A suffix is a group of letters, usually only three or four letters long, that is added to the end of a word to change the meaning. ‘Itis’ was originally derived from Ancient Greece and is used in pathological terms to describe some kind of inflammation or a disease. The word ‘itis’ is a Greek suffix and has been traced back to the Greek noun ‘nostos’, which means disease.
The suffix ‘itis’ is applied when particular organs swell - such as Dermatitis when there is a problem with the skin and Appendicitis when one's appendix is infected and inflamed.
Many people automatically associate inflammation with infection, however this is not true, even in cases where the inflammation has been caused by infection. Inflammation comes from the Latin ‘to set on fire’ which refers to the burning sensation that people can feel when something is inflamed. Inflammation is one part of a complicated biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as bacteria, irritants, damaged cells or pathogens. Basically, it is a protective reaction that is attempted by the body to remove the stimuli and begin the healing process. Without inflammation, cuts and other injuries would never be able to heal. However, a case of chronic inflammation can lead to a number of different diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hay fever, and even cancer (gallbladder carcinoma). This is why inflammation is closely monitored by the body during the healing process.
Inflammation can be classified in two ways: Acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the body’s response to harmful outside stimuli and is achieved by increased flow of plasma and leukocytes to the injured area. Chronic inflammation, often referred to as prolonged inflammation, leads to a change in what type of cells become present at the injury site which causes the healing of the tissues and their destruction to occur simultaneously, meaning that the wound never gets fully healed.
The suffix ‘itis’ is applied when particular organs swell - such as Dermatitis when there is a problem with the skin and Appendicitis when one's appendix is infected and inflamed.
Many people automatically associate inflammation with infection, however this is not true, even in cases where the inflammation has been caused by infection. Inflammation comes from the Latin ‘to set on fire’ which refers to the burning sensation that people can feel when something is inflamed. Inflammation is one part of a complicated biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as bacteria, irritants, damaged cells or pathogens. Basically, it is a protective reaction that is attempted by the body to remove the stimuli and begin the healing process. Without inflammation, cuts and other injuries would never be able to heal. However, a case of chronic inflammation can lead to a number of different diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hay fever, and even cancer (gallbladder carcinoma). This is why inflammation is closely monitored by the body during the healing process.
Inflammation can be classified in two ways: Acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the body’s response to harmful outside stimuli and is achieved by increased flow of plasma and leukocytes to the injured area. Chronic inflammation, often referred to as prolonged inflammation, leads to a change in what type of cells become present at the injury site which causes the healing of the tissues and their destruction to occur simultaneously, meaning that the wound never gets fully healed.
