Your immune system protects your body and defends it against threats such as infection or injury.
One of the first defence mechanisms for the body is inflammation. Affected tissues may look red and swollen and feel painful or hot. That’s because your body has rushed a veritable ambulance of white blood cells and cytokines (proteins that stimulate more inflammatory cells) to the injured or infected area. Those cells immediately get to work, trapping bacteria and other pathogens and starting to heal injured tissue.
Viewed in this way, inflammation is your body’s normal, helpful response to infection or injury. It’s quite an amazing process – though it’s rarely a comfortable one!
Is inflammation good or bad?
It can be both, largely depending on how long it lasts.
Acute inflammation is a quick response to a short-term problem. It’s arguably your immune system at its best, taking swift action to fix a problem, even though it involves some short-term swelling, redness and pain. Once the problem is fixed, your body withdraws its troops until they’re needed again.
Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, may be a prolonged response to persistent injury, infection or illness. Chronic inflammation may be associated with many long-term health conditions including:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Other conditions
Lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking excess alcohol and dealing with persistent stress can also contribute to chronic inflammation.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation are vaguer and more widespread. You might notice:
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Fatigue
- Pain and fever.
Chronic inflammation doesn’t resolve since the underlying problem (e.g. arthritis) doesn’t go away. Your immune system continues sending out white blood cells and cytokines but the balance of benefit to harm begins to tip and healthy cells may be damaged in the process.
How should you respond to inflammation?
If you’re concerned about inflammation, we recommend you see your doctor who can provide you with medical and lifestyle advice relevant to your personal situation.
Specially formulated medications can also help you address inflammation and related pain. Taken twice daily, Pain Relief Naproxen Liquid Capsules (from the makers of Deep Heat) provide up to 12 hours of relief from pain relating to:
- Inflammation
- Mild arthritis
- Muscle and joint pain
- Toothache or dental pain
- Period pain
- Headache.
FEEL IT WORK – it’s a fast and convenient way to manage your pain.
Sometimes you can’t stop pain striking, but it doesn’t have to ruin your day. Pop into Chemist Warehouse or a leading pharmacy and ask for Pain Relief Naproxen Liquid Capsules from the makers of Deep Heat and feel it work today.
Disclaimer
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. INCORRECT USE CAN BE HARMFUL.
