Inflammation is characterized as acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is a normal and short-lived response to injury, irritation, or infection that typically lasts minutes to days. The symptoms of acute inflammation include redness, swelling, heat, and pain at the affected site.
Chronic inflammation is a long-term response that lasts weeks or even years. Chronic inflammation can be caused by environmental toxins, a bacterial or viral infection, poor nutrition, stress, and processes related to aging. Chronic inflammation is activated when the mechanisms of acute inflammation fail to stop infection or heal an injury.
Prolonged inflammation can generate a series of destructive reactions that damage cells, eventually leading to the clinical symptoms of the disease. Chronic inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system fails to maintain homeostasis.