| Inflammation and auto-inflammation | I | Inflammation and auto-inflammation | Inflammation and auto-inflammation | | English | Immunology | Child (0-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | Body | Immune system | Conditions and diseases | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2021-06-03T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 11.9000000000000 | 38.9000000000000 | 1354.00000000000 | | Health (A-Z) - Conditions | Health A-Z | <p>Inflammation is the body's protective response against infections and injuries. Auto-inflammation occurs when the body produces an inflammatory response against its own healthy tissues. Learn about the signs and symptoms of inflammation and auto-inflammation.</p> | <h2>What is inflammation?</h2><p>Inflammation is the body's normal, protective response to injuries or infections. It is triggered by the immune system, which is a cellular system within the body. The immune system monitors for injuries to the body and detects “intruders” such as bacteria and viruses. If the immune system detects an injury or intruder, it mounts a response called an inflammatory response and signals cells to the site of injury or infection.</p><p>You may hear the words infection and inflammation together, but they mean very different things. Infection refers to the invasion and multiplication of bacteria or viruses within the body, while inflammation is the body's protective response against infection.</p><p>Inflammation is a complex cellular process involving various types of immune cells, clotting proteins and signaling molecules. It can occur after an injury, such as a burn or a cut, and also when there is an infection present in the body. But, inflammation can sometimes also occur without an injury or infection.</p>
<figure class="asset-c-100"><span class="asset-image-title">Inflammation</span><img src="https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/akhassets/IMD_inflammation_EN.jpg" alt="Splinter in the skin causing pain, warmth, redness and swelling" /><figcaption class="asset-image-caption">Inflammation is the normal response of your body’s immune system to injuries and harmful things that enter your body. Immune cells, triggered by the inflammatory response, quickly react after an injury to protect and heal the injury. A wood splinter enters the skin and the inflammatory response is triggered.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What is auto-inflammation?</h2><p>Sometimes, the immune system can over-react and can cause inflammation by attacking healthy tissues within the body. This process is called ‘auto-inflammation’. When auto-inflammation occurs, there is a dysfunction within the immune system that triggers the body to mount an inflammatory response against itself. It is not known why this occurs, but it is thought that a virus or another trigger in the environment may be the initial cause.</p> | <h2>Key points</h2><ul><li>Inflammation is the body's normal response to injuries or infections. Cells of the immune system travel to the site of injury or infection and cause inflammation to protect and heal the area.</li><li>Different types of white blood cells are involved in the immune system response.</li><li>Auto-inflammation occurs when the cells of the immune system produce an inflammatory response against its own healthy tissues.</li></ul> | <h2>Signs of inflammation after injury or infection</h2><p>When an injury occurs, the cells of our immune system immediately travel to the site of injury or irritation and the inflammatory response begins. This includes widening of local blood vessels to allow fluid and immune cells into surrounding injured tissue, which causes swelling, redness, warmth and pain at the site. This process protects the injured area and signals other cells to the site to begin repairing and healing the injury. Normally, inflammation slowly goes away after the irritation has been removed and the body is adequately protected, as can be seen with the example of the splinter in the skin.</p><h2>Signs of inflammation during auto-inflammation</h2><p>During auto-inflammation, cells of the immune system also travel to certain sites in the body. However, there are no injuries or infections at these sites. Instead of repairing and healing, the auto-inflammatory response often ends up harming healthy tissues.</p><p>Auto-inflammation can cause damage and destruction to the body tissues or organs that it affects. This can be seen with central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases, where auto-inflammation causes dysfunction in the brain, spine and/or optic (eye) nerves. An auto-inflammatory event can be a one-time occurrence or it may develop into a chronic (long-term) issue.</p> | <h2>What causes auto-inflammation?</h2><p>The exact cause of auto-inflammatory conditions is not known. A dysfunction of the immune system causes auto-inflammation, but it is unknown why this dysfunction occurs. Various theories include exposure to a virus, possible environmental triggers, and genetics.</p> | <h2>How is an auto-inflammatory condition diagnosed?</h2><p>If your child has symptoms of auto-inflammation or a suspected auto-inflammatory disease, several tests may be completed including a physical exam, imaging tests such as <a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=1270&language=English">magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)</a>, a biopsy, a <a href="https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=3380&language=English">lumbar puncture</a> and other tests including blood, urine or stool tests. Your child’s health-care team will review the results of the testing with you.</p> | <h2>Treatment of auto-inflammatory conditions</h2><p>Children with auto-inflammatory diseases are typically treated with immune-modifying therapies or immunosuppressant treatments. These are medications that are given to suppress (turn off) the abnormal immune response. Immunosuppressant medications may be given in pill form, injection or by intravenous (IV) infusion. Your child’s health-care team will recommend specific medication(s) and/or treatments for your child.</p><ul><li>It is important that you child follow the treatment regime recommended to treat their auto-inflammatory condition. If your child develops side effects of the treatments, their health-care team should be contacted.</li><li>Your child may be more at risk for infections when they are treated with immunosuppressant medications. If your child develops a fever or symptoms of an infection, their health-care team should be contacted.</li><li>The effectiveness of vaccines can also be influenced by immune-modifying medications. It is important to talk to your child’s health-care team if your child requires any immunizations.</li></ul> | | <h2>When to seek medical attention</h2><p>Contact your child's health-care team, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department right away if your child experiences any of the following:</p><ul><li>A <a href="https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=30&language=English">fever</a></li><li>A seizure</li><li>Changes in their level of consciousness</li></ul><p>If your child develops sudden symptoms of their auto-inflammatory illness, please contact their health-care team.</p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| L’inflammation et le système immunitaire | L | L’inflammation et le système immunitaire | Inflammation and the immune system | | French | Immunology | Child (0-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | Body | Immune system | Conditions and diseases | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2013-05-13T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 10.0000000000000 | 49.0000000000000 | 613.000000000000 | | Health (A-Z) - Conditions | Health A-Z | <p>L’inflammation est la réponse du corps à l’infection. Apprenez à reconnaître les signes et les symptômes d’inflammation et comment votre corps y réagit.</p> | <h2>L’inflammation, qu’est-ce que c’est?</h2><p>L’inflammation est la réaction normale de l’organisme aux blessures et aux infections. Les mots « infection » et « inflammation » sont souvent employés ensemble, mais leur sens est très différent. L’infection est l’invasion de l’organisme par un agent pathogène qui s’y multiplie, tandis que l’inflammation est la réponse de l’organisme pour se protéger de l’infection. L’inflammation est un processus complexe qui fait intervenir plusieurs types de cellules immunitaires, des protéines de coagulation et des molécules de signalisation qui, toutes, évoluent avec le temps.</p>
<figure class="asset-c-100">
<span class="asset-image-title">Inflammation</span>
<img src="https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/akhassets/IMD_inflammation_FR.jpg" alt="Une esquille dans la peau causant de douleur, chaleur, rougeur et gonflement" />
<figcaption class="asset-image-caption">L’inflammation est la réponse normale du système immunitaire de l’organisme aux lésions et aux éléments nuisibles qui entrent dans le corps. Les cellules immunitaires réagissent rapidement dans la zone atteinte pour régler le problème. Au cours du processus, on peut ressentir des symptômes tels que douleur, chaleur, gonflement et rougeur.</figcaption>
</figure> | <h2>À retenir<br></h2><ul><li>L’inflammation est la réponse normale du corps aux lésions et aux infections. Des cellules du système immunitaire se déplacent vers le site de la lésion ou de l’infection et causent une inflammation.</li><li>Les quatre principaux signes d’inflammation sont la chaleur, la rougeur, l’enflure et la douleur.</li><li>Les maladies inflammatoires à long terme comprennent l’asthme, la colite, la maladie de Crohn, l’arthrite, la vasculite et la néphrite.</li><li>Parmi les différents types de cellules de notre système immunitaire, il y a les lymphocytes, les anticorps et les protéines des cellules B, les neutrophiles, les monocytes, les éosinophiles et les basophiles.</li></ul> | <p>Les cellules du système immunitaire se rendent immédiatement à l’endroit de la blessure ou de l’irritation et provoquent une inflammation. Cette réaction inclut un élargissement des vaisseaux sanguins à proximité, qui entraîne un écoulement de liquide et de cellules immunitaires dans les tissus environnants. Ce processus entraîne souvent une gêne temporaire et aboutit à ce que les médecins appellent les quatre signes cardinaux de l’inflammation :</p><ul><li>chaleur</li><li>rougeur</li><li>gonflement</li><li>
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=1652&language=French">douleur</a><br></li></ul><p>Normalement, l’inflammation disparaît d’elle-même une fois que l’irritation est apaisée et que l’organisme est adéquatement protégé. Dans certains cas, cependant, l’inflammation est la maladie; elle apparaît en l’absence d’irritations nuisibles et se poursuit indéfiniment. Cela entraîne des problèmes de fonction des organes. Exemples d’affections inflammatoires à long terme : </p><ul><li>Maladie inflammatoire des voies aériennes :
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=785&language=French">asthme</a></li><li>
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=821&language=French">Maladie intestinale inflammatoire</a> :
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=924&language=French">colite</a> et
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=923&language=French">maladie de Crohn</a></li><li>Maladie inflammatoire des articulations :<a href="/Article?contentid=1049&language=French"> arthrite</a></li><li>Maladie inflammatoire des vaisseaux sanguins :
<a href="https://akhpub.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=914&language=french">vasculite</a><br></li><li>Maladie inflammatoire des reins : néphrite </li></ul> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
