I brushed off my sore throat as a hangover, but it turned into sepsis. Elle Black, a Cardiff University student, developed sepsis as a complication of quinsy after initially dismissing her symptoms. Elle Black, 21, was in her first year at Cardiff University when she experienced severe symptoms including a sore throat, fever, and exhaustion.
Initially believing it was a hangover, she took ibuprofen and dismissed it, only to wake up the next day with extreme fatigue, high fever, and confusion. She was diagnosed with laryngitis and prescribed antibiotics, but her condition worsened, leading to quinsy—a pus-filled abscess between her tonsils—which progressed to sepsis. Elle was hospitalized within 15 minutes, treated with IV antibiotics, and made a full recovery thanks to prompt medical intervention.
Doctors warned that delays could have been life-threatening. Elle’s parents were shocked by her severe condition, describing it as the scariest experience they’ve ever had. She now advocates for young people to recognize sepsis symptoms, such as high fever, extreme drowsiness, and muscle pain, which can mimic hangovers or flu.
Sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection, affects 48,000 people in the UK annually. Elle plans to run the London Marathon for Sepsis Research, urging others to seek medical advice if symptoms seem severe or worsening. Her story highlights the importance of not dismissing serious symptoms, as sepsis can develop rapidly from seemingly minor infections.
Source: BBC
