Definition: A response by the immune system to cellular injury in the form of swelling, pain and heat. When a part of the body suffers injury, the immune system sends in special cells to help repair the damage. These special cells cause the inflammation.
While some inflammation is a good thing (it means that the body is responding to some damage), it can itself be the cause of damage and pain, too. The body works to regulate inflammation very carefully, but inflammation that is not adequately regulated can lead to disease.
With hepatitis, inflammation occurs in the liver.
Chronic inflammation is associated with ongoing tissue damage, as is the case with hepatitis C.
