There's been a lot of talk (and research) about inflammation in recent years. If you've been hearing about this but aren't quite sure what it means or how it can impact you, you're in the right place. Medical journals can be complex and confusing, so in this blog we'll cover the basics of inflammation with a veteran-specific lens to let you know which common service-connected conditions can cause it and what it does to your overall health.
Here's what veterans should know about inflammation and how it affects the body:
What is inflammation?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, inflammation is a normal part of the body's response to injuries, illness, and invaders like germs or bacteria. But it can also happen when you don't have an injury or infection – which can cause a variety of other problems. When it occurs long-term in otherwise healthy tissues or organs, it can harm your health.
There are two types of inflammation:
Acute inflammation: This type of inflammation occurs as a response to an injury or illness. This comes on right away and doesn't last beyond the healing process.
Chronic inflammation: This type of inflammation happens when your body keeps sending inflammatory cells even though there's no injury or illness. It happens with inflammatory diseases, which can sometimes be service-connected. We'll get to that later.
Inflammation can also impact the body's systems in different ways. Here are a few examples:
Immune system: Autoimmune diseases can develop as a result of an overactive immune system that causes chronic inflammation. Basically, when inflammation is acute (short-term), it helps the immune system by healing the problem – but when it's chronic it gets in the way.
Musculoskeletal system: Chronic inflammation, especially when in the joints, can lead to muscle weakness, pain, and stiffness.
Cardiovascular system: Chronic inflammation can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, which can increase the risk of hypertension, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Respiratory system: Chronic inflammation can damage lung tissue and also cause or worsen asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and allergies.
What service-connected conditions can cause chronic inflammation?
Many common service-connected conditions that veterans face can result in chronic inflammation, leading to other problems down the road. The following list includes some of the more common ones, but there are plenty of other situations that can cause chronic inflammation too.
Here are a few common service-connected conditions that go hand-in-hand with chronic inflammation:
Musculoskeletal conditions: Arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis
Autoimmune diseases: Fibromyalgia
Respiratory and environmental exposures: COPD, asthma, Gulf War Illness
Cardiovascular conditions: Hypertension, ischemic heart disease
Gastrointestinal: IBS, GERD, ulcerative colitis and Chrohn's disease
We help veterans with compelling medical docs for VA disability benefits claims
Inflammation is a complex topic, but our team of medical experts know how to assess and integrate this information into your medical documentation so that you can file a compelling claim.
A strong VA disability benefits claim starts with the right documentation. We offer Nexus Letters, DBQs, chart reviews, and more so you can earn the benefits you deserve. Sign up for a chart review, and view other services here. Instead of going it alone, work with one of our professional medical experts to get exactly what you need.
Comments