You're right regarding inflammation helping a wound or to fight off bacteria ("foreign substances").
When there is not a wound involved, the Cleveland Clinic describes inflammation this way:
"In some diseases, however, the body’s defense system (immune system) inappropriately triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign substances to fight off. In these diseases, called autoimmune diseases, the body’s normally protective immune system causes damage to its own tissues. The body responds as if normal tissues are infected or somehow abnormal."
Arthritis is essentially "inflammation in joints", but according to the Cleveland Clinic, "not all types of arthritis are the result of misdirected inflammation."
Do you have any of these symptoms of arthritis:
* Redness
* Swollen joint that is warm to touch
* Joint pain
* Joint stiffness
* Loss of joint function
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Interesting question!
You're right regarding inflammation helping a wound or to fight off bacteria ("foreign substances").
When there is not a wound involved, the Cleveland Clinic describes inflammation this way:
"In some diseases, however, the body’s defense system (immune system) inappropriately triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign substances to fight off. In these diseases, called autoimmune diseases, the body’s normally protective immune system causes damage to its own tissues. The body responds as if normal tissues are infected or somehow abnormal."
Arthritis is essentially "inflammation in joints", but according to the Cleveland Clinic, "not all types of arthritis are the result of misdirected inflammation."
Do you have any of these symptoms of arthritis:
* Redness
* Swollen joint that is warm to touch
* Joint pain
* Joint stiffness
* Loss of joint function
Sources:
November 11, 2008 - 3:44pmhttp://my.clevelandclinic.org/symptoms/Inflammation/hic_Inflammation_What_You_Need_To_Know.aspx
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Arthritis/hic_Arthritis.aspx
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