By Harold E. Buttram MD, and Catherine Frompovich
Inflammation
Inflammation is a biochemical process resulting from pathogens, irritants, or damaged cells. It should not be compared to infection, although inflammation can result from infection. A cascade of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. [1] [Emphasis added]
Several diseases have their origin in the inflammatory process: Alzheimer’s [2], coronary artery disease [3-6], and cancer. [7-9] Other disorders with which inflammation is associated include acne vulgaris, asthma, autoimmune diseases, chronic prostatitis, glomerulonephritis, hypersensitivities, inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, reperfusion injury, rheumatoid arthritis, transplant rejection, vasculitis, interstitial cystitis. Inflammation, therefore, is well known in the etiology of disease.
Furthermore, inflammation is a protective attempt of the organism to remove harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes) to initiate healing. [10]
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain, usually associated with meningitis. Some symptoms associated with encephalitis include fever, drowsiness, fatigue, and convulsions. The primary diagnostic procedure is a lumbar puncture with removal of cerebrospinal fluid for culture and microscopic analysis.
Another aspect of encephalitis known as Rasmussen’s encephalitis causes chronic inflammation with infiltration of T lymphocytes into the brain leading to atrophy and epilepsy.
Several viruses including polio, chicken pox, and West Nile are capable of causing encephalitis.
And, an allergic reaction to vaccinations [11], as per the National Institutes of Health, also can cause encephalitis with brain swelling. Encephalitis was included as one of the vaccine injuries to be compensated for under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. [12]
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