Inflammatory Process and Electrolyte Balance (Essay Sample)

Inflammation and Electrolyte Balance:
Delving Deeper into Inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is commonly known as a negative health condition because of the various physical observations that non-medically inclined people see. However, without the process of inflammation, the process of healing would not begin. Inflammation is defined as the “body’s immediate reaction to tissue injury or damage” (Nair and Peat, 2009). This injury may be caused by: 1) infections brought about by viruses, bacteria, fungi and other parasites; 2) physical and chemical reactions of the body to various environmental agents; 3) trauma; 4) genetic problems; 5) and other immune responses (Nair and Peat, 2009; McCane et. al., 2010). In the process of inflammation, the white blood cells or the leukocytes travel to the damaged tissue to begin repair. The process in which the tissue starts repairing its damaged parts is commonly known as wound healing.
Wound healing is a complex process which is composed of at least three phases. The first phase is the inflammatory phase wherein the tissue begins to achieve homeostasis once again. In this phase, the blood vessels constrict—a process known as vasoconstriction— to increase blood pressure then the thrombocytes, or platelets, begin to aggregate. After that inflammation begins wherein the blood vessels dilate—medically termed as vasodilation— to decrease the blood pressure which causes the swelling or oedema of the damaged tissue, the redness of the area, increased heat and stimulation of nerve endings surrounding the tissue which in turn brings the sensation of pain and this allows the leukocytes to commence phagocytosis in case infectious bacteria and other foreign bodies have invaded the tissue or if there are no infectious bodies that entered the tissue then macrophages, a type of leukocyte, would engulf the remains of the ruptured cells caused by the damage. Then, the aggregated thrombocytes start to clot. The second phase is known as the proliferative phase wherein first granulation happens. Here the fibroblasts start to produce a layer of collagen which fills in the damaged part of the tissue and produces new sets of capillaries. Then the wound enters the contraction process in which the edges of the wound would be decreasing in size to reduce the probability of increasing the damage. After that, epithelial tissue starts to cover the area to avoid further invasion. Finally, the wound enters the third phase called the remodeling phase which includes the formation of new collagen to enhance the tensile strength of the wound. In this phase, the formation of the rough scab is seen. (Fishman, 2010; Nair and Peat, 2009; McCane et. al., 2010).
The inflammatory response of the body may be seen as a negative health condition of the public due to its four main signs or symptoms. These symptoms are brought about by the different positive processes that occur within the body and emit negative conditions on the individual. These symptoms are swelling, redness, heat or elevated temperature and pain. Swelling is described as “a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities…of the body” (The New Oxford American Dictionary, n.d.). The “excess of watery fluid” is caused by the escape of the plasma and the movement of the immune cells, known as leukocytes, to the area where the damaged tissues are. Damages to the body which causes injuries to the cell that leads to the bursting of the cell membrane would cause molecules to fill in the tissue surrounding the cell. This “filling in” of the molecules then instigates a larger sized tissue which is commonly attributed as a swell. The occurrence of a swell helps in the movement of the leukocytes and other immune cells to the site of damage or infection by increasing the permeability of the blood vessels surrounding the swollen tissue. This increase in the permeability of the blood vessels allows the leukocytes to cross the walls of the vessels to go to the damaged tissue and defend it from possible invasions of foreign bodies and in clearing the damaged cells. (Quanten, 2004).
Redness of the area surrounding the tissue is simply an effect of the swelling of the tissue. After the tissues have swollen, certain sensory nerves react to the increased fluid by widening the blood vessels which does not only increase the permeability of the blood vessels but also increases the flow of blood. This increased flow of blood provides the reddening of the skin which could be seen by the naked eye. (Quanten, 2004).
Elevated temperature is caused by the increased secretion of prostaglandin E2 which sends signals to the hypothalamus to increase the temperature of the body of the individual. This increase of the said chemical is induced by the chemical messenger sent by the macrophages during the swelling of the affected tissue. This increased internal temperature causes the individual to feel colder externally and thus, bringing what is commonly known as a fever. Having a fever, however, is not as negative as most might think. Bacteria, which could cause various diseases on the body, mostly propagate at normal body temperatures. Now, if the body’s temperature would increase then the reproduction of the bacteria would slow down. Also, immune cells would be pressured to produce more at elevated temperature since with this they “know” that there an invasion occurring. So, a fever actually helps in reducing bacterial actions and increasing immune counterattacks. (Quanten, 2004).
The fourth main symptom of inflammation is pain. Pain caused by tissue damage is caused by the chemicals and processes found inside the body. These chemicals and processes help in keeping the damaged area as immobile as it could. If an individual still feels the pain with the damage still present then it is a sign that the individual’s body is repairing the damage. (Quanten, 2004).
The presence and severity of inflammation in the body may vary based on different factors affecting the individual and the inflammation itself. There are basically two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is an inflammatory response brought about by the addition of invasive foreign bodies. This form of inflammation only lasts for a few days but its cause may be fatal to the individual. Chronic inflammation is a longer form which may last for weeks and even years. Chronic inflammation may be due to an acute inflammation or an autoimmune disease. In detecting the severity and presence of inflammation there are various laboratory or diagnostic protocols to follow. One of these is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a blood test which is used to detect the elevation of protein in the blood and it is used to detect chronic inflammation and is non-specific since inflammation is brought by many diseases as well as cellular damages. In here, blood sample is collected from the individual and a chemical is added on the blood to prevent it from clotting. Then the sample is left to stand for some time as the erythrocytes separate from the clear plasma wherein the red blood cells settle on the bottom of the test tube while the plasma floats on top of the tube. In this test, the rate at which this separation happens is the one that is measured. If there is an increase in the rate of separation of erythrocytes and plasma then there is an inflammation. This increase in separation is due to the elevated levels of protein produced during inflammation. The protein binds with the erythrocyte making the erythrocyte heavier so that it settles faster, making it separate from the plasma quicker than the normal rate. The higher the rate of sedimentation the more severe the inflammation for there would be more protein deposits and thus increasing the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation. (Patient.co.uk, 2011).
Another test is the C-reactive protein blood test. This is another form of blood test which effectively tells the presence and severity of inflammation in the body but fails to direct where the inflammation occurs and is a form of testing acute inflammation. C-reactive protein increases when the body experiences a trauma or damage caused by an invasive disease. The level of CRP in the blood would be measured through serial measurements and an increase in CRP level means that there is inflammation in certain parts of the body. A very high CRP level means that the inflammation is severe. CRP test is also known as a non-specific inflammation test since it does not tell what causes the inflammation but elevated levels of this do state that the body is undergoing an inflammatory response to a certain disease that has infected the body. An elevation in CRP level may also indicate cancer, heart failure and other such diseases which are brought about by environmental factors like the presence of smoke and the ingestion of chemicals and other substances. (Patient.co.uk).
Electrolyte Balance
Electrolyte

Function

Major Signs/Symptoms

Causes of Abnormality

Normal Electrolyte Value (mmol/L)

Na+ ...