Inflammation
The biology behind inflammation — pro-inflammatory hormones
For those of you who like to understand the underlying biology of a process like inflammation, here’s a brief description of the pro-inflammatory hormones and their roles:
Prostaglandins are compounds within the cell that stimulate nerves that signal pain to the brain and force you to stop what you’re doing — “Drop the hot pan!” They swell the blood vessels at the injured site, opening space in the capillary walls for the white blood cells to enter. The blood and plasma rushing out of those enlarged vessels causes the swelling, tenderness and redness. Prostaglandins are responsible for the pain of menstrual cramps.
Cytokines communicate with your brain when they detect an intruder, sounding the alarm. A sub-class of cytokines called leukotrienes (or interleukins) ensure that the immune response is checked before it destroys outlying healthy cells and tissue. Importantly, they call off the inflammatory response. If you have overactive leukotrienes, your body can lose control of the process — white blood cells begin to digest healthy tissue, causing excessive damage and scarring, a common symptom in many autoimmune disorders.
Histamines are the chemicals responsible for that itchy nose, watery eyes and rash during an allergic reaction. Their job is to help you rid yourself of whatever toxin is causing the problem (by sneezing, coughing, crying and scratching). They bring more blood and lymphatic fluid to the site of the invasion, which transports your white blood cells to the site and toxins away from it. The amount of histamine that gets released determines how bad the allergy attack will be.
In many of us, this delicate interplay of hormones is disrupted and the resulting chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on your health. To find out what can interfere with your healthy immune response and what you can do about it, read our article on
chronic inflammation.
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
We’re always happy to welcome new patients to our medical clinic in Yarmouth, Maine, for those who can make the trip. Click here for information about making an appointment.
Last Modified: 01/14/2008