Chronic Inflammation and Antiaging

Chronic inflammation is possibly THE most serious problem affecting your health and longevity. It often goes unrecognized and thus is dangerous for that reason. Let’s examine the causes and propose some effective strategies to deal with this problem.

Inflammatory conditions are often the result of an autoimmune disorder that may not have been detected or diagnosed. This often show up in the inflammation of joints which is called arthritis.

What causes inflammation?

Inflammation is caused primarily by your body reacting to stress or your immune system reacting to the presence of an irritant. It can be some pathogen, bacteria, or virus, or interactions with something in your diet that sets the immune system off.

The immune system functions as a defense mechanism against foreign substances, and in so doing releases chemicals from white blood cells that attempt to neutralize these foreign substances. This causes increased blood flow to the area, as well as swelling and redness.

Enzymes are released by the body as part of the inflammatory response that can break down normal body tissues. This is what occurs in an autoimmune disorder, and it can lead to destruction of tissue, as in arthritis pain and inflammation of joints.

Chronic inflammation occurs when the immune system is constantly reacting against an irritant. Acute inflammation is a temporary reaction to the source of irritation. Both types can cause problems, however the constant low grade or silent inflammation is bad because you may not be aware that it is going on.

What are the signs and symptoms

Signs of inflammation vary, but there is pain, swelling, and redness in many instances. There are tests a doctor can identify inflammatory conditions and based treatment options on. If left untreated, inflammation can and will damage vital tissues and organs and can even accelerate the aging process.

More recent research points to inflammation as having a role in diseases such as cancer, heart disease, as well as it’s known connection with diabetes and arthritis. With this in mind, it is not inaccurate to look at these conditions as being symptoms of chronic inflammation or an autoimmune disorder.

In heart disease the vascular tissues of the body (blood vessels) are damaged by inflammatory enzymes and can lead to heart attacks and strokes by compromising the integrity of the vascular tissues.

This may account for the fact that a significant number of heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels. There is a test for an inflammatory indicator (called a marker) for C-Reactive Protein , which indicates the presence of inflammation in the tissues of the vascular system.

Research now points to the idea that cardiovascular disease may be related to an autoimmune disorder, which will likely change the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated. It also suggests that a proper diet to prevent such diseases must address the issue of inflammation as well as cholesterol levels.

The inflammation of joints may be the most recognizable form but medical science is making more and more connections between various disease conditions and chronic inflammation.

Strategies to combat inflammation

Below are some of the things you can do to prevent or lessen inflammation.

• Eat according to your blood type
• Avoid processed foods (refined carbohydrates and trans fats)
• Use appropriate vitamin/mineral and enzyme supplements
• Use fish oil supplements as a natural anti inflammatory
• Ensure you get the right fatty acids in your diet
• Get enough restful sleep
• Lower your levels of stress
• Use ice and topical analgesics like capsicum after intense exercise

The purpose of this page is to alert you to the many health issues that can be caused by or related to an immune disorder and the inflammatory responses they cause. As this site evolves, I will be including cutting edge information on how you can protect your health from the problems caused by chronic inflammation.