What causes chills and fever. How to treat chills at home. When to seek medical attention for chills and fever. What are the differences between chills and goosebumps. How does the body use fever to fight infections. What are safe ways to reduce fever in children. How to properly manage fever in infants.

Understanding Chills: More Than Just Feeling Cold

Chills are a common physiological response that many people experience, but what exactly are they? Chills refer to the sensation of feeling cold, often accompanied by shivering, paleness, and an overall sense of coldness. While they can occur after exposure to a cold environment, chills are frequently associated with the onset of fever and various illnesses.

The body’s shivering mechanism during chills is actually a clever way to generate heat. Through rapid muscle contractions and relaxations, the body attempts to raise its core temperature. This process often precedes or accompanies a fever, serving as an early warning sign of an impending increase in body temperature.

Chills vs. Goosebumps: Understanding the Difference

Are chills and goosebumps the same thing? While both phenomena involve a response to temperature or emotions, they are distinct physiological reactions:

• Chills: Involve shivering and a feeling of coldness, often related to fever or illness.
• Goosebumps: Occur due to cold air or strong emotions like fear or shock. They cause hair to stand up, forming an insulating layer.

It’s important to note that while you may experience goosebumps during chills, the presence of goosebumps doesn’t necessarily mean you have chills.

The Role of Fever in Fighting Infections

Why does the body raise its temperature when fighting an infection? Fever plays a crucial role in the body’s defense mechanism against pathogens. Most bacteria and viruses that cause human infections thrive at our normal body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). By elevating the body temperature, even by just a few degrees, the body creates a less hospitable environment for these pathogens.

But fever does more than just make life difficult for invading microorganisms. It also activates the body’s immune system, stimulating the production of:

• White blood cells
• Antibodies
• Other infection-fighting agents

This increased immune activity helps the body mount a more effective defense against the infection, potentially shortening its duration and severity.

Common Causes of Chills and Fever

What typically triggers chills and fever in the human body? While the sensation of chills can sometimes occur simply due to exposure to a cold environment, when accompanied by fever, it often indicates an underlying health issue. The most common causes include:

1. Viral infections (such as influenza, common cold, or COVID-19)
2. Bacterial infections (like strep throat or urinary tract infections)
3. Certain parasitic diseases (notably malaria)
4. Inflammatory conditions
5. Some medications or vaccinations

In children, even minor illnesses can produce high fevers, often accompanied by chills. It’s worth noting that infants may not develop obvious chills, but any fever in an infant 6 months or younger should prompt immediate medical attention.

Effective Home Care for Chills and Fever

How can you manage chills and fever at home? For mild fevers (102°F/38.8°C or less) without severe symptoms, home care can be effective. Here are some strategies:

• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids to replace those lost through sweating.
• Rest: Allow your body to focus its energy on fighting the infection.
• Dress appropriately: Wear light, breathable clothing to prevent overheating.
• Use lukewarm water: Sponging with water around 70°F (21.1°C) can help reduce fever. Avoid cold water, as it may trigger more chills.
• Take over-the-counter medications: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin (for adults) can help reduce fever and alleviate discomfort.

Is it a good idea to bundle up when you have chills and fever? Contrary to what you might think, bundling up in blankets when you have a high fever can be counterproductive. It may make the chills worse and potentially cause the fever to rise further. Similarly, using fans or air conditioners can exacerbate chills and should be avoided.

Special Considerations for Children with Fever and Chills

How should parents manage fever and chills in children? When caring for a child with fever and chills, there are several important considerations:

• Use appropriate medications: Non-aspirin pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen are recommended. Never give aspirin to children under 19 due to the risk of Reye syndrome.
• Dress lightly: Keep the child in light clothing and ensure the room is cool but not uncomfortable.
• Provide fluids: Encourage the child to drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration.
• Avoid harmful practices: Don’t use ice water or alcohol baths to reduce fever, as these can cause shivering and even shock.
• Prioritize rest: Don’t wake a sleeping child to give medicine or take their temperature. Rest is crucial for recovery.

For infants 6 months to 1 year old, contact a healthcare provider about any fever unless you’re certain of its cause. For infants under 6 months, any fever warrants immediate medical attention.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Chills and Fever

While many cases of chills and fever can be managed at home, certain situations require professional medical care. When should you consult a healthcare provider? Consider seeking medical attention if:

• The fever is high (above 103°F or 39.4°C) or persists for more than three days
• Chills are severe or prolonged
• Other concerning symptoms develop, such as severe headache, stiff neck, or difficulty breathing
• The person is in a high-risk group (very young, elderly, or immunocompromised)
• There’s a possibility of serious infection, such as malaria

Remember, while fever is often a sign that your body is fighting an infection, it can also indicate more serious conditions. When in doubt, it’s always better to consult with a healthcare professional.

The Impact of Chills and Fever on Different Age Groups

How do chills and fever affect people of different ages? The impact and management of chills and fever can vary significantly across age groups:

Infants and Young Children

Infants and young children are more susceptible to rapid temperature changes and can develop high fevers even from minor illnesses. They may not always exhibit obvious chills, but can become irritable, lethargic, or refuse to eat. Any fever in infants under 6 months requires immediate medical attention.

Older Children and Teenagers

This age group typically experiences more pronounced chills and may complain of feeling cold despite having a fever. They’re usually better able to communicate their symptoms, making it easier to monitor their condition.

Adults

Adults generally have a more robust immune system and can often manage mild fevers and chills at home. However, persistent or high fevers, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

Elderly

Older adults may not develop fevers as readily as younger individuals, even when fighting infections. When they do occur, fevers in the elderly can be more serious and may require closer monitoring. Chills in older adults can also increase the risk of falls due to shivering.

Understanding these age-related differences can help in providing appropriate care and knowing when to seek medical help.

Prevention Strategies for Chills and Fever

While it’s not always possible to prevent chills and fever, especially when they’re symptoms of an underlying illness, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. How can you minimize your chances of experiencing chills and fever?

• Practice good hygiene: Regular handwashing can help prevent the spread of many infectious diseases that cause fever and chills.
• Stay up-to-date with vaccinations: Many vaccines can protect against diseases that commonly cause fever and chills.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle: A balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep can boost your immune system, making you less susceptible to infections.
• Dress appropriately: In cold weather, dress in layers to prevent excessive heat loss that could trigger chills.
• Avoid close contact with sick individuals: This can help prevent the spread of contagious illnesses.
• Stay hydrated: Proper hydration supports overall health and helps regulate body temperature.

By incorporating these preventive measures into your daily routine, you can potentially reduce the frequency and severity of episodes involving chills and fever.

The Science Behind Body Temperature Regulation

To fully understand chills and fever, it’s helpful to delve into the body’s temperature regulation mechanisms. How does the human body maintain and adjust its temperature?

The hypothalamus, a small region at the base of the brain, acts as the body’s thermostat. It receives input from temperature sensors throughout the body and initiates responses to maintain the core body temperature within a narrow range, typically around 98.6°F (37°C).

When the body detects a threat, such as an infection, the hypothalamus can reset this temperature setpoint higher, leading to what we experience as a fever. This triggers several processes:

1. Blood vessels near the skin constrict, reducing heat loss.
2. Muscles contract rapidly (shivering), generating heat.
3. We feel cold (chills) and seek warmth, further raising our body temperature.

Once the fever has served its purpose, the hypothalamus resets to normal, and we experience sweating and vasodilation to bring the temperature back down.

Understanding this process helps explain why we shouldn’t try to counteract fever and chills too aggressively – they’re often part of the body’s natural defense mechanism.

Chills and Fever in Specific Medical Conditions

While chills and fever are common symptoms in many illnesses, they can be particularly significant in certain medical conditions. How do chills and fever manifest in specific diseases?

Malaria

In malaria, chills are a hallmark symptom. Patients often experience cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that coincide with the lifecycle of the malaria parasite in the bloodstream. These cycles typically occur every 48 to 72 hours, depending on the species of malaria parasite.

Influenza

The flu often begins with sudden onset of chills and fever, along with body aches and fatigue. The chills can be severe and may persist even as the fever rises, making influenza particularly uncomfortable.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

While not always present, chills and fever in UTIs can indicate that the infection has spread to the kidneys (pyelonephritis). This is considered a more serious condition requiring prompt medical attention.

Pneumonia

Chills and fever are common symptoms of pneumonia, often accompanied by cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. The severity of these symptoms can help indicate the seriousness of the infection.

Sepsis

In sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection, chills and fever can be early warning signs. Other symptoms include rapid breathing, confusion, and extreme discomfort. Sepsis is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.

Recognizing how chills and fever present in these conditions can aid in early detection and prompt treatment, potentially improving outcomes.

Chills Information | Mount Sinai

Rigors; Shivering

Chills refers to feeling cold after being in a cold environment. The word can also refer to an episode of shivering along with paleness and feeling cold.

Fever is an important part of the body’s defense against infection. Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in humans thrive best at 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C). Raising the body temperature a few degrees can help the body fight the infection. In addition, a fever activates the body’s immune system to make more white blood cells, antibodies, and other infection-fighting agents.

Considerations

Chills (shivering) may occur at the start of an infection. They are most often associated with a fever. Chills are caused by rapid muscle contraction and relaxation. They are the body’s way of producing heat when it feels cold. Chills often predict the coming of a fever or an increase in the body’s core temperature.

Chills are an important symptom with certain diseases such as malaria.

Chills are common in young children. Children tend to develop higher fevers than adults. Even minor illness can produce high fevers in young children.

Infants tend not to develop obvious chills. However, call your health care provider about any fever in an infant 6 months or younger. Also call for fevers in infants 6 months to 1 year unless you are sure of the cause.

“Goose bumps” are not the same as chills. Goose bumps occur due to cold air. They can also be caused by strong emotions such as shock or fear. With goose bumps, the hair on the body stick up from the skin to form a layer of insulation. When you have chills, you may or may not have goose bumps.

Causes

Causes may include:

• Exposure to a cold environment
• Viral and bacterial infections

Home Care

Fever (which can accompany chills) is the body’s natural response to a variety of conditions, such as infections. If the fever is mild, 102°F (38.8°C) or less, with no side effects, you do not need to see a provider for treatment. You can treat the problem at home by drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest.

Evaporation cools the skin and reduces body temperature. Sponging with lukewarm water, about 70°F (21.1°C), may help reduce a fever. Cold water may increase the fever as it can trigger chills.

Medicines such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen are helpful in fighting a fever and chills.

DO NOT bundle up in blankets if you have a high temperature. DO NOT use fans or air conditioners either. These measures will only make the chills worse and may even cause the fever to rise.

HOME CARE FOR A CHILD

If the child’s temperature is causing the child to be uncomfortable, give pain-relieving tablets or liquid. Non-aspirin pain-relievers such as acetaminophen are recommended. Ibuprofen may also be used. Follow the dosage guidelines on the package label.

Note: DO NOT give aspirin to treat fever in a child younger than 19 years old because of the risk for Reye syndrome.

Other things to help the child feel more comfortable include:

• Dress the child in light clothing, provide liquids, and keep the room cool but not uncomfortable.
• DO NOT use ice water or rubbing alcohol baths to reduce a child’s temperature. These can cause shivering and even shock.
• DO NOT bundle a child with a fever in blankets.
• DO NOT wake a sleeping child to give medicine or take a temperature. Rest is more important.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call the provider if:

• Symptoms such as stiffness of the neck, confusion, irritability, or sluggishness are present.
• Chills are accompanied by a bad cough, shortness of breath, abdominal pain or burning, or frequent urination.
• A child younger than 3 months has a temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) or more.
• A child 3 months to 1 year has a fever that lasts more than 24 hours.
• The fever remains above 103°F (39.4°C) after 1 to 2 hours of home treatment.
• The fever does not improve after 3 days, or has lasted more than 5 days.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

The provider will take your medical history and perform a physical exam.

You may be asked questions such as:

• Is it only a cold feeling? Are you actually shaking?
• What has been the highest body temperature connected with the chills?
• Did the chills happen only once, or are there many separate episodes?
• How long does each attack last (for how many hours)?
• Did chills occur within 4 to 6 hours after exposure to something that you or your child is allergic to?
• Did chills begin suddenly? Do they occur repeatedly? How often (how many days between episodes of chills)?
• What other symptoms are present?

The physical exam will include the skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, chest, and abdomen. Body temperature will likely be checked.

Tests that may be ordered include:

• Blood (CBC or blood differential) and urine tests (such as urinalysis)
• Blood culture
• Sputum culture
• Urine culture
• X-ray of the chest

Treatment depends on how long the chills and accompanying symptoms (especially fever) have lasted.

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Fever. www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/fever/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed February 6, 2023.

Hall JE, Hall ME. Body temperature regulation and fever. In: Hall JE, Hall ME, eds. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 74.

Leggett JE. Approach to fever or suspected infection in the normal host. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 264.

Nield LS, Kamat D. Fever. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 201.

Last reviewed on: 2/2/2023

Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Chills: Causes, Treatments, and Complications

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The term “chills” refers to a feeling of being cold without an apparent cause. Chills can occur with a fever and cause shivering or shaking.

The term “chills” refers to a feeling of being cold without an apparent cause. You get this feeling when your muscles repeatedly expand and contract and the vessels in your skin constrict. Chills can occur with a fever and cause shivering or shaking.

Your body chills can be constant. Each episode can last for as long as an hour. Your chills can also occur periodically and last for several minutes.

Some chills occur after exposure to a cold environment. They can also occur as a response to a bacterial or viral infection that causes a fever. Chills are commonly associated with the following conditions:

• bacterial or viral gastroenteritis
• flu
• meningitis
• sinusitis
• pneumonia
• strep throat
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• malaria

If you or your child has a fever with chills, there are some things you can do at home for comfort and relief. Keep reading to learn how to treat a fever with chills and when you should call a doctor.

Home care for adults

Treatment is usually based on whether your chills are accompanied by a fever and the severity of the fever. If your fever is mild and you have no other serious symptoms, you don’t have to see a doctor. Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of liquids. A mild fever is 101.4°F (38.6°C) or less.

Cover yourself with a light sheet and avoid heavy blankets or clothing, which can raise your body temperature. Sponging your body with lukewarm water or taking a cool shower may help reduce a fever. Cold water, however, may trigger an episode of chills.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications can lower a fever and fight chills, such as:

• aspirin (Bayer)
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• ibuprofen (Advil)

As with any medication, carefully follow the instructions and take them as directed. Aspirin and ibuprofen will lower your fever and reduce inflammation. Acetaminophen will bring down a fever, but it won’t reduce inflammation. Acetaminophen can be toxic to your liver if it isn’t taken as directed and long-term use of ibuprofen can cause kidney and stomach damage.

Home care for children

Treating a child with chills and fever depends on the child’s age, temperature, and any accompanying symptoms. In general, if your child’s fever is between 100ºF (37. 8°C) and 102ºF (38.9°C) and they’re uncomfortable, you can give them acetaminophen in tablet or liquid form. It’s important to follow the dosing instructions on the package.

Never bundle feverish children in heavy blankets or layers of clothing. Dress them in lightweight clothing and give them water or other liquids to keep them hydrated.

Never give aspirin to children under the age of 18 because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a rare but serious disorder that can develop in children who are given aspirin while fighting a viral infection.

Call your doctor if your fever and chills don’t improve after 48 hours of home care or if you have any of the following symptoms:

• stiff neck
• wheezing
• severe coughing
• shortness of breath
• confusion
• sluggishness
• irritability
• abdominal pain
• painful urination
• frequent urination or lack of urination
• forceful vomiting
• unusual sensitivity to bright light

According to the Mayo Clinic, you should call your child’s doctor in the case of any of the following:

• a fever in a child younger than 3 months old
• a fever in a child age 3 to 6 months, and the child is lethargic or irritable
• a fever in a child age 6 to 24 months that lasts longer than one day
• a fever in a child age 24 months to 17 years that lasts longer than three days and doesn’t respond to treatment

Your doctor will ask questions about your chills and fever, including:

• Do the chills make you shake, or do you only feel cold?
• What was your highest body temperature that was accompanied by chills?
• Have you had chills just once or have you had repeated episodes of chills?
• How long did each episode of chills last?
• Did the chills begin after exposure to an allergen, or did they begin suddenly?
• Do you have any other symptoms?

Your doctor will perform a physical examination and possibly run diagnostic tests to see if a bacterial or viral infection is causing your fever. Diagnostic tests may include a:

• blood test, including a blood culture to detect bacteria or fungi in the blood
• sputum culture of secretions from the lungs and bronchi
• urinalysis
• chest X-ray to detect pneumonia, tuberculosis, or other infections

Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if you’re diagnosed with a bacterial infection, such as strep throat or pneumonia.

Chills and fever are signs that something is wrong. If chills and fever persist after treatment, see your doctor to determine the underlying cause.

If a fever goes untreated, you may experience severe dehydration and hallucinations. Children ages 6 months to 5 years may also have fever-induced seizures, which are known as febrile seizures. These seizures don’t typically cause long-term health problems.

Treatment of fever and chills | Haleon HealthPartner

Treating Fever and Chills

Here we discuss how to treat fever and chills caused by the flu or SARS.

Treatment steps for fever and chills

IDENTIFY

Use appropriate diagnostic questions to confirm that fever and chills are due to influenza or SARS.

INFORM

• Tell the patient how to minimize transmission of influenza or SARS to others
• Counsel the patient about flu- or SARS-related symptoms that may require additional medical attention

RECOMMEND

Along with the necessary advice, recommend or suggest drugs according to the individual needs of the patient.

Patient information

Since the influenza virus causes significant morbidity and even death every year, ¹ Patients should be informed about how to reduce the risk of infection and how to stop the spread of the virus. These measures include: ²

• covering the mouth with a tissue when coughing and sneezing;
• washing hands regularly and thoroughly;
• habit of not touching the face;
• annual vaccination;

It should also be clarified that only a doctor prescribes medicines for influenza, in case of severe influenza, but drug and non-drug treatment of such unpleasant symptoms as fever and chills is possible. ⁴

Treatment of fever should not only reduce fever but also relieve discomfort

⁵

• Non-pharmacological treatment

  Non-drug ways to relieve fever

  • Drink more to stay hydrated
  • Monitor symptoms continuously
  • Air temperature must be neutral, approximately 25°C
  • Do not dress too warmly or too lightly; wear comfortable clothes
  • Keep calm

• Medical therapy

  Medications to relieve fever

  The main over-the-counter pain and fever medications are paracetamol and NSAIDs (ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid). ⁵

  Paracetamol has been shown in clinical studies to relieve fever ^5-8 as a symptom of influenza, it is considered the first line therapy in adults and children. ^5.9

  Ibuprofen is also suitable for use in children older than 3 months, ¹⁰ but may be associated with more adverse events and drug interactions than paracetamol. ¹¹ Preparations containing acetylsalicylic acid are not recommended for the treatment of fever in children (due to the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome). ⁴

Fever and chills requiring referral

Fever and accompanying chills are symptoms of various illnesses, not just the flu.

The patient should be referred to a physician immediately if the pharmacist or caregiver observes the following:

• Paleness; patchy skin lesions; skin, lips or tongue are blue or ashy
• No response to social cues
• Patient has difficulty walking or staying awake
• Decreased activity
• Signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome such as nasal flaring, increased respiratory rate, wheezing in the chest, groaning and moderate or severe chest retraction
• Palpitations
• Reduced skin turgor
• Body temperature above 39°C in children aged 3-6 months or body temperature above 38°C in children <3 months of age
• Fever with rash
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then recur with fever and worse cough ¹³

Treatment of fever and chills: summary

Once a patient’s fever and chills are determined to be due to influenza or SARS, pain/antipyretic drugs can be recommended to relieve symptoms, with paracetamol being suggested as first-line therapy. ^5.9

Causes of severe chills with colds and flu, how to treat this condition

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Colds and flu

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Severe chills , main causes and treatment

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Severe chills, underlying causes and treatment

Author, editor and medical expert

Klimovich Elina V.

Editor

Harutyunyan Mariam Arutyunovna

Content:

• Reasons
• Why chills without fever?
• How to deal with chills
• Can chills be prevented?
• References

Contents of the article Reasons Why does chills appear without fever? What to do with chills Can chills be prevented? References

Chills in an adult are due to spasm of the superficial vessels of the skin and are accompanied by trembling, in which individual muscle fibers begin to contract, and a sensation of goosebumps due to contraction of the muscles that raise the hairs on the arms and legs. At the same time, a person feels cold, tries to wrap himself in a blanket or curl up. In this way the body tries to warm up ^4.5 .

Causes

Chills are most often observed against the background of fever ³ which accompanies almost all infectious diseases ⁴ is a universal reaction of the organism ⁴ . When microbes and viruses penetrate it, the body “protects itself” by raising the body temperature ^2.3 .

Since more heat is generated during muscle contractions ⁶ , it means that the more pronounced the chill, the higher the body temperature ² . Light chilling is characteristic of 38 – 39 ⁰ C, “teeth chattering” and severe trembling – for fever in the range of 39 ⁰ – 40 ⁰ C. Terrific chills, covering the whole body, occur at temperatures above 40 ⁰ C ^3.6 .

Chilliness and fever may occur in various infectious diseases, such as colds, flu ³ or when a focus of purulent inflammation forms in any organ, for example, in the heart, kidneys, pleura, lungs or veins ⁷ . Symptoms are caused by pyrogens, or substances that can affect the thermoregulatory center in the brain. Pyrogens can be biologically active substances that secrete bacteria, viruses and other pathogens ³ .

Sometimes it is not infectious agents that act as pyrogens, but substances that are formed in the body itself during tissue damage and decay – inflammation, bruises, hemorrhages ^2.3 .

Even if you feel cold, trembling in the body, and the thermometer shows a temperature above 37 ⁰ C, the cause may not be inflammation or even an infection, but the following conditions:

• Nervous strain. With neurocirculatory dystonia (neurosis), chills often begin in the evening or at night. It can be provoked by emotional stress ¹⁶ .
• Hormonal imbalance. Chilling in women on the background of elevated temperature (37-38 ⁰ C) is a frequent symptom of menopause ^3.7 or premenstrual syndrome ¹⁸ .
• Diseases of the blood. Symptoms resembling infectious fever with shivering may be a sign of hemolytic anemia or lymphoma ¹⁴ .
• Hyperthermia. Overheating of the body occurs after intense physical overexertion, if the ambient temperature is above 26.7 ⁰ C ¹⁴ . Under such conditions, heat transfer is disturbed, and excess heat accumulates in the body ⁵ . Overheating affects athletes participating in competitions in a country with an unusual climate, while not observing the correct drinking regimen, as well as people suffering from obesity ¹⁴ .

What causes chills without fever?

Chilling can also occur against the background of normal and even low body temperature ^1,2,14 . During hypothermia – for example, when staying in the cold for a long time or immersing in cold water, ^1.2 – the vessels constrict so that the body does not lose heat. For example, trained swimmers with enough body fat to retain heat typically don’t feel shivering in cold water. But thin people with low levels of physical activity in similar conditions quickly lose blood circulation, develop severe trembling, turning into chills, and body temperature may even drop ¹⁴ .

Other causes of chills without fever include:

• hypoglycemia – low blood glucose – in patients with diabetes ⁹ ;
• hypothyroidism – deficiency of thyroid hormones ¹⁵ ;
• hypertensive crisis – a sharp and significant rise in blood pressure ⁸ .

Shaking without fever may occur if there is a long time between taking antipyretic drugs. These drugs quickly bring down the temperature, but if they are used incorrectly, a side effect sometimes occurs – muscle contraction, that is, trembling in the body. To avoid such phenomena, consult a specialist, he will tell you how to take antipyretics correctly ¹⁴ .

What to do in case of chills

In case of hypothermia, it is enough to warm up – put on warm clothes, drink hot tea or milk ¹ . If during flu or cold against the background of fever (above 38 ⁰ C) and chills, the state of health worsens, the legs and hands become cold, and the skin is “marbled”, it is likely that the body temperature will rise, which means that measures need to be taken ^{2 ,10} . First of all, consult a doctor in a clinic or call a doctor at home.

To alleviate unpleasant symptoms, when you feel chills, you should:

1. Wrap yourself in a blanket and keep warm. No need to be afraid that the temperature will start to rise even faster. The body does not lose its ability to resist external heat during fever ² .
2. Wipe the body with warm water at a temperature of 41 ⁰ C and above. Evaporating from the surface of the skin, the water will remove heat and contribute to its gradual cooling. But remember that you can not wipe the skin with cold water: sudden cooling causes even greater muscle and vascular spasm, increases chills and accelerates the rise in temperature ¹⁰ . Antipyretic ¹⁰ should be taken 30 minutes before the rubdown.

If you rub down without taking an antipyretic, chills may appear – due to trembling in the body, the temperature will rise again ¹⁷ .

RINZASIP® with vitamin C

To combat fever and other symptoms of colds (ARVI) and flu, paracetamol-based preparations are intended, for example, the combined RINZA® and RINZASIP®, which can be used by adults and adolescents from 15 years of age, and RINZASIP ® for children from 6 years old ^{11 .12} .

• RINZA® tablets contain paracetamol, phenylephrine, chlorphenamine and caffeine. The drug is ready for action 10 minutes after taking ¹³ , reduces muscle and joint pain, reduces fever ¹¹ . RINZA® also facilitates breathing in case of swelling of the airways, helps to reduce sore throat, itching of the eyes and nose ¹¹ .
• RINZASIP® drink powders with vitamin C contain, in addition to paracetamol, phenylephrine, pheniramine and caffeine, ascorbic acid. RINZASIP® with vitamin C in orange, lemon or blackcurrant flavor reduces cold symptoms and improves body resistance ¹² .

Attention! You can take antipyretic drugs for no more than 5 days ^11.12 . If fever, trembling and coldness persist or recur, a specialist should be consulted to find out the cause of this condition ⁴ .

Can chills be prevented?

To avoid the occurrence of this symptom, it is necessary first of all to act on its causes – to avoid situations in which it occurs, for example, hypothermia or training in conditions of high air temperature ¹⁴ . It is also important to strengthen the immune system and start treating a cold at its first symptoms.