Inflammation of neurological tissue, caused by the release of inflammatory mediators or afferent neurons, is classified as neurogenic inflammation. Usually, the inflammation in various body tissues is caused by the body’s immune response to a perceived infection or risk of infection. The resulting abnormal inflammation is contained to a certain tissue or interconnected group of tissues. The inflammation might be caused by various health conditions, or can trigger or agitate other medical conditions in a person’s body.
Neurogenic inflammation is the trigger or the mechanism by which a number of diseases or conditions spread in a person’s body. Such conditions include asthma, dystonia and even migraine headaches. For example, during migraine headaches the trigeminal nerve’s stimulation leads to neurogenic inflammation, causing a patient severe pain.
One of the most obvious symptoms of neurogenic inflammation is redness in the affected tissue. This redness might be easily seen on the surface of the skin, or it might be concealed from view if it affects an internal organ. Another symptom of the condition includes extreme sensitivity of various organs to stimuli such as light, pressure, temperature changes and loud noises.
Treatment of neurogenic inflammation normally involves the use of one or more narcotics. For example, Astelin® is administered by an inhaler to help treat the symptoms of mild to severe asthma. Other medicines used to treat neurogenic inflammation might be administered orally or intravenously.
For the condition to be properly diagnosed, patients who suffer from neurogenic inflammation should see a medical doctor. Generalist doctors might refer the patient to a neurologist after confirming the patient’s condition. A neurologist might expose the patient to various stimulants in an attempt to determine which is triggering the inflammation. Alternatively, some chiropractors offer treatment for inflammation using narcotic-free medical treatments.
The causes of neurogenic inflammation are not definitely known. Some researchers suspect a magnesium deficiency in people leads to the condition, which has been demonstrated in labs using rats. Daily eating foods that contain high levels of magnesium, such as halibut, almonds, spinach and peanut butter might lower a person’s risk of inflammation, according to such theories. A person might also avoid stimulants that trigger the inflammation, such as limiting or stopping use of various personal hygiene products that contain chemicals which trigger the condition, or limiting time spent outside on poor air quality days.