[at-l] aches and pains

[thornel@attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

Wrong! Buzzer! Flashing lights! Bells ringing!

The immune system creates the inflammatory response to problems in the 
environment and injury. When your body sees a strange protein, or a protein 
in the wrong place, an inflammatory response occurs to attack, destroy and 
clean up the insulting stimulus. This includes increasing temperature 
(locally and systemically), increased blood supply, migration of white 
bloods cells and lymphatics, edema and related changes. That is why an 
infected joint hurts like hell as your body tries to get the bacteria 
killed and removed. Puss is your body's toxic waste dump, with your immune 
system doing everything possible to drain the abscess.

The immune system can get carried away with attack on normal tissues, or 
create increasing inflammation - as often occurs in rheumatoid arthritis, 
lupus, MS and other auto immune disorders. Treating inflammation and fever 
with aspirin or other NSAID may actually inhibit resolution of an 
infection. Yet treating the inflammatory response can help a sick hiker get 
to a trailhead, rather than linger with a delirium and fever in shelter. 
(You pays your bets and takes your chances.)

It is nice that NSAIDs also have analgesic properties, but it can be a 
problem. If pain is neglected, further injury is almost certain. Analgesia 
can help the hiker sleep and repair over night. Again, there is a risk 
benefit equation.

My first aid kit includes aspirin for all the good things it can do. I 
might carry a long acting NSAID if I had arthritis pre-hike. I always carry 
an opiate analgesic, to treat more severe injury/pain and allow evacuation 
to a trailhead. The decision is based on what I am treating - pain vs. 
inflammation. As far as the body is concerned, all inflammation is major. 
The severity of inflammatory response is based on whether the insult 
surrenders quickly and can be cleared.

OrangeBug

At 12:02 PM 1/5/2001 -0600, Billie H. Cleek wrote:
>Sorry, I was overgeneralizing. I do understand the difference between
>inflammation and pathogens. I also understand that the immune system
>doesn't have anything to do with combatting inflammation. My point is the
>same, though. If it is MAJOR inflammation then I'd be a fool not to try to
>bring it down.