What causes the chills and shivering when you have a fever? How do you treat fever and chills? What are the signs of a serious illness that requires medical attention?

Understanding the Fever-Chills Connection

When a person has a fever, the body’s temperature regulation system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight off an infection or illness. The hypothalamus, a small area at the base of the brain, sets the body’s “ideal” temperature around 98.6°F (37°C). But when the body detects an infection, the hypothalamus raises this set point, causing the body to try to reach the new, higher temperature. This leads to the common experience of feeling cold and shivering, as the body’s muscles contract in an attempt to raise the temperature.

The shivering and chills continue until the body’s temperature reaches the new, higher set point established by the hypothalamus. Once the fever breaks and the body temperature drops below this new set point, the person may then feel hot and sweaty as the body tries to lower the temperature back to the normal range.

Treating Fever and Chills

Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen can help lower a fever and alleviate chills. It’s important to never give aspirin to children, as it increases the risk of a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids is also recommended.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no need to take extreme measures like ice baths or removing clothing to lower a fever. In fact, this can cause discomfort and does not provide any additional benefit. Most fevers, even high ones, are not dangerous as long as the body can regulate the temperature.

When to Seek Medical Attention

However, there are some situations where a fever with chills may warrant a trip to the doctor or emergency room:

• The fever is very high and does not respond to medication
• The person has other severe symptoms like a stiff neck, confusion, or difficulty breathing
• The person has a weakened immune system due to conditions like cancer, HIV, or taking immunosuppressant drugs
• The person is a newborn under 3 months old with a fever

In these cases, the fever and chills could be a sign of a more serious underlying condition that requires prompt medical care.

Other Symptoms to Watch For

Along with the chills and shivering, a person with a fever may also experience other symptoms such as:

• Feeling very cold
• Feeling hot when the fever breaks or after taking medication
• General symptoms of illness like cough, earache, or muscle pain
• Intense fatigue
• Vomiting or diarrhea

The specific symptoms can provide clues about the underlying cause of the fever, such as an ear infection or a reaction to medication. However, it’s not always possible to self-diagnose the cause, so seeking medical attention is recommended if symptoms persist or worsen.

The Role of Fever in the Immune Response

Contrary to popular belief, there is little scientific evidence that actively treating a fever provides any medical benefit. In fact, some studies suggest that suppressing a fever may actually slow the body’s natural immune response and recovery process, particularly for more serious infections like COVID-19.

The body’s ability to raise its temperature is a key part of the immune system’s defense against infections. By increasing the temperature set point, the hypothalamus triggers shivering and other mechanisms to elevate the body’s temperature, which can create a less favorable environment for pathogens and activate immune cells to fight the infection.

Seeking Medical Attention for Fevers

While most fevers are not dangerous, it’s still important to be aware of the warning signs that warrant a trip to the doctor or emergency room. These include:

• Symptoms of a serious illness like meningitis (stiff neck, confusion, light sensitivity)
• Worsening or persistent symptoms that don’t improve after a few days
• Fever in a newborn under 3 months old
• Fever in someone with a weakened immune system

By understanding the mechanisms behind fever and chills, and knowing when to seek medical care, individuals can better manage these common symptoms and support their body’s natural immune response.

Chills with fever: Causes, treatment, and more

People who are sick commonly experience chills with a fever. They may feel very cold, shiver, or shake. They might also alternate between feeling very cold and very hot.

Many other symptoms may also occur with a fever, including a more rapid heart rate, faster breathing, changes in metabolism, and increased activity in the immune system. This increased immune activity may help a person fight off an infection.

The body retains the ability to regulate temperature, so most fevers are not dangerous. That said, it is also important to note that some infections leading to a fever can be dangerous. Less commonly, a fever with chills might signal another problem, such as a reaction to a medication or cancer.

There are many viral and bacterial infections that can cause a sudden fever with chills. Keep reading to learn more about why a fever may cause chills, how and when to treat these symptoms, and when to contact a doctor.

When a person has a fever, muscle contractions cause shaking and shivering. The purpose of these muscle contractions is to raise body temperature to help a person fight an infection or another illness.

The hypothalamus sits at the base of the brain. It is the small area responsible for temperature regulation, among other things. It is the part of the brain that establishes a healthy “set point,” or an optimum level, for a person’s temperature, which is around 37ºC (98.6ºF). When body temperature deviates from this, the body tries to return itself to the optimum temperature. It may do this by causing sweating to lower temperature or shivering to raise temperature.

When a person has a fever, the set point increases as the body tries to fight the infection. As long as a person’s body temperature is below this set point, they will feel cold. The feeling of coldness, or of being below the new optimum temperature, leads to shivering. This shivering helps raise body temperature and may also encourage a person to put on more clothing or take other measures to keep warm.

People who wish to treat a fever can try over-the-counter anti-fever medications, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen.

Never give a child aspirin, as this increases the risk of a rare but life threatening condition called Reye’s syndrome.

Drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent dehydration. There is no need to take ice baths, remove clothing, or do anything else that causes discomfort. If the fever is very high and does not respond to medication, or if a person has other symptoms of severe illness — such as a stiff neck, confusion, or difficulty breathing — contact a doctor or go to the emergency room.

Most fevers, even high fevers, are not dangerous. This is because the body can still regulate its temperature and only has to set the optimum temperature higher than the usual 37ºC (98.6ºF). Treating a fever will not cure the underlying illness, and many doctors argue that treating a fever serves no medical purpose. In fact, there is little scientific evidence supporting the treatment of fevers.

One 2020 paper argues that for minor infections that are likely to go away on their own, treating a fever is probably harmless. However, for more serious infections — such as COVID-19 — treating a fever may suppress the body’s natural immune response, which could slow recovery and increase the risk of long-term complications.

There are some exceptions to this rule, however. People with weak immune systems due to having cancer, having HIV, or taking immunosuppressant drugs should contact a doctor right away for a fever. Also, in newborns younger than 3 months old, a rectal temperature higher than 38ºC (100.4ºF) or an oral temperature above 37.5ºC (99.5ºF) warrants a doctor’s visit.

Some other symptoms a person might experience along with a fever include:

• shaking or shivering
• feeling very cold
• feeling hot when the fever breaks or after taking fever medication
• symptoms of illness, such as a cough, an earache, or muscle pain
• intense exhaustion
• vomiting or diarrhea

Sometimes, the symptoms that accompany a fever offer a clue about its cause. For example, a person who has a fever and an earache may have an ear infection.

It is not always possible to self-diagnose, however. People who have reactions to medications that cause fevers may develop other symptoms of illness, such as muscle pain or a runny nose.

Learn more about the symptoms of a fever here.

It is important to contact a doctor if:

• A person develops any symptoms of a serious illness, such as meningitis. These symptoms may include a stiff neck, confusion, or sensitivity to light.
• Symptoms of a milder illness continue to worsen or do not go away after a few days.
• A newborn under 3 months old has a fever.
• A person with a serious illness or a weak immune system gets a fever.
• A person has chronic, unexplained fevers.
• A person develops a fever after taking a new medication.

Often, the best strategy for preventing fevers is to prevent the infections that cause them. The following tips may help:

• Stay home when sick, and do not send sick children to daycare or school.
• Know that treating a fever does not prevent it from spreading. If a person still has a fever despite taking medications, they may still be contagious.
• Get all recommended vaccines.
• Practice regular hand-washing with soap and warm water, especially before eating, before touching the face, and after touching someone else.
• Try to avoid people who are sick. If doing so is impossible, wear a mask and frequently wash the hands.
• Practice safer sex to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
• In crowded areas where COVID-19 rates are high, wear a mask indoors.
• Practice safe food preparation, including using different utensils for different foods, heating food according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and washing the hands before and after touching raw meat.

A fever will often present with chills, as it is the body’s reaction to trying to raise its core temperature to an optimum level when fighting certain infections and viruses.

A fever can be very unpleasant, and it may cause painful symptoms — even when the cause is a relatively minor illness. However, a fever is the body’s normal reaction to an infection or illness, and it is not a reason to panic. Although the infections that cause fevers can be dangerous, fevers themselves are rarely dangerous.

People should aim to focus on self-care and comfort strategies, such as getting warm, resting, and drinking plenty of fluids. Taking a fever medication may ease the symptoms and help a person rest better.

Most fevers will go away on their own. However, if the accompanying symptoms are very severe, get worse, or do not resolve within a few days, contact a doctor.

Relieving the symptoms of fever | Coping physically

A fever can make you feel hot, cold, shivery, washed out and sometimes have aches and pains. 

As well as treating the cause of an infection, you need treatment for your fever symptoms. This helps to make you more comfortable. Bringing your temperature down can make a difference to how you feel.

Drugs to treat fever symptoms

Paracetamol

You might have paracetamol. This can help relieve aches and pains. It is also an anti pyretic. This means it brings down your temperature. 

You usually take them regularly, every 4 to 6 hours, until you no longer have a high temperature. Make sure you read the drug information leaflet so that you know what dose to take and when.

Steroids

You might take steroids, for example, if your fever has been caused by a reaction to treatment.

Aspirin and ibuprofen

Aspirin and ibuprofen can reduce your temperature, but you shouldn’t take them without checking with your doctor. You shouldn’t have it if you have a low platelet count or any other risk of bleeding. For example, a stomach ulcer. This is because they can affect the time it takes your blood to clot.

It is important to remember that you must not take medicines if:

• you are allergic to the medicine or
• your healthcare team has told you not to take them

Feeling more comfortable

Other things that can make you feel more comfortable include:

• removing excess clothing and bed linen
• having a lukewarm (tepid) bath or sponge down
• drinking cool fluids, such as water and sucking ice chips
• opening the window or having a fan in the room
• during periods of chills, change any wet bed linen and clothes to keep you warm and dry, and keep away from drafts
• rest as much as you can

Even if you have a high temperature, you might actually feel cold and begin to shiver. Your immediate reaction may be to huddle up under lots of blankets to feel warm. But even though you feel cold, inside your body is very hot. You will generally start to feel better when your temperature comes down.

• Electronic Medicines Compendium
  Accessed February 2023 

• Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness (13th edition)    
  A Waugh and A Grant
  Elsevier, 2018

• The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures (10th edition)
  S Lister, J Hofland and H Grafton 
  Wiley Blackwell, 2020

• Chemotherapy-related fever or infection fever?

  N Eroglu and others

  Supportive Care in Cancer,,2021. Volume 29, Pages 1859–1862

• The information on this page is based on literature searches and specialist checking. We used many references and there are too many to list here. If you need additional references for this information please contact [email protected] with details of the particular risk or cause you are interested in. 

Last reviewed: 

07 Feb 2023

Next review due: 

07 Feb 2026

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Why it gives you a fever / What does severe sweating without fever mean / Is it worth visiting a doctor with sweating – March 7, 2022

Stress, problems with the heart and blood vessels can make themselves felt through excessive sweating

Photo: depositphotos.ru

The body is covered with skin that must sweat in certain situations, such as when it is hot. This is a cooling system that prevents overheating. But sometimes we sweat even in the cold or under air conditioning, why? This is what Doctor Peter is about.

If we didn’t know how to sweat, it would be very difficult for us in the warm season or with sudden changes in temperature, says Dr. Piter. Sweat, evaporating from the surface of the skin, allows you to give off excess heat, preventing overheating. In addition, with sweat during a fever, part of the salts, metabolic products, is excreted, due to sweating, the body temperature gradually decreases. But if attacks of severe sweating occur quite suddenly and it literally pours in hail, throws you into a fever or instantly breaks through cold sweat, the skin becomes cold and sticky – this is a reason to visit a doctor. These can be signs of stress, excessive fatigue, problems with the heart, blood vessels, and the endocrine system.

Why am I sweating? This question has come up a lot in recent years. A person feels healthy, leads an active lifestyle, but episodes of weakness and sweating come in waves at the most crucial moments. Is it familiar to you?

Elizaveta Melnikova, general practitioner, cardiologist.

Sweat is a natural secretion of our sweat glands and was created to protect the body from overheating. There are different types of glands in our body with you – some are thermoregulators and produce a hypotonic solution, which is sweat, during periods of elevated temperatures or physical exertion, while others secrete this specific secret of the body in moments of stress or fear.

The work of the sweat glands throughout the body is regulated by a part of the brain – the hypothalamus and sympathetic nerve fibers.

When the human body overheats, the thermoregulation center in the hypothalamus gives a signal to the peripheral nerves: it is necessary to increase heat transfer. To achieve this, there is an expansion of blood vessels on the surface of the skin and the process of secretion of a liquid watery secret – sweat is activated. It is this process that causes excessive sweating of a person during ARVI or other pathological conditions accompanied by an increase in body temperature.

In the female body, many processes are determined by the hormonal background, and therefore, when it changes (during menopause, pregnancy), the work of the autonomic nervous system is restructured. This leads to a short-term sensation of heat, hot flashes, increased sweating. During such periods, a woman needs to consult a gynecologist in order to alleviate the symptoms of her condition.

For the same reason, people suffering from other endocrine pathologies – overweight, hyperthyroidism, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus – are prone to excessive sweating.

Observation of an endocrinologist, correction of the hormonal profile and lifestyle changes significantly reduce the manifestations of hyperhidrosis (as pathological sweating is called in medicine) and improve the general condition of a person.

As for the male half of the population, according to statistics, men are more likely to face stressful situations, and their sensitivity to adrenaline is higher than that of women. In this regard, in the male body, in response to stress, tachycardia develops, sweating increases, breathing quickens.

Smokers also tend to sweat more, as nicotine is a direct stimulant of acetylcholine, which irritates sweat gland receptors.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, in which sweating is an almost constant attribute, have become more frequent. A panic attack is most often manifested by an autonomic crisis, which may be accompanied by:

• anxiety,
• fear of death,0048
• shortness of breath,
• shortness of breath,
• chills,
• increased sweating,
• pre-syncope,
• frequent urination
• and other manifestations .

This is due to a sharp release of large amounts of adrenaline and dopamine into the blood, which stimulates a sharp increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, and the production of liquid secretions in the sweat glands throughout the body. The correction of these conditions is carried out by a psychotherapist, who helps to choose therapy to reduce the level of emotional stress, anxiety, leading to the development of panic attacks.

Thus, sweating is most often a natural reaction of the body, which is an adaptive function of the body. In most cases, this condition does not require medical correction and manifests itself as a response to an adequate stimulus.

However, in a situation where you constantly and profusely sweat almost everywhere, you should consult a doctor for diagnosis and possible detection of diseases that require drug therapy.

Alena Paretskaya

SweatingHeat

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Read all comments do you feel? If you constantly feel like unplugging batteries or sitting near a fan when it’s cold outside, you might think you’re going through early menopause.

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Most likely not. Here are 10 more reasons to reset your internal thermometer.

Contents of the article

If all the mechanisms in our body work in a balanced way, then the body temperature fluctuates at the level of 36-37 degrees. If it rises or falls, then this may indicate malfunctions in the functioning of organs and even serious diseases. But why is it hot all the time, even if the body temperature is kept within the normal range? Let’s understand the reasons.

Why is it hot all the time: causes

Prediabetes

Why are you always hot and sweaty? If you sweat more at night and you can’t stand the heat, your body may not be able to keep your blood sugar levels normal. This means that insulin resistance develops and prediabetes is likely.

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Thyroid problems

If your thyroid is too active, your metabolism speeds up and you get hot. Other symptoms – weight change, fatigue, heart palpitations – indicate a decrease in thyroid function, and this is a reason to visit an endocrinologist and one of the reasons why a person is hot all the time.

Stress or anxiety

These conditions also cause heat intolerance due to the release of adrenaline. It is useful to do breathing exercises, walk or meditate.

Pregnancy

Why is it hot all the time for pregnant women? During ovulation, body temperature may rise slightly, as during pregnancy. About 30% of pregnant women talk about the moments when it gets hot.

Caffeine

Some people can’t exist without coffee, but its constant use also leads to a feeling of overheating. In addition, caffeine increases the heart rate.

Spicy dishes

Sauce that is too hot sets the mouth on fire and forces the body to resist the problem. The blood flow increases to deliver more blood to the suffering area – tongue, throat, palate, and you become hot.

Medications

Some medicines for diabetes, depression and pain can cause hot flashes as a side effect.

Illness

Not only viral infections with fever can create this effect, but also, for example, stomach problems or skin rashes can be the reason why it is stuffy and hot all the time.

Alcohol

It accelerates the blood throughout the body and seems to become warmer. The second peak is a few hours later, when the liver removes the breakdown products of alcohol.

Smoking

Like alcohol, nicotine in cigarettes has a short-term effect on the body. And it can also create the effect of increased temperature. The more a person smokes, the higher the chances of experiencing an unpleasant symptom.

What to do if it’s hot all the time

See a doctor

Why is it hot all the time? If all the previous reasons are not your case, and the fever has been going on for quite some time, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Perhaps the source of the problem is a serious illness, but here it is already impossible to delay.

Diagnostics

To more accurately determine the reasons why a person is hot all the time, you need to undergo an examination and pass the necessary tests. So, you may need:

• complete blood count;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the upper and/or lower extremities;
• echocardiogram;
• ECG (cardiogram).

If everything is fine with the tests

If the tests and examination by the doctor showed no abnormalities and the body works in a balanced way, then you may need to change your daily routine so that you no longer wonder why it’s hot all the time.

• Clothes. Review your wardrobe. Perhaps there are a lot of things made of low-quality synthetics in it, which does not allow the body to establish normal heat exchange. also, you may have too many warm clothes that you wear not only in autumn and winter, but also in spring and summer.
• Contrast shower in the morning perfectly helps to establish heat transfer processes. In addition, this procedure will strengthen the immune system and make it more resistant to colds.