7. Night Sweats and Fever: The Unexpected Duo
There you are, tucked into bed, expecting a peaceful night’s sleep. But then you wake up drenched. Night sweats paired with fever aren’t just a nuisance; they’re a sign that your body is going through something it shouldn’t be. Specifically, this duo is another harrowing symptom of mesothelioma, but one that often gets misattributed to stress or even the common flu.
Why does it happen? Picture your body as a finely tuned machine. Any kind of infection or malfunction can cause it to heat up as a defense mechanism. Tumors caused by mesothelioma throw a wrench into the machinery, causing your internal thermostat to go haywire. Hence, the fever and sweats, which your body mistakenly thinks will flush out the intruder.
Asbestos, that ever-present villain, plays a crucial role here too. Your immune system recognizes these foreign fibers but can’t effectively neutralize them. So, it ends up overcompensating by raising your body temperature. It’s an earnest but misguided attempt to restore balance. But the balance never comes. (7)
