Chronic Inflammation & Osteoarthritis

Inflammation is your body’s normal and important response to an illness or injury, which helps you heal. But if inflammation lasts too long (becomes chronic) or appears in otherwise healthy tissue, it can become harmful.

Sometimes, your body sends inflammatory cells to an area of your body, even when there is no infection or injury. For instance, when a person has rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory cells attack joint tissues, making them swollen and painful and frequently causing severe damage to your joints.

Chronic inflammation can last for months or years and can vary in day-to-day intensity. It has a wide range of causes. Conditions that have been linked to chronic inflammation include RA, lupus, psoriasis, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, lung diseases, Type 2 diabetes, mental health conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins, as well as lifestyle, can contribute to chronic inflammation. Risk factors include chronic stress,, foods high in trans fats and salt, not getting enough exercise, obesity, an imbalance of healthy to unhealthy gut microbes, not getting enough sleep, air pollution and exposure to toxic waste and other pollutants, tobacco products, and drinking too much alcohol.