Author: Dr. Harold Han, The Happy Chemist
Hello, friends! Harold here. Today, we are going to play a little word game. Do not worry, there is no quiz at the end, but what you learn might explain why your knee hurts, why your stomach is upset, and why you feel tired all at the same time.
We are going to talk about four letters that appear at the end of many medical diagnoses: I-T-I-S.
You have heard them: Arthritis, Bronchitis, Colitis. But have you ever stopped to ask what that suffix actually means? In the language of medicine (which borrows heavily from Greek and Latin), "itis" literally means inflammation.
That’s it. When a doctor gives you a diagnosis ending in "-itis," they are essentially telling you, "This body part is inflamed." The only difference between these diseases is where the fire is burning.
The Great Masquerade
We tend to think of our bodies as a collection of separate parts. You have a "stomach problem" (Gastritis) or a "skin problem" (Dermatitis). But mechanistically speaking? It is the same problem.
It is Chronic Inflammation.
Now, don't get me wrong, acute inflammation is a hero. If you get a splinter, your finger turns red, swells up, and gets hot. That is your immune system rushing in to kill bacteria and heal the wound. That is the good fire.
But the "-itis" diseases are the fires that never get totally put out. This causes the immune system to be confused or overwhelmed, which keeps attacking your own tissues, month after month, year after year.
I sat down and mapped out the "-itis" family tree, which contains over 200 diseases. The table below lists the common 65 conditions.
|
Body System |
Disease |
Root Cause |
|
Nervous System |
Meningitis |
Inflammation of the brain/spinal cord coverings |
|
Encephalitis |
Inflammation of the brain |
|
|
Myelitis |
Inflammation of the spinal cord |
|
|
Neuritis |
Inflammation of a nerve |
|
|
Optic neuritis |
Inflammation of the optic nerve |
|
|
Retinitis |
Inflammation of the retina |
|
|
Uveitis |
Inflammation of the eye’s uveal tract |
|
|
Iritis |
Inflammation of the iris |
|
|
Cardiovascular System |
Endocarditis |
Inflammation of the heart’s inner lining |
|
Myocarditis |
Inflammation of the heart muscle |
|
|
Pericarditis |
Inflammation of the heart’s outer sac |
|
|
Arteritis |
Inflammation of arteries |
|
|
Vasculitis |
Inflammation of blood vessels |
|
|
Thrombophlebitis |
Inflammation of a vein with clot formation |
|
|
Respiratory System |
Rhinitis |
Inflammation of nasal mucosa |
|
Sinusitis |
Inflammation of the sinuses |
|
|
Pharyngitis |
Inflammation of throat |
|
|
Laryngitis |
Inflammation of the larynx (voice box) |
|
|
Epiglottitis |
Inflammation of epiglottis |
|
|
Bronchitis |
Inflammation of the bronchi |
|
|
Pleuritis |
Inflammation of lung lining |
|
|
Pneumonitis |
Inflammation of the lung tissue |
|
|
Digestive System |
Stomatitis |
Inflammation of mouth lining |
|
Glossitis |
Inflammation of the tongue |
|
|
Sialadenitis |
Inflammation of salivary gland |
|
|
Esophagitis |
Inflammation of the esophagus |
|
|
Gastritis |
Inflammation of stomach lining |
|
|
Duodenitis |
Inflammation of the duodenum |
|
|
Enteritis |
Inflammation of small intestine |
|
|
Colitis |
Inflammation of the colon |
|
|
Proctitis |
Inflammation of rectum |
|
|
Appendicitis |
Inflammation of the appendix |
|
|
Hepatitis |
Inflammation of liver |
|
|
Cholecystitis |
Inflammation of the gallbladder |
|
|
Cholangitis |
Inflammation of bile ducts |
|
|
Pancreatitis |
Inflammation of the pancreas |
|
|
Peritonitis |
Inflammation of abdominal lining |
|
|
Musculoskeletal System |
Arthritis |
Inflammation of joints |
|
Bursitis |
Inflammation of the bursa |
|
|
Tendinitis |
Inflammation of tendons |
|
|
Epicondylitis |
Inflammation at elbow tendon (“tennis elbow”) |
|
|
Myositis |
Inflammation of muscles |
|
|
Periostitis |
Inflammation of the bone covering |
|
|
Skin & Soft Tissue |
Dermatitis |
Inflammation of skin |
|
Cellulitis |
Bacterial skin/soft tissue inflammation |
|
|
Folliculitis |
Inflammation of hair follicles |
|
|
Eye Disorders |
Conjunctivitis |
Inflammation of the conjunctiva (“pink eye”) |
|
Blepharitis |
Inflammation of eyelid margins |
|
|
Keratitis |
Inflammation of cornea |
|
|
Optic neuritis |
Inflammation of the optic nerve |
|
|
Uveitis |
Inflammation of uveal tract |
|
|
Iritis |
Inflammation of the iris |
|
|
Retinitis |
Inflammation of retina |
|
|
Genitourinary System |
Cystitis |
Inflammation of the bladder |
|
Urethritis |
Inflammation of urethra |
|
|
Pyelonephritis |
Inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis |
|
|
Nephritis |
Inflammation of kidney tissue |
|
|
Prostatitis |
Inflammation of the prostate |
|
|
Orchitis |
Inflammation of testicles |
|
|
Balanitis |
Inflammation of the glans penis |
|
|
Salpingitis |
Inflammation of fallopian tubes |
|
|
Oophoritis |
Inflammation of the ovaries |
|
|
Endometritis |
Inflammation of uterine lining |
|
|
Metritis |
Inflammation of the uterus |
|
|
Vaginitis |
Inflammation of vaginal lining |
Inflammation is the root cause of many conditions
Disease outside “-itis.”
What if I tell you, inflammation does not only impacts diseases ending with “-itis”, but also leads to Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and even cancer? Whether it is cells ignoring insulin because of inflammatory static, brain cells damaged under constant inflamed immune response, or a tumor utilizing inflammation to grow — the root cause is the same.
In his book, An Inflammation Nation, Dr. Sunil Pai claimed: "Without inflammation, we would have no disease." After doing my own research, I reached a similar conclusion: Better Life Starts with Less Inflammation.
In my next article, I will share three major solutions to reduce chronic inflammation. Stay tuned!
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