Tag: chronic inflammation

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Fun Fact: Inflame

 

Anatomy Def: To inflame is the body’s response to injury.

Outlander Def: Ow! Jamie’s puir, inflamed leg after the horrid fang-bang! 🐍

Learn about inflammation in Anatomy Lesson #37, “Outlander Owies – Mars and Scars.” Just to be clear, inflammation is the process of being inflamed. 

Inflammation is an crucial defense mechanism the body employs to combat physical injury.  There are two main types:

    • Acute – rapid but short-lived response to injury
    • chronic – prolonged response to injury (different types) 

Just so you know, acute inflammation is not the same as infection, although these may occur simultaneously.   

Fact: Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Roman, Aulus Cornelius Celsus, wrote prolifically about medicine, pharmacy, surgery, agriculture, law and military arts! 😲 Celsus was not a physician, but he was the first to described the four cardinal signs of acute inflammation. Later, in the 19th century, Rudolf Virchow, the father of modern pathology, added a fifth.

The five signs, in Latin, followed by their English equivalents, are:

    • Rubor = redness
    • Tumor = swelling
    • Calor = heat
    • Dolor = pain
    • Functio laesa = loss of function (Virchow)

How does inflammation happen? It is a process rather than an event. Simply put, if tissues sustain an injury, inflammation quickly appears due to dramatic changes in small blood vessels of the injured region. Blood flow increases. Small vessels become leaky allowing fluid (plasma) and some white blood cells (WBC) to enter the injured tissues. So:

    • Increased blood flow causes redness 
    • Leaked plasma causes swelling 
    • Leaked WBCs release chemicals that induce more redness, swelling, pain, and increased temperature (heat)
    • Finally, pain causes decreased function of the injured area (Ouch! Using it hurts!)

Inflammation may seem harmful, and sometimes it is, but it is designed to:

    • Eliminate the cause of tissue injury
    • Remove damaged cells
    • Pave the way for tissue repair

Just to be complete, a venomous snake bite usually produces (there can be other symptoms depending on venom):

    • Severe burning pain at the site 
    • Swelling
    • Redness and bruising all the way up arm or leg
    • Nausea
    • Labored breathing
    • Weakness
    • Odd taste in mouth

Try This: The next time you get cut or scratched, look carefully at the wound for redness and swelling. Is it painful? Gently place the wounded area against the lip to detect an increase in temperature. Yup, there are the four signs. And, if you are like most folks, you will avoid using that area until it heals, hence, loss of function!

Read about Jamie’s inflamed leg in The Fiery Cross! Yes, it’s in there!

“That’s enough, aye?” Jamie said mildly. “You’ll drain me dry.” He gingerly wiggled his bared foot, grimacing at his leg. The slashmarks were vivid, still oozing blood, and the flesh around them was swollen from the sucking, blotched and bruised.

The leg was noticeably swollen near the bite, and the blue tinge had spread; it showed like a faint fresh bruise on either side of the encircling handkerchief.

See Jamie’s inflamed thigh in Outlander episode 509, Monsters and Heroes! Och, this is only the start of his thigh-high response to that vicious fang-bang! Monster, indeed!!! 😳

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: Inflammation

Anatomy Def: Inflammation is the body’s defensive response to tissue injury.

Outlander Def: Claire’s aching marks after the scourging for witchcraft. 

Learn about inflammation in Anatomy Lesson #37, “Outlander Owies, Part 3 – Mars and Scars.”

Inflammation is an important defense mechanism the body employs to combat physical injury. There are two categories of inflammation:

  • acute inflammation – rapid but brief response to injury
  • chronic inflammation – prolonged response to injury (numerous types) 

Interestingly, acute inflammation is not the same as infection.  Inflammation can occur with or without the presence of infectious agents.

Fun Fact: Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Roman encyclopedist named Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote extensively about medicine, pharmacy, surgery, agriculture, law and military arts. Although not a physician, he was the first to described four cardinal signs of acute inflammation. Rudolf Virchow, father of modern pathology, added a fifth. These signs in Latin, followed by their English equivalents, are:

  • Rubor = redness
  • Tumor = swelling
  • Calor = heat
  • Dolor = pain
  • Functio laesa = loss of or disturbance of function 

When tissues are injured (e.g. blow, burn, cut, abrasion, infection, etc.) inflammation quickly appears due to dramatic changes in small blood vessels of the injured region. The small vessels dilate and become leaky allowing fluid (plasma) and some types of white blood cells (WBC) to enter the injured tissues. The result: 

  • Increased blood flow causes redness 
  • Leaked plasma causes swelling 
  • escaped WBCs release chemicals inducing more redness, swelling, pain, and heat
  • Pain causes decreased use (function) of injured area

These responses may seem harmful and sometimes they are, but, overall, are designed to:

  • eliminate the cause of cell injury
  • remove damaged cells
  • pave the way for tissue repair

Try This: Do you have a cut or scratch? If not, the next time one arises,  observe the wound. You will likely note redness, swelling and pain. Gently place the wounded area against the skin of face or lip and detect increased temperature (heat). And, likely, you will avoid using that area until it heals (loss of function) because it hurts.  The five cardinal signs of inflammation!

Read about inflammation in Outlander book. Yes, it’s there! Claire and Mrs. Fitz share a significant convo over wounded Jamie. Although the word inflame  doesn’t appear for another 40 or 50 years (late 1700s), their exchange remains authentic – Mrs. F merely states she “understands” Claire’s “meaning.” So, all is well <G>: 

“But he’s hurt. He was shot yesterday and stabbed last night. I bandaged the wound for riding, but I didn’t have time to clean or dress it properly. I must care for it now, before it gets infected.” 

“Infected?” 

“Yes, that is, I mean, inflamed, you know, with pus and swelling and fever.” 

“Oh, aye, I know what ye mean. But do ye mean to say as ye know what to do for that? Are ye a charmer then? A Beaton?” 

“Something like that.” 

See the striking (no pun intended) marks on Claire’s back courtesy of the strap in Starz ep 111, The Devil’s Mark. Yep, inflammation, for sure! Thankfully, Jamie reassures her with these splendid words: 

“It won’t—” he began, then hesitated, “I mean, the cuts are not deep. I—I think you’ll no be … marked.” He spoke gruffly, but his touch was very gentle, and reduced me to tears once more.

Me, too! Sob! 

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Photo credit: Starz