Infection weakness is the systemic cost of a wound or injury gone septic. Where disease arises from a contagious agent, infection arises in tissue already damaged — a wound that did not close cleanly, a burn that turned foul, a surgery that introduced contamination. The weakness compounds with the underlying injury, and the two together kill far more often than either alone. 5–10 fatigue per infection.
Symptoms
Local heat, swelling, and pus at the site of infection; systemic fever, sweats, chills, malaise; lymphatic tenderness; foul smell from the wound; rising pulse; eventually confusion as septicemia develops.
Progression
Untreated infection progresses to sepsis, which is rapidly fatal. Even survived infections leave lasting weakness while the body clears them, and severely scarred wounds may produce permanent reduction in capacity.
Treatment
- Open and clean the wound; remove dead tissue if necessary
- Antiseptic poultices: honey, garlic, willow, vinegar — by herbal tradition
- Heat applied to draw the wound; warm compresses
- Bed rest, fluids, a skilled physician where available
Recovery
Weakness fatigue is indefinite, abating only as the underlying source recovers according to its own rules.