inflammation

in-fluh-MAY-shun

meaning in plain English

When a part of your body gets red, hot, swollen, or sore because it’s fighting off harm like an infection or an injury.

for example

After I scraped my knee, the doctor said the redness and swelling were signs of inflammation.

Imagine your skin turns red and puffy around a cut—your body is sending extra blood and helpers to fight germs and heal the wound. That’s inflammation in action, like a tiny alarm system going off to protect you.