Lesson One - Inflammation
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Inflammation Risk Factors
There are a number of factors that make a person more susceptible to conditions associated with chronic inflammation. Each of the following collapsible rows will cover what the risks are for each of the body systems reviewed on the previous page.
Note that the inflammatory conditions in this section are general and by no means address all of the risk factors or inflammatory conditions of the body.
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
Inflammation of the skin is called dermatitis. The most common are eczema and psoriasis.
Risk factors for inflammation of the integumentary system include:
Risk factors for inflammation of the integumentary system include:
- having a personal history of eczema
- having a family history of eczema
- allergies
- hay fever
- asthma
- smoking
- obesity
- stress
- viral and/or bacterial infections
Learn More
For more about eczema, visit WebMD and read about Types of Eczema.Learn More
For more information, visit MayoClinic and read about Psoriasis.
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
Inflammation of the skeletal system most commonly happens in the joints in the form of arthritis. While there are several types of arthritis, there are two main types, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both involve
an inflamed joint lining (synovial membrane).
Risk factors for skeletal system arthritis include:
- Osteoarthritis comes from wear and tear damage to the joint cartilage.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system attacks the joint capsule lining and eventually destroys the joint and cartilage.
Risk factors for skeletal system arthritis include:
- Family history
- Age
- Biological sex
- Previous joint injury
- Obesity
- Environmental factors, such as poor diet and improper mechanics in exercise
Learn More
For more information, visit MayoClinic and read about Arthritis.Muscular inflammation is also known as inflammatory myositis. Inflammatory myopathies are autoimmune diseases.
Risk factors include:
Genetic predisposition combined with
- infections
- viruses
- toxins
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
Prolonged nervous system inflammation, or neuroinflammation, contributes to a number of diseases in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Some of these include neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,
multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, ischemia, and depression.
Risk factors include:
Risk factors include:
- Diabetes
- Alcohol abuse
- Vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B
- Infections such as Lyme disease, shingles, Epstein- Barr virus, hepatitis B and C, and HIV
- Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
- Kidney disorders
- Liver disorders
- Thyroid disorders
- Exposure to toxins
- Repetitive motion
- Family history of neuropathy
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
When the individual glands in the endocrine system are inflamed, one of two things can happen: either the gland overproduces or under produces the hormones that it is in charge of.
The risk factors that can contribute to endocrine system inflammation are:
The risk factors that can contribute to endocrine system inflammation are:
- family history
- obesity
- stress
- viral and/or bacterial infections
- autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
- kidney disorders
- liver disorders
- thyroid disorders
- exposure to toxins
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
Your lymphatic system is a key component of your immune system. When there is inflammation present in this body system it is called lymphangitis. It is important to see a doctor as soon as possible if with lymphangitis, as the condition
can become complicated and very serious.
Risk factors for chronic lymphangitis are:
Risk factors for chronic lymphangitis are:
- diabetes
- immunodeficiency, or loss of immune function
- chronic steroid use
- chickenpox
- a cat or dog bite
- a wound received while in freshwater
- sporotrichosis, a soil-borne fungal infection
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The three most common chronic inflammatory conditions of the urinary system are nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), and urethral syndrome (inflammation of the urethra).
Nephritis ranked as the tenth highest leading cause of death in Canada in 2018, up from eleventh the previous four years. Looking at the risk factors below, why do you think this might be the case?
The risk factors for developing an inflammation of the urinary system include:
Nephritis ranked as the tenth highest leading cause of death in Canada in 2018, up from eleventh the previous four years. Looking at the risk factors below, why do you think this might be the case?
The risk factors for developing an inflammation of the urinary system include:
- being sexually active
- certain types of birth control, especially diaphragms
- being pregnant
- being menopausal or post-menopausal
- anything that prevents complete emptying of the bladder
- changes in the immune system
- prolonged use of bladder catheters
- diabetes
- high blood pressure heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
- smoking
- obesity
- being of certain ethnic backgrounds
- abnormal kidney structure
- age
- taking certain medications
- having sex without a condom
- contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- improper genital hygiene
- using scented products on the genital area
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Sexual reproduction requires a transmission of body fluids. Infections transmitted by sexual contact are referred to as sexually transmitted infections or STIs. The health community
prefers the term infection over the term disease because a person can be infected without showing any signs or symptoms of the disease. STIs are a common cause of inflammation of the reproductive system.
Inflammation of the female reproductive system is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Inflammation of the male reproductive system is named for the tissue or organ where the inflammation occurs. If it starts in the testes it is called orchitis. If it is in the epididymis, the tube that stores sperm in the back of the scrotum, it is called epididymitis. If it starts in the epididymis and goes into the testes it is called epididymo–orchitis.
Inflammation of the female reproductive system is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Inflammation of the male reproductive system is named for the tissue or organ where the inflammation occurs. If it starts in the testes it is called orchitis. If it is in the epididymis, the tube that stores sperm in the back of the scrotum, it is called epididymitis. If it starts in the epididymis and goes into the testes it is called epididymo–orchitis.
Risk factors for contracting an STI:
- Being sexually active at a young age
- Having multiple sexual partners
- Being in a sexual relationship with a person who has more than one sexual partner
- Having sex without proper physical protection, such as condoms or dental dams
Female risk factors for inflammation:
- Douching regularly
- Having a personal history of pelvic inflammatory disease or sexually transmitted infection
Male risk factors for inflammation:
- Obesity
- Having a personal history of sexually transmitted infection
- Mumps or other viral infections
- Testicular torsion
- Varicocele, an enlargement of the being that drains blood from the testicle to the abdomen
- Obstruction of the ejaculatory duct or the urogenital tract
- Drug therapy
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
High levels of inflammation in the cardiovascular system are associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Risk factors for cardiovascular inflammation include:
Risk factors for cardiovascular inflammation include:
- Smoking
- Being overweight or obese
- Being sedentary
- Eating processed and fast foods
- Family history of cardiovascular events
- Personal history of high blood pressure and/or cholesterol
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The general term for respiratory inflammation is pneumonitis. Examples include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung diseases, and chronic pneumonia.
Risk factors include:
Risk factors include:
- genetics
- allergies
- being overweight
- smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke
- being exposed to pollutants regularly
- being immunocompromised
- surgery