Inflammation is a response by the body to injury or infection. Inflammation causes redness, swelling, heat, and pain, and it impairs the function of the affected organ or tissue. The response brings white blood cells called leukocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system, to the site of injury or infection. Inflammation, together with the immune system, removes infectious organisms and destroyed or damaged tissues, and begins healing. Chemicals called cytokines, released by leukocytes, organize the body’s inflammation response.
Inappropriate or uncontrolled inflammation can damage healthy tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis and certain other diseases are caused by such inflammation. Inflammation also occurs when the blood supply to an organ or tissue is interrupted and later restored, as in heart attack or stroke. This inflammation can lead to further tissue damage. Scientists believe that inflammation also plays a role in other diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and some cancers.
Treatments for inflammation aim to relieve the symptoms, such as fever, pain, and swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs include corticosteroids and nonsteroidal drugs, such as aspirin. Scientists are developing new drugs to treat inflammation that work by blocking cytokines and other molecules that promote inflammation.
