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Inflammation

A review published in June 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience concluded that inflammation is a common pathway of stress-related diseases.

Stressful events engender multiple neurochemical, neurotransmitter and hormonal alterations by mainly activating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When stress stimuli are under control, the body responds to these in the physiological way. SNS and HPA axis are woken up to release chemical mediators to protect our body from stress. For instance, catecholamines are elevated to increase heart rate and blood pressure, which help us to fight or flight.The Nervous System attempts to regulate Sympathetic overdrive created by stress through activation of Parasympathetic nervous system( mostly Vagus nerve) and activation of higher brain region ( prefrontal cortex ) to calm the nervous system.

The The body’s immune system also responds to threats, such as infection, physical injury, emotional or mental insult with a cascade of changes that lead to localised inflammation.The immune system recognizes and attempts to remove harmful stimuli and begins the healing process.This is the proposed process of acute stress.

These states are beneficial to our survival and recovery. However if the stress exposure is continuous, chronic stress is the outcome.Chronic stress result failures of homeostasis.

The Ironic thing with inflammation is we might not feel anything developing until it becomes a full-blown, obvious disease.When healthy, properly-functioning cells and the nervous system become dysfunctional, it leads to inflammation. The body ‘s give us prewarning by developing early symptoms of ill health:

In the last two decades, accumulating evidence indicated that severe or prolonged (chronic) stress resulted in increased risk for physical and psychiatric disorders, which is called stress-related disease. Stress is the common risk factor of 75%–90% of the disease processes, including the diseases which cause the foremost morbidity and mortality. According to the former review, the most common stress-related diseases are cardiovascular diseases (CVD, i.e., hypertension and atherosclerosis), metabolic diseases (i.e., diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD), psychotic and neurodegenerative disorders (i.e., depression, Alzheimer’s disease, AD and Parkinson’s disease, PD), cancer

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to inflammatory states, which are involved in a wide variety of diseases. (Photo courtesy of NIEHS)

Social, environmental, lifestyle risk factors contributing to Inflammatory cascade:

The research has found common factors of both the onset and resolution of inflammation. Some are listed below.

  • Physical activity — When skeletal muscles contract, they release proteins that can systematically reduce inflammation.These movement depends on proper development of series of primitive and postural reflexes which can be altered either through an injury during childhood or later in life.Any form of trauma initiates inflammatory cascade through hypoxia or interruption in oxygen flow in the blood and into the tissues.
  • Microbiome — Studies of various microbiome imbalances and disease states show connections to inflammation.
  • Diet — Diets high in refined grains, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods can alter gut microbiota and lead to intestinal , hormonal and immune changes.
  • Social and cultural changes — Disrupted sleep patterns, psychosocial stress, artificial light, and other factors influence the immune system.
  • Environmental and industrial toxicants — The federal Tox21 Program in USA has demonstrated that chemicals we commonly encounter alter molecular signaling pathways that underlie inflammation.
  • Developmental origins — Childhood obesity, psychological stress, Physical trauma, Genetic variations, Compromised primitive and postural reflexes, microbial exposure in infancy, and prenatal conditions, inherited health challenges are linked to changes related to inflammation, often through epigenetic changes.

There are generally two types of inflammation: acute and chronic inflammation

Acute Inflammation

Tissue damage due to trauma, microbial invasion, or noxious compounds all induce acute inflammation. It starts rapidly, becomes severe in a short time and symptoms may last for a few days for example cellulitis or acute pneumonia. Subacute inflammation is the period between acute and chronic inflammation and may last 2 to 6 weeks.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is also referred to as slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years. Generally, the extent and effects of chronic inflammation vary with the cause of the injury and the ability of the body to repair and overcome the damage. A state of chronic inflammation lessens our ability to function properly at the cellular level. This is precisely why chronic inflammation can affect so many different body systems and organs. Therefore, when it comes to alleviating any of these conditions, addressing inflammation is the pivotal first step.

Biochemical contributors to Inflammation:

We are exposed to toxins from a variety of different sources, as you can see. Once toxins enter our bodies through inhalation, the skin and ingestion, there are generally different routes they can go, and which route they take is dependent on our ability to process and eliminate them effectively or not.

While it is almost impossible to eliminate toxin exposure completely, there are definitely things you can do to limit your exposure and take some of the toxic burden off your body.

Focusing on the list outlined above is a great place to start when it comes to food. It is really important to stress the focus on organic produce, pasture-raised meats, and healthy fats. These foods will be the most nutrient-dense and contain the most anti-inflammatory compounds. By contrast, for example, congenitally raised animal products are usually loaded with pro-inflammatory compounds like omega-6 fatty acids and can even contain pesticide and antibiotic residues.

check your water supply. Depending on where you are getting your water from, your drinking water might also contain toxic chemicals, chlorine, fluoride, radioactive substances, heavy metals (like lead), and/or a diverse cocktail of synthetic chemicals. Some city water supplies might even contain trace amounts of prescription medications!

The more toxins we exposure ourselves to, the less likely we are to process them effectively. When toxins are not eliminated, they end up getting stored in body tissues. The primary destination for storage tends to be body fat.

Low Blood Oxygen Triggers Histamine & Mast Cell Inflammation

Hypoxia, or a state of low oxygen in the body, causes histamine to be released from mast cells. If we’re already dealing with an excess of histamine due to low levels of the histamine degrading diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme, exposure to high histamine foods, stress, chemical exposure, or illness and injury; avoiding this lack of oxygen to cells is paramount. Low blood oxygen has many causes, including lack of nutrients, stress, not breathing correctly (while awake or asleep), and inflammation. Symptoms include: Shortness of breath, Rapid breathing, Fast heart rate, Low blood pressure, Confusion , Fatigue, poor hormonal regulation, poor sleep, cognitive decline. our mitochondria( the cell’s power engine) require oxygen to produce energy.

There Are Four Types Of Hypoxia or low blood oxygen

  1. Hypoxic: where there’s not enough oxygen available .
  2. Hypoxemic: where cells in the body are unable to carry enough oxygen 
  3. Histoxic: where cells are unable to carry enough oxygen because they’re impaired by alcohol or chemicals/drugs 
  4. Stagnant: too little oxygen due to external forces (like being in a fighter jet)

A voluminous amount of research tells us that Low blood oxygen is a driving factor in many chronic diseases.

Interestingly, a study published in the journal Frontiers of Immunology found that the release of histamine in states of low oxygen actually prevents “uncontrolled degranulation” of mast cells (the process by which they release histamine). This stops the body from descending into a state of all out inflammation.

HOW DO WE APPROACH YOUR HEALTH CONCERNS:

Our approach is based on prevention and neuroplasticity. We aim to identify the primary contributing factor of stress leading to activation of inflammatory cascade causing the client’s presenting complaint ( ill health) .

References:

  1. Furman D, Campisi J, Verdin E, Carrera-Bastos P, Targ S, Franceschi C, Ferrucci L, Gilroy DW, Fasano A, Miller GW, Miller AH, Mantovani A, Weyand CM, Barzilai N, Goronzy JJ, Rando TA, Effros RB, Lucia A, Kleinstreuer N, Slavich GM. 2019. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med 25(12):1822–1832.
  2. PhD, Charles Patrick Davis MD. “Hypoxia vs Hypoxemia:.MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2017.
  3. Front. Neurol., Volume 9 – 2018 | , Autonomic Nervous System and Stress https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00090
  4. Liu YZ, Wang YX, Jiang CL. Inflammation: The Common Pathway of Stress-Related Diseases. Front Hum Neurosci. 2017 Jun 20;11:316. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00316. PMID: 28676747; PMCID: PMC5476783

Breanne E. Kearney1* and Ruth A. Lanius, The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders, Front. Neurosci., 21 November 2022 Volume 16 – 2022

Over 30 years experience in specialised services in integrative and natural health, neuro-motor and sensory processing, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

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