Inflammation is a key part of the body’s immune defense system, helping to fight infections, repair tissue damage, and restore balance. It’s visible when you experience redness, pain, swelling, and heat from injuries like cuts or sprains, and it also occurs internally during infections like the flu or pneumonia. Chronic inflammation happens when the immune response persists, either due to an ongoing threat or because the body mistakenly triggers inflammation without a real threat. It can also be fueled by unhealthy lifestyle factors like poor diet, smoking, and stress, and can lead to tissue damage rather than healing. (Harvard Health. (2023, March 27). What is Inflammation? Causes, Effects, Treatment – Harvard Health.)