What is inflammation?

Inflammation is the medical term for the body’s response to irritation, injury or infection. It is the normal protective reaction of the body to an infective organism (such as bacteria or viruses), antigen (a foreign agent in the body) or tissue injury. Usually, inflammation is a process that helps to trigger healing, but if it doesn’t stop at the right time or is uncontrolled, it can cause damage.

Inflammation is characterised by:

• Swelling
• Redness
• Heat in the affected tissues

Inflammation of the intestine can result in pus and mucus formation as well as bleeding, ulcers and pain.