Symptom 3. Persistent Fever: The Body’s Sustained Alarm Bell
A fever, in most cases, is the body’s response to an invader. But in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the fever is persistent and doesn’t connect to common illnesses like the flu. It’s the body signaling that something is amiss, but the cause isn’t an external invader; it’s an internal malfunction.
Fever in the context of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma isn’t always high. It can be a low-grade fever that just lingers, making it hard to detect or cause significant concern. It might be intermittent, appearing in the late afternoons or evenings.
The reason for the fever is the body’s immune response to the lymphoma cells. As the body recognizes these cells as threats, it elevates the temperature in an attempt to neutralize them. However, since the cause isn’t a virus or bacteria, the fever doesn’t subside as it would with a typical illness.
It’s important to differentiate this fever from those caused by infections or other illnesses. Monitoring patterns, duration, and other accompanying symptoms can give a clearer picture. A child might feel relatively fine during the day but then experience a spike in temperature as evening approaches. (3)
