What is the difference between inflammation and infection?
Inflammation is a process mounted by the body in response to a triggering event which is interpreted to be harmful to the body. This inflammatory response uses white blood cells (leukocytes) as well as other substances in the body to attempt to control the harmful process. As an example, when a splinter lodges in someone’s finger, an inflammatory response occurs. This is why the area around the splinter becomes swollen, sore, red, and warm. The inflammatory response not only helps to control the harmful process, but to repair any damage which occurred, by scar tissue formation. An Infection is an invasion of the body by germs, which may be bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, or other organisms. An infection causes an inflammatory response, but the trigger is different than in noninfectious disease, in this case being a germ. Inflammatory diseases can occur without being caused by an infection, and in fact this is the typical situation in Uveitis, most of which are currently considered
