Inflammation can be a body’s good friend. It fights off foreign invaders, heals injuries, and mops up debris. But when it gets unfriendly, inflammation ignites an extensive list of disorders like arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and, possibly, autism and mental illness.
Dr. Deepti Sadhwani, an internal medicine specialist in Sebastian, says that inflammation originates as an in-body defense mechanism, recognizing and removing harmful stimuli so healing can start.
But when it becomes chronic, inflammation injures health, harming the body instead of protecting it.
“When inflammation levels increase past a certain point, so does the risk of disease,” says Dana DiRenzo, a rheumatologist and instructor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
In a healthy process of inflammation, “chemicals from your body’s white blood cells enter your blood or tissues. This raises the blood flow to the area of injury or infection to protect you from viruses and bacteria or promote healing after an injury,” according to WebMD.
“This can cause redness and warmth. Some of the chemicals cause fluid to leak into your tissues, resulting in swelling. This protective process may trigger nerves and cause pain.
Higher numbers of white blood cells and the things they make inside your joints can cause irritation, swelling of the joint lining, and loss of cartilage (cushions at the end of bones) over time.”
When it comes to chronic inflammation, “we need to reduce stress levels,” says Dr. Sadhwani.
Stress is akin to injury, and chronic stress causes cortisol to go up. If your body gets used to having too much cortisol in your blood, it can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system.
City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading medical and research institutions and a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, reports that chronic inflammation is a hallmark of cancer, with up to 20 percent of cancer-related deaths linked to the process.
That’s because, no matter what causes it, an inflammatory response that doesn’t shut off when it should, or one that turns on when it shouldn’t, may damage healthy tissue over time.
It may also lead to mutations that cause cells to reproduce rapidly, creating an environment that may lead to tumor growth.
Recent studies have explored the ways chronic inflammation may contribute to cancer – namely, either by helping to create the right environment for cancer to form or by promoting the growth and spread of cancer once it has developed.
Common cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also promote inflammation by damaging tissue. Doctors who treat cancer must weigh the benefits and risks of a treatment before prescribing it, even though the benefits of treatment usually outweigh the risks.
The Arthritis Foundation advises that inflammatory arthritis describes conditions characterized by pain, swelling, tenderness and warmth in the joints, as well as morning stiffness that lasts for more than an hour. The most common forms are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, and ankylosing spondylitis. In these diseases, the immune system doesn’t work properly and releases inflammatory chemicals that attack joint tissues instead of bacteria or viruses, and can cause joint swelling, increased joint fluid, cartilage and bone damage, and muscle loss. Nerves in the joints are also activated, causing pain. The inflammatory chemicals may activate other nerves in the body, as well, causing additional pain.
If you have asthma, inflammation causes the inner lining of your airways to swell and produce mucus, Cleveland Clinic’s website advises. This inflammation makes the airways more sensitive to certain triggers that cause asthma attacks. Because of this, anti-inflammatory medications are one of the most important treatment options for people with asthma – they help stop the process that leads to asthma attacks.
According to the American Heart Association, scientists are still working to understand exactly what role inflammation plays heart attacks and strokes. This is an ongoing area of research.
Diabetes Care Community explains the connection between inflammation and diabetes: The condition may have an impact on obesity and the accumulation of fat cells around the belly and on major organs in the abdomen. These fat cells can produce chemicals that lead to inflammation. This form of internal inflammation may play a role in the development of chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes. Studies have revealed that people who consume more anti-inflammatory foods and fewer pro-inflammatory foods have a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.
Dr. Sadhwani says we can’t underestimate the value of diet and exercise in proper proportions when trying to control inflammation. “There’s no silver bullet,” she says. “Our diet has to be very balanced. Super-processed foods are horrible. Everything has to be done in moderation.”
Verywellhealth.com reports that red and processed meats, such as lunch meat, refined carbohydrates, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and fried foods are among those that tend to increase inflammation in the body.
“Experts generally describe an anti-inflammatory diet as one that mirrors Mediterranean-style and plant-based eating. That’s because these diets are low in red meats and processed foods, instead promoting anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods like olive oil, nuts, fruits, vegetables and dark chocolate,” according to the health information website.
Dr. Deepti Sadhwani, MD, attended medical school at Indira Gandhi Medical College in India. She did her internship at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and her residency at Finch University Chicago/Mount Sinai Hospital. She is board-certified in internal medicine and is a diplomate of bariatric medicine. She is affiliated with Sebastian River Medical Center. Her practice, Quality Health Care & Wellness Institute, is located at 8701 N U.S. 1, Sebastian. The phone number is 772-228-8480.