10. Fever and Chills: Noma’s Internal Onslaught
Fever and chills may be associated with various ailments, but their presence in the context of Noma reveals a deeper struggle. Rather than a mere symptom, they signify the body’s full-on, internal battle against the devastating bacteria causing the disease.
You’d think that a disease so visually horrifying would confine its impact to the visible parts of the body. However, Noma also wreaks havoc internally, as indicated by fever and chills. These aren’t merely transient symptoms; they reflect the body’s desperate attempts to neutralize the infection by altering its temperature, even at the cost of immense discomfort.
The science behind this is intricate. The hypothalamus, often referred to as the body’s thermostat, starts to reset the body’s regular temperature. This altered setting acts as a defense mechanism, intended to make the internal environment less hospitable for the bacteria. So, while the external symptoms of Noma are brutal, the internal symptoms are an eloquent testament to the body’s own defense mechanisms, even if they’re often futile in the face of the disease.
And yet, the chills that often accompany fever add another layer of complexity. While the body heats up to ward off the bacteria, chills are the body’s way of accelerating the process, inducing involuntary shivering to produce more heat. It’s a jarring experience: one moment you’re burning up, and the next, you’re shaking from an inexplicable cold. (10)
