Chronic inflammation increases risk of heart disease, cancer
By: Chioma Umeha Imagine you smash your thumb with a hammer. You might shake your thumb instinctively, though that would not be helpful. This familiar swelling process is inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s attempt at self-protection; the aim being to remove harmful stimuli, including damaged cells, irritants, or pathogens – and begin the healing process. When something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body, there is a biological response to try to remove it.The signs and symptoms of inflammation, specifically acute inflammation, show that the body is trying to heal itself. Inflammation does not mean infection, even when an infection causes inflammation. Infection is caused by a bacterium, virus or fungus, while inflammation is the body’s response to it. When you hurt yourself, you experience acute inflammation, but it is only half of the picture, an agency report said. The bad kind of inflammation is silent and you may never know you have it, even after the da