence cells can enter the affected area and fight the trigger.
This can be seen in the swelling and redness, the overheating also improves the blood flow. Pain ensures that the damaged body part is further protected. These mechanisms are supported by a very complex interaction of messenger substances and cells of the immune system.
Inflammation can be localized to a body part, organ or region, or it can be systemic to the whole body. Inflammation can be differentiated according to the triggering factors in bacterial, viral or abacterial. In addition, it is classified according to its temporal progression into acute or chronic inflammation and according to the type of fluids leaking out into serous, purulent or fibrinous.
In general, any stimulus that goes far beyond the normal level can cause inflammation, such as extreme temperatures or trauma. Bacterial inflammation is the most common. Bacteria could enter the body through wounds or other body orifices, multiply and cause inflammation.
In some cases they reach other areas via the blood. The bacterial inflammation is characterized by the formation of pus, which consists mainly of destroyed bacteria and burst defence cells, especially macrophages. Examples are inflamed cuts or inflammation of the middle ear, but also pneumonia or a urinary tract infection is usually a bacterial inflammation.
Viruses can also cause inflammation, which is often less acute than bacterial inflammation, but is sometimes more difficult to treat because a viral inflammation does not respond to antibiotics. Examples are inflammations of the eye and the ENT area. An acute cold with a cold and sinusitis is usually caused by a viral infection.
A known internal viral inflammation is hepatitis. If the inflammation is abacterial, or rather sterile, no pathogens are responsible for the damage. Causes such as heat, cold, bruising or allergic reactions to foreign material in the body can be considered. Basically, any excessive stimulus can cause an activation of the immune system and trigger an inflammation.
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