Why Does Inflammation Occur?

When you go to the hospital, you might often hear that "your inflammation levels are high." So, this inflammation seems bad for the body, but why does it happen? 🤔 Inflammation is broadly divided into two types: Acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. 'Acute inflammation' is a normal response where white blood cells attack invaders and heal tissues when bacteria invade or you get injured. The symptoms of swelling, fever, and pain are signs that this healing process is actively occurring. 'Chronic inflammation' is a state where the immune system is overloaded due to stress, unbalanced diet, aging, etc., causing the body to be continuously attacked even without invaders. This chronic inflammation becomes the cause of various diseases. In other words, inflammation itself is an essential function, but when it becomes chronic, it negatively affects the body. In the case of acute inflammation, the five cardinal signs – 'fever, redness, swelling, pain, and loss of function' – are visibly apparent. Chronic inflammation often manifests not with distinct pain or fever, but with vague and persistent discomforts like subtle fatigue, indigestion, general body aches, and fogginess.