Inflammation and Its Manifestations
Inflammation and Its Manifestations
BY HELENA AMOS, M.AC. L.AC.
Inflammation is like an uninvited or unwanted guest. You don’t always know when or why it will show up, it can make you uncomfortable, and getting it to leave can take time. It’s a great analogy for what happens when you are experiencing inflammation, regardless of whether it is intermittent or lingers too long.
Inflammation is the term used to describe the body’s response to injury or infection. It includes the release of chemicals that cause redness and swelling as well as pain. The process also helps the body to fight the foreign invader and start the healing process, making it both unwelcome but sometimes necessary.
The presence of inflammation is typically characterized as chronic or acute. Chronic inflammation is a sustained low grade response of the immune system over a long period of time. It is different from acute inflammation, which is a sudden and short-term response to injury or infection. Chronic inflammation can lead to serious health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and certain cancers to name a few.
Inflammation As Causation
The prevailing thought about inflammation is that it is a symptom of a health condition. However, what is less understood is the fact that inflammation, particularly chronic inflammation, is the causative factor of many diseases in different organs. These include:
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• High blood pressure
• Migraines
• Asthma, allergies
• Leaky Gut syndrome
• Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases
• Rheumatoid arthritis and many more.
When certain pathogens attack the body — it can be a viral pathogen like in Epstein-Barr, fungal like candida overgrowth, or bacterial like in SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or a sinus infection — they create the inflammation, which can become chronic and turn into any number of autoimmune or other diseases, where the body attacks its own cells. For patients and health care providers alike, the problem with inflammation is how complex it can be. Therefore, it’s important to find out early on what kind of inflammation a patient has in order to address the pathogen, rid the body of it, and restore the affected organ before the (autoimmune) disease happens or progresses.
Inflammation and the Digestive Tract
As discussed there are different manifestations of chronic inflammation, but in general, the onset is because it typically attacks the weakest system or organ in a person. One good example of this is how chronic inflammation can damage the digestive tract.
In the case of bacterial, fungal and viral infections, chronic inflammation can be caused by the over-exuberant or prolonged release of inflammatory factors, such as cytokines or chemokines — small secreted proteins released by cells that affect cell communication. The chronic inflammatory response is a perpetual increase in the production of oxygen and nitrogen species that damage the tissue, leading to further inflammation. It’s a vicious cycle.
Leaky gut syndrome is a condition that causes damage to the digestive system, particularly to the lining over the intestines, which normally keeps away toxins and other harmful substances. When the lining is compromised, it allows these toxins to pass into the bloodstream, which can lead to inflammation. Symptoms of leaky gut include gas and bloating, changes in digestion, food sensitivities and more.
There are certain foods that cause inflammation and should therefore be avoided or kept to a minimum, especially if you experience a pattern of negative reactions after eating them. Some of these foods include:
• Commercial red meat and processed meats – hot dogs, bacon, lunch meats with preservatives
• Snack foods – chips, cookies, crackers, pastries with refined sugar
• Refined grains – white bread, pasta,
• Fried foods
• Sodas and other sweetened drinks
• Alcohol
• Trans fats
• Common cooking oils – polyunsaturated vegetable oils – & artificial food additives
• Dairy for susceptible people
To support good gut health and keep inflammation in check, these anti-inflammatory foods should be featured regularly in your daily diet:
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Green leafy vegetables – spinach, kale, bok choy
• Broccoli, carrots
• Nuts & seeds – walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds
• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
• Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges
• Herbs like cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger
Identifying Inflammation
Because inflammation can manifest in a number of ways, identifying the root cause can be challenging. Testing for inflammation usually involves a blood test that checks for inflammation markers, like elevated levels of CRP (C-reactive protein) and ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate). However, one alternative method available to practitioners is Biomeridian testing. This type of health assessment is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. The testing involves using Meridian energetics to measure the body’s energetic flow and imbalance. The Meridian system network is energy pathways that run through the body, each one associated with a particular organ or system like lungs, liver or lymphatic system.
During a bioscan, acupuncture points are tested to measure energetic flow or blockages. This information is then used to assess a patient’s overall health and identify any potential health concerns or imbalances that may be present. The results of this type of testing typically include advice addressing nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle modifications, herbal and acupuncture treatment.
NAET and BioSET are two additional alternative techniques specifically used to desensitize the body from environment, food and chemical sensitivities. Each works by stimulating the body’s energy or Meridian channels that could become blocked when a patient is sensitive to a particular substance or irritant. By working to clear blockages, the result is the patient becomes less sensitive to wheat, gluten, dairy, pollen, and other allergens, thereby reducing or eliminating any of the associated inflammation that’s present.
At the same time, support for intestinal mucosa and the immune system is provided. Depending on the patient and condition, supplements —like probiotics, l-glutamine, marshmallow root, slippery elm, aloe vera, vitamin D, zinc, GDL, folate, magnesium, colostrum, digestive enzymes, bile salts, berberine and more — can be used. In addition, acupuncture is an incredible tool to help leaky gut syndrome and allergies, as well as the depression and anxiety that often accompanies these conditions — the so-called brain-gut connection.
Understanding how inflammation can show itself in the body is the first step to confronting this unwelcome guest and showing it to the door so you can start healing.
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If you’re suffering from inflammation or suspect it is a symptom of another health condition, schedule a consultation with us to develop a treatment plan. Contact our office: 301-881-2898 or email doctorhelena@gmail.com.
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
