Causes and treatment of inflammatory processes in gynecology. Inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs

Deciphering a blood test determines the indicators of blood cells: erythrocytes, hemoglobin, lymphocytes, leukocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils and platelets. In a healthy body, all these components of the blood are in a specific ratio. It is possible to determine inflammation by a blood test if there are deviations from the norm.

At the same time, it is also important to pay attention to the probable causes of the deviations that have arisen. Many factors can affect the composition of the blood - a person's gender, physical activity, stress, climate. If observed under standard conditions, then this indicates the presence or the beginning of the development of an inflammatory process, a disease.

The following data indicate the development of inflammation in the blood:

the content of leukocytes;
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate);
acute phase proteins;
reactive protein.

A reduced hemoglobin level is noted with anemia, bleeding, as well as malignant diseases of organs, including the bone marrow. The inflammatory process is indicated by an increased content of leukocytes. With an increase in this indicator, as a rule, diseases of an inflammatory or infectious nature, allergies, diseases of the liver, and blood are noted. Indicates inflammation and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Its reduced rate is observed in viral hepatitis, vomiting, diarrhea.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

In medical practice, a blood test for ESR is considered the most common test. With the development of pathologies, the mass of erythrocytes fluctuates in the direction of decrease or increase, in direct proportion to this, the rate of their sedimentation also changes. If red blood cells settle at an accelerated rate, then this indicates acute, chronic infections, inflammation, anemia, poisoning, and allergies. The slowdown in ESR is mainly observed with severe dehydration of the body.

Protein C index

Blood testing for C-reactive protein has been used in the laboratory for a long time. By this indicator, as well as by ESR, it is possible to determine the presence of an acute inflammatory process in the body and its intensity. CRP cannot be detected by routine blood sampling. It is necessary to do a biochemical analysis, the decoding of which will show its concentration in the blood.

The main reason why the reactive protein appears in the blood and increases the rate of reactive protein is the development of an acute inflammatory process. The growth of CRP occurs within six hours from the start of the process. In addition to the increased sensitivity of the protein concentration to the changes occurring in the body in one direction or another, it responds well to therapeutic therapy. Therefore, biochemical analysis can be performed to monitor the course of a therapeutic course.

Leukocytes

Inflammation is also indicated by an increased number of leukocytes - leukocytosis. This condition is noted in case of poisoning, infections caused by bacteria, liver diseases, allergies, leukemia. The leukocyte count rises after a long course of treatment with certain medications. After eating, physical activity, in case of illness, an increased number of leukocytes is also recorded.

A decrease in the concentration of these cells - leukopenia - usually warns of the development of certain viral infections. The number of leukocytes also decreases during the intake of hormonal drugs, with the development of malignant tumors, conditions leading to immunodeficiency.

Neutrophils

They call the blood cells that make up the bulk of leukocytes. Infection is indicated by a decrease in the number of mature cells and an increase in stab neutrophils. This is due to the fact that when pathogens are destroyed, segmented blood cells themselves die. In this case, the bone marrow compensates for their lack by producing more neutrophils, which in an accelerated process enter the bloodstream without fully maturing.

This can be determined by deciphering the test using a special leukocyte formula. Neutrophils are located in the leukogram as the cells mature, from left to right, from young to fully mature. The level of immature neutrophils determines how strong the inflammatory process is.

The more young cells, the more active pathogenic microorganisms. A strong shift to the left side is observed in the active phase of infectious, inflammatory processes, with malignant neoplasms, poisoning.

Conclusion

A general blood test is necessary in order to identify pathological changes in the human body. Such a laboratory test is considered the most informative method for diagnosing many diseases. It is used in many fields of medicine. Regular testing allows you to timely determine the presence of pathology, which makes it possible to avoid serious complications.

If various abnormalities in the composition of the blood are detected, the doctor prescribes an additional examination. As needed, other specialists can be involved in the diagnosis to more accurately study the patient's condition. After the measures taken, appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

In order for the composition of the blood to be always normal, it is necessary to balance your diet and adhere to a healthy lifestyle. Moderate exercise, good nutrition, rest will provide stable blood test results.

With the appearance of trouble in the reproductive system, the entire body is involved in the pathological process.

Causes of inflammatory diseases in women

Inflammation is most often caused by an infection brought into the urogenital tract from the outside.

In this case, there may be several ways of penetration of pathogens.

Sexual way - during sexual contact from an infected person to a healthy one.
Ascending path - with poor personal hygiene, microbes penetrate deep into the vulva and anal area.
Mechanical way - in the presence of damage to the mucous membrane, the use of untreated tips for douching, inept setting of barrier contraceptives, etc.
The medical way - with insufficiently professional setting of intrauterine devices, carrying out medical manipulations with a non-sterile instrument.
Endogenous way - in the presence of inflammatory foci with menstrual blood, during childbirth, etc.
Spontaneous way - with a decrease in protective barriers in the genital organs (acidic environment of the vagina, violation of the mucous plug in the cervical canal, etc.

Causative agents of inflammatory diseases in women

Pathological processes in the urogenital tract are divided into specific and nonspecific. They are determined by the type of infectious pathogens that caused inflammation.

Specific ones are due to the penetration of microflora, which reproduces mainly in the genital organs - gonococci, trichomonads, chlamydia, mycoplasmas, etc.

Nonspecific can affect many other body systems (oropharynx, digestive tract, respiratory tract, etc.). These are staphylococci, streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, etc.

Since the latter often act as a united front, they are called mixed bacteria.

The reaction of the body in inflammatory diseases in women

Inflammation, which many people habitually call a disease, is actually a defensive reaction of the body. This natural mechanism is called immunity. It is the immune cells, attacking the appeared enemies, trying to destroy them by increasing the temperature at the site of introduction and thus prevent their spread further.

The outcome of defense depends on the activity of killer cells, their number, strength and diversity. If the uninvited guests are successfully neutralized, the disease will not develop. If there are more pathogenic pathogens than defenders, they will win, cause intoxication of the body and lead to illness.

This "warfare" between microbes and immune cells has been defined by the medical profession as immunological reactivity, which can be strong or weak. It is to increase the number of cells-defenders that the activities called strengthening the immune system are aimed.

Often, when a pathological focus appears in the genital organs, the nervous, vascular, endocrine systems suffer, which determines the clinical picture of the disease.

Localization of inflammatory diseases in women

Gynecologists make a diagnosis in accordance with the place where the inflammation occurred. In fact, such a division for a woman practically does not matter, since several organs are involved in the pathological process at once.

Nevertheless, it is useful to know the decoding of the diagnosis.

Features of inflammatory diseases in women

Vulvitis occurs due to trauma or insufficient hygiene of the perineum. In girls, vulvitis is associated with a weakness of specific immunity, the presence of other inflammatory foci and anatomical features of the structure of the external genital organs (thin skin, weak epithelial cover, numerous glands, etc.)

Vulvovaginitis more often develops in older women, which is due to endocrine diseases, nutritional errors, hormonal imbalance.

Middle-aged women rarely suffer from inflammation of the external genitalia due to the characteristics of epithelial tissues, which eventually become resistant to infections.

Colpitis belongs to the most common gynecological pathologies. The disease is usually associated with a violation of the barrier function of the vagina, a decrease in its ability to self-cleanse, which allows microbes to freely penetrate deep into the genital organs.

cervicitis is a consequence of inflammation of the vaginal mucosa, if there are microdamages in the mucous membrane of the canal and cervix. Cervicitis can lead to cervical erosion (epithelial ulceration). With the formation of erosion, the site of damage is covered with mucus with an alkaline reaction. And the alkaline environment, unlike the acidic one, serves as an excellent incubator for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, which will later cause inflammation of the mat!

endometritis as an independent disease can occur after childbirth. However, most often the infection is introduced during the setting of uterine spirals, operations and other medical (surgical and diagnostic) procedures. Among the causes of endometritis and sexual relations during menstruation.

Salpingitis begins after endometritis: the infection from the uterus spreads to the fallopian tubes. Salpingitis is dangerous due to the formation of adhesions in the tubes that prevent the passage of the egg into the uterine cavity. This is one of the most common causes of female infertility.

Oophoritis rarely primary, since the ovaries are quite reliably protected from microbes by a dense membrane. But with the invasion of an abundance of pathogenic flora from the fallopian tubes, the ovaries also become inflamed, causing adnexitis.

Signs and symptoms of inflammatory diseases in women

How do inflammatory processes in the urogenital tract of a woman make themselves felt? Most often, itching, burning, discharge and pain in the lower abdomen appear, sometimes menstrual function and libido (sexual desire) are disturbed.

Beli- the release of a viscous transparent secret of the gonads in moderation is the norm for the female body. However, sometimes whites differ in a yellow-greenish tint, which indicates the presence of pus in the focus of inflammation, and have an unpleasant odor.

The smell may be diagnostic. So, the smell of fish is given by Trichomonas and gardnerella. A sour smell with curdled discharge occurs with candidiasis (thrush of fungal etiology). A sharp unpleasant odor can signal vaginal dysbacteriosis.

Allocations in women may not have a pathological origin. So, an increase in secretion often occurs with nervous tension - stress, for example. Such whites stop by themselves after the disappearance of the cause. In girls of puberty, whites signal hormonal changes.

Each woman usually determines for herself that whites have deviations from the norm. This is an occasion for an immediate appeal to a gynecologist, since sometimes they talk not about an inflammatory, but an oncological process.

Pain is a common symptom of distress. Dull and aching, sharp and pulling, temporary and permanent, aggravated by colds and stress, physical fatigue and sexual intercourse, local and spilled, premenstrual and accompanied by headache along with insomnia - all of them sharply reduce life comfort, disrupt work capacity and sometimes bring a woman down to depression.

Itching and burning occur exclusively with pathology in the reproductive system, normally this does not happen.

In most cases, the cause lies in infection, less often - in violation of hygiene rules, even less often - in mechanical damage (for example, when rubbing with underwear). Sometimes this result is given by the use of certain drugs and rarely by the use of inappropriate intimate hygiene products.

Often itching and burning accompanies disturbances in other body systems. They appear with diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, abnormalities in the functioning of the endocrine glands, a sharp change in hormonal levels (for example, with menopause), mental illness, etc.

specific infection

The same and even more acute manifestations bring with them specific inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs. Their appearance is associated with infections that are predominantly sexually transmitted, but still this variant of infection is far from the only one. These include chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, gardnerellosis, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, mycoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, HIV, etc., as well as venereal gonorrhea and syphilis.

Inflammations caused by one pathogen are called monoinfections, a combination of microorganisms provokes mixed infections.

Mixed infections occur due to the latent course of many diseases, a longer incubation period that some strains of microbes acquire, due to self-treatment (especially antibiotics) at the first sign of trouble.

Mixed infections are difficult to diagnose, take longer to heal, and produce more complications.

Find to defuse

Patient Question

Doctor's answer

It is necessary because it helps to identify hidden pathogens and disarm (treat) them before pregnancy.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a very accurate diagnostic method in which the DNA of pathogenic microflora is scanned, which allows you to accurately determine the type of pathogenic microorganism.

PCR diagnostics has proven itself well, therefore it deserves the respect of gynecologists, who often have to deal with disguised sexually transmitted diseases (asymptomatic chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, genital herpes, etc.).

The reliability of the method approaches 100% accuracy.

PCR diagnostics is also used in pulmonology (for lung diseases) to determine viral and bacterial pathogens of pneumonia, and to detect tuberculosis. In hematology, PCR helps to determine the presence of cytomegaloviruses and oncoviruses. And infectious disease doctors use the express PCR method in their practice to diagnose diphtheria, viral hepatitis B, C and G, salmonellosis.

For diagnostics by PCR, biological material is taken - blood, saliva, urine, a piece of human tissue.

Prevention of vaginal infections

To avoid vaginal infections, and if they occur, reduce the time of treatment, girls and women should follow certain rules.

You should try not to constantly wear tight synthetic tight-fitting panties. Such underwear does not provide air circulation in the genital area, does not absorb moisture. Since infectious agents, and especially fungal flora, multiply most actively in a humid environment, with a greenhouse effect, preference should be given to breathable fabrics. Panties made of cotton, or at least with a cotton insert, will prevent the formation of an alkaline environment on the vaginal mucosa. The unpleasant putrid smell of natural secretions, which even healthy women often complain about, indicates the formation of an alkaline environment favorable for a fungal infection.
You should not walk for a long time in a wet swimsuit. In addition to creating greenhouse conditions for microbes, as discussed above, there is another risk. You can chill the pelvic organs. Your immune system will drop and bacteria will multiply to cause inflammation.
After water procedures, it is necessary to carefully wipe the perineum with a dry towel, and be sure to move it from front to back in order to avoid the introduction of intestinal bacteria from the anal area into the genitals.
It is very important to use your own toiletries.
It is necessary to pay attention to the choice of intimate hygiene products: avoid flavored tampons, colored toilet paper, soaps, gels and sprays with fragrances and other substances that can irritate the mucous membranes.
To avoid discomfort during menstruation, it is better to use cotton tampons instead of synthetic ones. Super absorbent tampons and those that stay in the vagina for more than 12 hours interfere with drainage and promote the growth of fungal microorganisms.
Those women who are accustomed to using tampons during menstruation should use them only during the day. At night, preference should be given to pads.
If you experience any discomfort in the urogenital tract, you should immediately consult a doctor. If it is an infection, you need to start treating it immediately in order to avoid big trouble.
If an infectious agent is detected during the examination, the sexual partner will also have to be treated. Even if he was not the cause of the disease, the pathogenic microbial flora migrated to him.
With candidiasis, it is useful to refuse an excess of sweets. Refined sugar, according to many doctors, is able to maintain a chronic fungal infection.
For the same reason, it is necessary to limit the consumption of bread, mushrooms, alcoholic beverages, canned foods and spicy foods.
The menu should include more dairy products, fish, potatoes, citrus fruits and legumes. Eat at least 2 glasses of fermented milk products (especially enriched with bifidobacteria) a day. This contributes to the prevention of dysbacteriosis in the external genitalia.

Conservative therapy for inflammation of the appendages

Acute inflammation of the appendages and exacerbation of the chronic process requires hospitalization, especially if the relapse is caused by a sexual infection.

With a sharp pain, the patient is prescribed bed rest with Cold procedures (ice pack) to dampen the inflammatory process.

On the first day, while tests have not yet been carried out and the type of pathogen is unknown, a woman is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics, since it is urgent to localize the inflammation.

Commonly used are oxacillin sodium, ampiox, or ampicillin. Then drugs are connected, taking into account the type of microbes, purposefully developed against this type of microorganisms.

Effective cephalosporins - cephaloridine, cephalexin, cefazolin, as well as antibiotics of the aminoglycoside group - sulfates of neomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin. Levomycetin is also used.

Antibiotic therapy should not be stopped even after the acute symptoms of inflammation have subsided. The course is usually 10-14 days, and with chlamydial infection - up to 3 weeks.

With obvious resistance of pathogens to antibiotics, nitrofurans are added to the treatment regimen. Although this group of antimicrobial drugs is inferior in clinical effectiveness to most antibiotics, at high concentrations they have a fairly wide spectrum of action and suppress both anaerobic flora and bacteria, and in addition, fungi that cause catdidiasis. Furazolidone and nifuratel are actively fighting Trichomonas and Giardia.

In parallel with antibacterial drugs, medications are prescribed to prevent the development of fungal infections, since against the background of antibiotic therapy there is a threat of candidiasis and dysbacteriosis. Usually it is nystatin and levorin.

If inflammatory processes in the ovaries and tubes give high temperature, fever, chills, the doctor prescribes drug detoxification with rheopolyglucin, gemodez, glucose solution with vitamins administered intravenously.

With a strong pain syndrome, analgesic drugs are prescribed (analgin, butadione, amidopyrine, etc.), with drug allergies, desensitizing agents (diphenhydramine, suprastin, tavegil). If the adhesive process is pronounced, enzymes are used - ronidase, lidase, as well as the vitreous body, aloe that stimulate the protective reactions of the body.

For the resorption of adhesions, physiotherapeutic procedures are widely used: pulsed currents, magnetic field, UHF. During the recovery period, chloride, sodium, sulfide sitz baths benefit.

Therapeutic mud, ozocerite (natural mineral substance of the oil group), paraffin are used for local effects in the form of applications.

To restore functional disorders, acupuncture is often prescribed.

With proper treatment in a hospital, as well as patient and careful fulfillment of doctor's prescriptions during the home rehabilitation and recovery period, it is possible to cope with inflammation in the reproductive female organs. But if persistent infertility has formed during the chronicization of the process, the prognosis is not so favorable. In some cases, it is not possible to get rid of adhesions in the abdominal cavity.

Medical preventive measures

In order to reduce the risk of developing gynecological diseases, it is necessary:

visit a gynecologist 2 times a year;
regularly do histological analysis in order to detect atypical cells;
go to the same doctor who will be able to monitor the state of health in dynamics;
if possible, choose the most qualified doctor;
for any discomfort in the genital area, immediately seek medical advice;
carefully and in a timely manner to implement the assigned recommendations.

Are vaginal infections a sexually transmitted disease?

Patient Question

Is a vaginal infection a sexually transmitted disease and can a woman infect her partner with it?

Doctor's answer

Among the three most common vaginal infections (bacterial vulvovaginitis, trichomoniasis and thrush), only trichomoniasis has recently been classified as a venereal disease, and even then conditionally.

However, doctors believe that the development of bacterial vulvovaginitis is almost always closely related to sex, since most women acquire pathogenic microflora through contact with a sexual partner.

How are these states different? The fact that the bacteria that cause inflammation of the lower urogenital tract in women are most often harmless to men and do not lead to the development of an inflammatory process in their urinary organs.

But the causative agents of venereal diseases affect both partners equally.

Overdiagnosis

Patient Question

Gynecologists working in medical centers are convinced that every woman of the childbearing period should be examined every six months for the presence of genital infections. Many paid analyzes and diagnostic methods are prescribed. Is it always justified?

Doctor's answer

Detection of sexually transmitted infections is carried out only for certain indications. If a woman lives in marriage and there are no symptoms of an inflammatory process in the urogenital tract, the reproductive function is not impaired, there is no point in additional examinations to detect infections.

Some microorganisms are saprophytes, that is, they live in the body almost constantly. Any analysis will detect their presence, but such flora should be dealt with only if it is activated, which threatens with disease.

Sometimes, to make an accurate diagnosis, you really need to undergo a series of examinations. For example, with chlamydia, before making a diagnosis, it is necessary to confirm the presence of the disease by two or three diagnostic methods.

If information about the presence of an infectious agent is obtained by one method, this does not mean that the woman has developed chlamydia. Nevertheless, one insufficiently reliable study often makes a diagnosis and prescribes the strongest doses of antibiotics. And this leads to genital candida and other undesirable consequences.

The trend towards unreasonable examinations, towards overdiagnosis of infections, unfortunately, exists in the medical world. Overdiagnosis, i.e. excessive appointment of additional, sometimes completely unnecessary tests and examinations, often leads to an erroneous medical conclusion.

Usually, indications for an infectious examination are symptoms of an inflammatory process in the urogenital tract, infertility, or recurrent miscarriage.

Gynecological fees

Patient Question

Will phytotherapy help? Tell me, what herbal remedy can be bought at the pharmacy for inflammation of the vagina?

Doctor's answer

Pharmacies sell special gynecological collections of medicinal herbs that have antiseptic properties, selected according to their composition in certain proportions. There, yarrow, chamomile, St. John's wort, sage, and sometimes nettle are added. You can buy such fees and, according to the prescription indicated on the package, use them to douche the vagina. But, herbal medicine can not always remove the inflammatory process.

In this case, you need to find out what is causing the inflammation. If this is a banal colpitis and there are no pathogenic (infectious) microorganisms, then it makes sense to use decoctions of herbs. Although it is necessary to warn: douching should not be carried away, because in this case, the normal flora of the vagina is washed out.

The body to harmful stimuli, which is achieved due to the increased movement of the plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes) of the blood in damaged tissues. A number of biochemical events propagate and propagate the inflammatory process, including the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation known as chronic inflammatory process, leads to a gradual change in the type of cells located at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing of tissues.

Causes of inflammation

Chemical irritants
Toxic Substances
Infections from pathogens
Physical, blunt or penetrating injury
Immune reactions to hypersensitivity
ionizing radiation
Foreign bodies including splinters, dirt and debris
Alcohol

Types of inflammation

Comparison between acute and chronic inflammatory process:

	Spicy	Chronic
Pathogen	Bacterial pathogens, tissue damage	Persistent acute inflammation due to non-decaying pathogens, viral infections, persistent foreign bodies, or autoimmune reactions
Basic connected cells		Mononuclear cells (monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells), fibroblasts
Primary intermediaries	Vasoactive amines, eicosanoids	Interferon- γ and other cytokines, reactive oxygen species, hydrolytic enzymes
Start	Immediate	delayed
Duration	Several days	Up to several months or years
	Resolution, abscess formation, chronic inflammation

A protein that circulates passively until activated by collagen, platelets, or exposed basement membranes through a conformational change. When activated, it in turn is able to recruit three plasma systems involved in the inflammatory process: the kinin system, the fibrinolysis system, and the coagulation system.

Membrane attack complex

System

complement

Complex of additional proteins C5b, C6, C7, C8 and several C9. The combination and activation of this series of additional proteins forms a membrane attack complex, which is able to be incorporated into the walls of bacterial cells and cause cell lysis with subsequent death.

System

fibrinolysis

Able to break down fibrin clots, separate additional C3 protein and activate Factor XII.

Coagulating

system

Breaks down the soluble plasma protein fibrinogen to produce insoluble fibrin, which aggregates to form a blood clot. Thrombin can also cause cells, via the PAR1 receptor (proteinase-activated receptor), to induce several other inflammatory responses such as chemokine production and nitric oxide.

Cell component

The cellular component includes leukocytes, which are normally found in the blood and must move into the inflamed tissue through the exit from the vessels to help in the inflammatory process. Some act as phagocytes, engulfing bacteria, viruses, and cellular debris. Others secrete enzymatic granules that damage pathogens. Leukocytes also secrete inflammatory mediators that promote and maintain the inflammatory response. In general, acute inflammation is mediated by granulocytes, while chronic inflammation is mediated by mononuclear cells such as monocytes and lymphocytes.

Powerful vasodilator, relaxes smooth muscles, reduces platelet aggregation, aids in leukocyte recruitment, directs antibacterial activity at high concentrations.

Prostaglandins

Eicosanoid

mast cells

A group of fats that can cause vasodilation, fever, and pain.

TNFα and interleukin 1

Cytokines

Primarily macrophages

Both affect a variety of cells to induce many of the same inflammatory responses: fever, cytokine production, endothelial gene regulation, chemotaxis, leukocyte adhesion, fibroblast activation. Responsible for the general effects of inflammation such as loss of appetite, heart palpitations.

Morphological patterns

In specific situations that occur in the body, specific patterns of acute and chronic inflammation are observed, for example, when inflammation occurs on the surface of the epithelium or pyogenic bacteria are involved.

Granulomatous inflammation: It is characterized by the formation of granulomas. They are the result of a limited but diverse range of diseases that include tuberculosis, leprosy, sarcoidosis, and syphilis, among others.
Fibrinous inflammation: Inflammation, leading to a significant increase in vascular permeability, allows fibrin to pass through the blood vessels. If appropriate procoagulant stimuli, such as cancer cells, are present, then fibrous exudate is deposited. This is often found in serous cavities, where the fibrous exudate can transform into a scar between the serous membranes, limiting their function.
Purulent inflammation: Inflammation leading to a large amount of pus, which consists of neutrophils, dead cells and fluid. Infection with pyogenic bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, is characteristic of this type of inflammation. Large, localized collections of pus surrounded by nearby tissues are called abscesses.
Serous inflammation: It is characterized by a copious outpouring of a non-viscous serous fluid, usually produced by the mesothelial cells of the serous membranes, but can be excreted from the blood plasma. Bullous skin lesions exemplify this model of inflammation.
Ulcerative inflammation: Inflammation occurring near the epithelium can lead to necrotic loss of tissue from the surface, endangering the underlying layers. The subsequent indentation into the epithelium is known as an ulcer.

A wide variety of proteins are involved in inflammation, and any one of them is open to genetic mutation that impairs or otherwise dysregulates the normal functioning and expression of that protein.

Examples of diseases associated with inflammation include:

Acne vulgaris
asthma
celiac disease
Chronic prostatitis
Glomerulonephritis
Hypersensitivity
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs
Reperfusion injury
Sarcoidosis
transplant rejection
Vasculitis
Interstitial cystitis

It has further been theorized that an acute localized inflammatory response to muscle contraction during exercise is a necessary precondition for muscle growth. In response to muscle contractions, an acute inflammatory process initiates the decomposition and removal of damaged muscle tissue. Muscles can synthesize cytokines (Interleukin 1 beta, TNF-alpha, Interleukin 6) in response to contractions that appear in skeletal muscles 5 days after exercise.

In particular, the increase in Interleukin 6 levels can reach up to 100 times. Depending on volume, intensity and other training factors, the increase in Interleukin 6 is initiated 4 hours after resistance training and remains elevated for up to 24 hours.

These acute increases in cytokines, in response to muscle contractions, help initiate the process of muscle repair and growth by activating satellite cells within the inflamed muscle. Satellite cells are essential for skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. They promote hypertrophy by providing new myonuclei and repairing damaged segments of mature muscle fibers for successful regeneration after muscle injury, injury or during exercise.

Rapid localization of the Interleukin 6 receptor and increased expression of IL-6 occurs in satellite cells after contractions. IL-6 has been shown to mediate hypertrophic muscle growth in both natural and artificial conditions. Unaccustomed exercise can increase IL-6 six-fold at 5 hours post-exercise and three-fold at 8 days post-exercise. In addition, NSAIDs may reduce the response of satellite cells to exercise, thus reducing the synthesis of inducible proteins.

The increase in cytokines after resistance exercise coincides with a decrease in levels of myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle differentiation and growth. The cytokine responds to resistance exercise and running followed by a longer response.

chronic inflammation andloss of muscle mass

Both inflammation, chronic and extreme, are associated with impaired anabolic signals that trigger muscle growth. Chronic inflammation has been cited as part of the cause of the loss of muscle mass that occurs with age. Elevated myostatin protein levels have been described in patients with diseases characterized by chronic non-specific inflammation. Elevated levels of TNF-alpha can suppress the protein kinase B and mTOR pathway (mammalian target of rapamycin), a critical pathway for regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy, thus increasing muscle catabolism. Cytokines can counteract the anabolic effects of insulin-like growth factor 1. In the case of sepsis, an extreme inflammation of the whole body, myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein synthesis is inhibited in fast twitch muscle fibers. Sepsis is also able to prevent leucine from stimulating muscle protein synthesis. In animals, mTOR loses its stimulation ability through muscle growth.

Exercise as a treatment for inflammation

Regular exercise reduces inflammatory markers, although the relationship is not complete and seems to show different results depending on exercise intensity. For example, baseline measurements of circulating inflammatory markers showed no significant difference between healthy trained and untrained adults. Long-term, consistent exercise can help reduce chronic non-specific inflammation. On the other hand, levels of inflammatory markers remained elevated during the recovery period after intense exercise in patients with inflammatory diseases. It is possible that low-intensity training may reduce the remaining pro-inflammatory markers (C reactive protein, Interleukin 6), while moderate training has moderate to less pronounced anti-inflammatory benefits. There is a strong link between exhausting workouts and chronic non-specific inflammation. A marathon can increase the level of Interleukin 6 by 100 times and increase the set of the total number of leukocytes and neutrophils. So people are taking exercise as a treatment for other factors of chronic inflammation.

Signal/noise theory

Given that localized acute inflammation is a necessary component for muscle growth, and chronic non-specific inflammation is associated with disruption of anabolic signals that initiate muscle growth, it has been suggested that a signal-to-noise model may best describe the relationship between inflammation and muscle growth. By keeping the "noise" of chronic inflammation to a minimum, a localized acute inflammatory response is indicative of a stronger anabolic response than with higher levels of chronic inflammation.

Doctors all over the world have repeatedly noticed that many inflammatory processes in the body begin with the intestines. Two-thirds of the body's defenses are located in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The digestive system must eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses before they infect the entire body. And we daily provide our gastrointestinal tract with a huge amount of work. Our habits of fast eating, consuming large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, poisoning the body with chemical additives lead to bloating, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, heartburn - all signs of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Our ancestors ate foods that kept the body in balance with omega 6 and omega 3 acids. Linoleic acid (omega-6) is found in sunflower, corn and peanut oils. The body converts it to arachidonic acid, which, if the omega-3 acid is deficient, can lead to inflammation. Omega-3s are found in fish, olive oil or flaxseed. Our current omega-6 to omega-3 ratio fluctuates between 10:1 and 25:1! Therefore, it is important to review your diet in order to prevent the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the intestines.

Studies have shown that a low-carbohydrate diet helps reduce various inflammations. Refined sugar and other high glycemic foods raise insulin levels and put the immune system on high alert. Insulin activates enzymes that increase the level of arachidonic acid in the blood. Hormones called eicosanoids can both cause inflammation and, conversely, act as anti-inflammatory compounds, depending on their type. High levels of insulin lead to an imbalance of eicosanoids, that is, there is a “skew” towards the type that causes inflammation. In some cases, depending on various factors, insulin suppresses inflammation, and in other cases it increases the inflammatory process. Research is currently underway to unravel this mechanism. When a group of obese mice with type 2 diabetes were put on a healthy diet at Harvard Medical School, their immune systems recovered almost 100%.

Foods that contain trans fats, which lead to the formation of "bad cholesterol", cause inflammation in the arteries. Trans fats lead to the formation of "free radicals" that damage healthy cells in the body and lead to inflammation.

Thus, the first step to reduce inflammation at the cellular level is to change the diet. As we get older, foods that never bothered us before, such as milk or wheat, can trigger symptoms of inflammation. Avoiding certain foods can significantly reduce inflammation.

Listen to your body to understand which foods are causing your symptoms of inflammation.

Hormonal imbalance.

One of the causes of inflammation is a change in the levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. There is a version that a decrease in estrogen levels promotes the growth of the cytokines interleukin-1 and interleukin-6, which changes the rate of formation of new bones. As a result, osteoporosis develops.

Scientists suspect that before menopause, a normal balance of hormones helps reduce inflammation, but hormones work in complex interactions, so it's hard to determine the exact mechanism. What is known for certain is that the symptoms of chronic inflammation often become more apparent during and after menopause. 75% of women during this period acquire autoimmune diseases.

Hormonal changes lead to weight gain. And there is clear evidence that additional fat cells lead to increased levels of C-reactive protein, which indicates an increase in inflammatory processes.

An analysis of the amount of C-reactive protein and the amino acid homocysteine best reveals inflammation in the body. A normal indicator is considered to be numbers from 0 to 0.6, and homocysteine - 5-15.

Ecology.

An important cause of inflammation is the environmental situation. Synthetic fibers, latex, adhesives, plastics, air fresheners, cleaning products are just some of the chemicals that adversely affect the body.

Our body neutralizes 30 heavy metals every day, the most dangerous of which are lead and mercury. Toxins are found in drinking water, food, even breast milk. Many of these substances are fat-soluble, that is, they are stored in fat cells and gradually accumulate in the body.

Constant exposure to harmful chemicals and irritants, even at low doses, overwhelms the immune system year after year.

psychological reasons.

The stress hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands as a result of an anxiety situation, has a direct impact on insulin levels and metabolism. If you have been working hard for a long time without rest, then the body will force you to give it a rest by putting it to bed with some kind of disease. In this case, the disease is a consequence of stress and tension. The body maintains working capacity for a long time, but cannot do it forever. Sooner or later, the nervous system will react and possibly provoke diseases such as asthma, allergies, psoriasis and eczema. Compared to other factors, stress and emotional pain are often overlooked. But it is constant stress that is often the cause of coronary heart disease. A recent study showed that depression increases the likelihood of ischemia by 50%.

Everyone reacts differently to a stressful situation. Some reactions are even laid down at the genetic level. But still, most of the emotions we can control if we understand how it affects our health.

Thus, an unbalanced diet, hormonal disorders, stress, and poor ecology can contribute to the emergence of various inflammatory processes in the body. You can, of course, put up with it and already in middle age acquire a whole bunch of various chronic diseases. But all factors are under our control, and it depends on us how we treat our health.

What do such seemingly different chronic diseases as cardiovascular disease, depression, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis have in common? They are based on chronic inflammatory processes. Inflammation is a universal process that occurs both externally and internally. It is inflammation that is our first line of defense and the body's response to adverse factors that disrupt its functioning - both at the level of physiology (hormonal imbalance, dysbacteriosis, cut, burn) and at the level of psychology (for example, emotional trauma).

Usually, when we talk about inflammation, we most often imagine them in connection with external injuries - cuts, fractures, fever. It is much more difficult to imagine internal inflammatory processes: we do not see them, often do not feel them due to the small number of pain receptors in the abdominal cavity and do not associate symptoms of malaise with them, such as headaches, chronic fatigue, overweight, skin problems, worsening memory, loss of joy from life.

Information about all types of injuries - be it physiological or mental, is distributed throughout the body using a single mechanism - a protective immune response. Information about an adverse event is carried by special signaling molecules - inflammatory cytokines that travel throughout the body to provide a protective response at the cellular level.

How can inflammation be protected?

Imagine a broken limb or a deep cut on a finger. Literally in a matter of minutes after the injury, the wound site turns red and swells, accompanied by pain.

What for?

This is a powerful protective process through which our immune system works. In case of injury, special pattern recognition receptors, with the help of inflammatory cytokines, stimulate the production of immune cells, which, in turn, lead to a number of physiological processes - such as the expansion of blood vessels, an increase in their permeability, the accumulation of leukocytes and plasma at the site of injury, and an increase in the number of pain receptors.

On the one hand, it is painful and uncomfortable. On the other hand, each component of inflammation performs essential functions to keep us alive:

Expansion of blood vessels is necessary to deliver leukocytes and plasma to the site of injury, which destroy pathogens and monitor the inflammatory process.

A swelling at the site of an injury is the result of the accumulation of plasma and white blood cells there and a sign that they are working to repair damaged tissues.

Pain and temporary restriction in the use of the damaged organ allows you to treat it with care and does not allow you to use it until the moment of recovery.

In other words, inflammatory processes are an important part of our immunity and a condition for maintaining life and health. True, on one condition: if these processes are localized in time.

The effectiveness of the inflammatory process depends on the speed of its initiation, as well as prompt neutralization after it has performed its function.

When inflammation kills

The inflammatory process has a price. It performs a powerful protective function, but for this, means are used that can cause physical damage to us. Inflammatory processes destroy damaged and infected own tissues, use free radicals to neutralize them, and are characterized by a high level of oxidative stress.

In the short term, a healthy person has resources that neutralize damage, like nutrients: antioxidant vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, endogenous antioxidant substances and systems.

What happens if the inflammatory process is delayed?

Processes that are potentially dangerous for their own tissues pass into a chronic sluggish mode. Gradually, the body's resources to neutralize them are depleted, and the process that was a defense mechanism now begins to damage the body.

It is chronic systemic inflammatory processes that underlie aging and lead to the development of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Also, chronic inflammatory processes are a constant activation of the immune system, which in the long term leads to a failure of its work. One of the manifestations of this failure is the loss of a key ability of the immune system to recognize its tissues and distinguish them from others and, as a result, an attack on its own tissues - that is, the development of autoimmune diseases, the number of which is growing at a rapid pace in developed countries.

Thus, it is inflammatory processes that trigger the mechanisms for the development of diseases that are completely different in terms of symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease - inflammatory cytokines activate chronic inflammatory processes that destroy neurons.

Asthma - inflammatory cytokines lead to an autoimmune reaction to the airway mucosa.

Autism - inflammatory processes lead to an autoimmune reaction, as a result of which the development of the right hemisphere of the brain is disturbed.

Depression - inflammatory processes affect the neural network, upset the balance of the production of neurotransmitters,

Eczema is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and liver, which hinders detoxification processes.

Rheumatoid arthritis - inflammatory processes destroy the joints and synovial fluid.

Heart attack - chronic inflammatory processes lead to the development of atherosclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis - inflammatory cytokines destroy the myelin sheath of nerve endings.

This list can be continued and it turns out: if you want to get to the cause of the disease, look for the source of inflammatory processes and their root cause.

What makes inflammatory processes chronic

As the name suggests, inflammation becomes chronic if the stimulus, internal or environmental, is constantly present. These chronic irritants that the immune system is forced to respond to every time it comes into contact are often allergens, latent infections, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle habits.

Nutrition

Like all aspects of metabolism, inflammation in our bodies is regulated by the nutrients we eat.

Among the factors that stimulate inflammatory processes:

excess in the diet of sugar and equivalents, flour and refined products;
products from animals fed with non-species and low-quality feed (cows on grain, mold on feed);
numerous food additives, medicines in the case of animals, pesticides in the case of plants, toxic substances from packaging (plastic bottles and cans, for example);
As a separate item, I want to highlight products to which you have an individual sensitivity or allergy. These can be nutritionally rich and excellent for most foods, such as eggs. But if your body has a reaction to this product, it means that every time they use it causes an inflammatory reaction, which in the long term risks becoming a chronic inflammatory process.

To balance inflammation, key nutrients are:

-Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

Their ratio regulates the balance of inflammatory processes - that is, their beginning and end due to the short-acting hormones produced from them - prostaglandins.

The optimal ratio of these acids in the blood for health is 1:1 - 1:4 omega 3 to omega 6. At the same time, in people who adhere to a modern Western diet (rich in vegetable oils, industrial animal products, sugar, white bread), this ratio often reaches up to 1:25.

- Antioxidant nutrients

To protect against increased oxidative stress caused by inflammatory processes, we need antioxidant substances, among which vitamin C is especially famous. These also include vitamins A and E, the mineral. Substances of antioxidant action are also phytochemical elements found in plants. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals act in tandem, so it is very important to maintain an adequate status of all micronutrients.

-Quality protein

Our tissues are built from protein, and numerous metabolic substances are also made of protein - like hormones, enzymes, and so on. Under conditions of chronic stress, our need for materials to repair damaged tissues and produce numerous substances involved in the process is increased.

-Probiotics and prebiotics

Adequate amounts of fiber and the friendly bacteria found in fermented foods are essential for a healthy gut microflora. The gut microflora plays a very important role in regulating inflammation as well as maintaining a healthy immune system, 70% of which is located in the gut.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

An anti-inflammatory diet can be used to correct and prevent chronic diseases, including autoimmune ones. Like any therapeutic protocol, this diet varies according to individual characteristics and health conditions.

Its basis is nutritionally rich whole foods:

sources of omega 3 fatty acids and high-quality, easily digestible protein: fatty wild fish, its caviar, eggs of chickens on the range, pure animal products - by-products and meat;
a regular large amount of green vegetables and greens with a high content of antioxidant substances and vitamin K, which has an anti-inflammatory effect;
algae, as the richest source of minerals in a bioavailable form;
seeds;
starchy seasonal vegetables;
berries;
spices - ginger and;
fats - coconut oil, ghee and cold-pressed olive oil;
a separate therapeutic dish is a strong bone broth - due to the high content of bioavailable minerals and amino acids that restore the intestinal mucosa.

From the diet, all foods that can lead to an inflammatory reaction at the physiological level or contribute to its course are excluded. This:

Sugar and equivalents;

Industrial vegetable oils;

Processed products;

All cereals and their derivatives - sometimes with the exception of pseudo-cereals, like buckwheat, quinoa;

Peanuts (as a product with a high mold content);

Sweet dried fruits;

Many sweet fruits.

Exclude, at least for a while, everything that could potentially be allergic or sensitive:

Milk products;

Corn;

Citrus;

legumes;

Vegetables of the nightshade family - tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes.

Lifestyle and environment

Many aspects of our lives, like food at the physiological level, cause the synthesis of inflammatory signaling substances and support the course of inflammatory processes. If these aspects are a regular part of our lives, inflammatory processes become chronic. Among them:

Deficiency and poor quality of sleep.

Passive lifestyle.

chronic stress.

Lack of rest/recovery time.

Lack of adequate social support.

All these factors cause exactly the same inflammatory reaction in the body as a deep cut.

Unfortunately, the life of the average Westerner is hard to imagine without high levels of stress, sleep deprivation, and long hours of sitting at the workplace, which is why many experts call this lifestyle toxic.

In order to break out of the vicious circle, to make your life different, not to succumb to powerful mass pressure to be in time everywhere and to be like everyone else, a conscious decision and serious efforts are needed.

Everything is very closely interconnected in our body, psychology and physiology are intertwined in their impact on our health, including the regulation of inflammatory processes.

Therefore, the only effective approach to overcoming chronic disease is not only to restore health, improve digestion and maintain adequate nutritional status, but also to abandon a toxic lifestyle that can negate all the benefits of nutrition.

Editorial opinion may not reflect the views of the author.
In case of health problems, do not self-medicate, consult a doctor.

Do you like our lyrics? Follow us on social networks to be aware of all the latest and most interesting!