10 Pleurisy Symptoms
Symptom #6: Fever
Fever and chills are other pleurisy symptoms which usually occur when the inflammation has been going on for a long time. A rise in temperature beyond normal happens as part of the immune response.
When the immune system senses irritation, it responds by initiating inflammation to deal with the irritation. But when the irritation does not go away so that inflammation continues, the immune system finds an alternative way of dealing with the problem by trying to destroy the causative agent. It therefore causes the body to produce chemicals called pyrogens which inhibit the nervous system from sensing heat, while it enhances sensing of cold.
As a consequence, the brain causes a compensatory rise in body temperature to kill the pathogens. This causes a fever. But because the nervous system’s ability to sense heat is inhibited, it causes a chill. Similar reactions occur during other infections, including flu.
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