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Sweating sickness, historically referred to as "English sweating sickness," was a mysterious and highly virulent disease that primarily affected England and Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was characterized by sudden onset, severe flu-like symptoms, including profuse sweating, fever, and a sense of apprehension.
The disease was notably rapid in progression, often leading to death within hours. Its etiology remains unclear, though some theories suggest it may have been caused by a hantavirus. It disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, leaving few clues for modern medicine to decipher its true nature or cause.
Symptoms of Sweating Sickness
Profuse Sweating: The most prominent symptom is indicative of its name. This was not normal perspiration but excessive and often sudden, signaling the onset of the disease.
Fever: Patients experience a high fever, a common response of the body to infection. Fever can cause additional symptoms like chills, weakness, and dehydration.
Sense of Apprehension or Dread: Unusual for most diseases, patients often reported feelings of intense apprehension or dread, which could be related to the rapid and severe nature of the illness.
Headache: A common symptom in many infections, headaches in sweating sickness were likely due to the fever and the overall inflammatory response of the body.
Pain in the Neck, Shoulders, and Limbs: Muscle and joint pains were reported, which could be due to the body's immune response or direct effects of the pathogen.
Physical Exhaustion and Weakness: As the disease progressed rapidly, patients experienced a significant drop in energy levels, leading to weakness and exhaustion.
Rapid Pulse and Heart Palpitations: Reflecting the body's stress response to the infection and fever, patients often had a rapid heartbeat.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Some reports include symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, common in systemic infections.
What happens when you have sweating sickness?
Abrupt Onset: The illness struck suddenly, often catching people off guard with its rapid start.
Intense Sweating: A defining feature was the extreme sweating. This was much more than normal sweating; it was excessive and sudden.
High Fever and Chills: Patients quickly developed a high fever, accompanied by shaking and chills, as the body attempted to fight off the infection.
Dread and Apprehension: Uniquely, those affected often felt an overwhelming sense of fear or dread, possibly due to the abrupt and intense nature of the symptoms.
Headache and Body Pains: Headaches, along with pains in the neck, shoulders, and limbs, were common. This likely resulted from the body's reaction to the illness.
Weakness and Exhaustion: The disease quickly drained patients’ energy, leaving them extremely weak and tired.
Rapid Heartbeat: Many experienced a fast heart rate, likely a response to the fever and the stress of the illness.
Stomach Issues: Symptoms like nausea and vomiting were also common, indicating the infection's widespread impact on the body.
Quick Progression to Death: Often, the disease led to death within 24 hours after symptoms started, making it especially feared for its rapid and fatal course.
Ways to combat sweating sickness
Isolation and Quarantine: As with many contagious diseases, isolating the sick and quarantining areas where outbreaks occurred were common practices. This helped to limit the spread of the illness.
Herbal Remedies: Physicians and herbalists of the time often used various herbs believed to have medicinal properties. Commonly used herbs included sage, bay leaves, and rosemary, thought to purify the air and relieve symptoms.
Bloodletting and Leeches: A common medical practice of the era, bloodletting was used in an attempt to "balance" the humors (body fluids) believed to be out of alignment during illness.
Sweat-Inducing Treatments: Ironically, treatments to induce more sweating were sometimes used based on the belief that this could expel the disease from the body.
Dietary Changes: Recommendations for dietary adjustments were common, with an emphasis on avoiding certain foods thought to exacerbate the illness, like fatty or rich foods.
Cleanliness and Ventilation: Improved personal hygiene and ventilation in homes were advised, as foul air (miasma) was believed to be a cause of many diseases.
Relocation: Those who could afford to often flee to the countryside, away from cities where outbreaks were more common, in hopes of avoiding the disease.
It's important to note that these methods were based on the medical understanding of the time and would not be considered effective or appropriate by modern medical standards.
