Brief overview
- What is shivering? Muscle tremors associated with cold shivers. Occurs in episodes often in the context of febrile infections: Muscle shivering generates heat and thus increases the body temperature. This makes it easier to fight off pathogens.
- Causes: in chills with fever, e.g., cold, flu, pneumonia, scarlet fever, erysipelas, renal pelvic inflammation, blood poisoning (sepsis), Legionnaires’ disease, tropical diseases (such as malaria, yellow fever). For chills without fever, e.g. hypothermia, sunstroke / heat stroke, withdrawal symptoms, mental illness, acute glaucoma, mushroom poisoning, hyperthyroidism.
- What to do. In case of fever, cover the patient well, let him drink a lot, possibly take fever-reducing measures (such as calf compresses). In case of heat stroke or sunstroke: get out of the sun, apply cool compresses to the head, keep the upper body and head elevated. In case of hypothermia: warm the affected person slowly from the torso (e.g. with warm, damp cloths on the stomach).
Chills: definition and causes
Chills are said to occur when you suddenly feel extremely cold and the muscles throughout your body shake. This is usually a harbinger of fever. However, the phenomenon can also occur without a fever. The causes of shivering are manifold. From the classic cold to influenza, pneumonia, scarlet fever or inflammation of the kidney pelvis to blood poisoning, a wide variety of illnesses can be associated with chills. Without fever, chills can occur, for example, in hypothermia, sunstroke or mushroom poisoning.
What is the function of chills?
Often, chills (febris undularis) announce fever. Especially in infections with bacteria, parasites, viruses or fungi, the immune system becomes active by releasing pyrogens that trigger fever. These stimulate the thermoregulation center in the brain to increase body temperature because certain defense mechanisms can then work better. If the body temperature rises to more than 38 degrees Celsius, this is called a fever.
In general, shivering cannot be influenced at will. The tremors occur in episodes, last for several minutes and then disappear again. Those affected often sleep deeply afterwards, because the muscle tremors are physically very exhausting, especially in a state weakened by illness.
What are the causes behind shivering?
In most cases, febrile illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites trigger shivering. In children, harmless infections are often enough to raise the temperature and trigger chills.
In addition, tumors and autoimmune diseases can also cause fever and thus chills.
Important causes of involuntary muscle tremors and chills are, for example:
- Flu (influenza) and common cold: A general feeling of illness, headache, aching limbs, and fever with chills are among the typical symptoms of these viral infections.
- Pneumonia: In addition to cough and sputum and chest pain, high fever with chills is typical in pneumonia.
- Erysipelas: The bacterial agent of scarlet fever can cause other diseases, including erysipelas – an acute inflammation of the skin. Symptoms include extensive redness and painful swelling of the affected skin, as well as chills and a high fever.
- Kidney pelvic inflammation (pyelonephritis): possible signs are high fever and chills, severe flank pain, nausea and vomiting. Sometimes blood also appears in the urine.
- Blood poisoning (sepsis): This is when an initially localized infection spreads throughout the body via the bloodstream. Signs of sepsis include high fever and chills, usually combined with palpitations and shortness of breath. There is acute danger to the life of the affected person!
- Tropical-subtropical infections: Chills with fever can occur in malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, typhoid fever, anthrax and plague, among others.
- Sunstroke / heat stroke: In sunstroke (heat accumulation in the head as a result of too much sun), a bright red, hot head, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, restlessness and sometimes mild fever and chills occur. Severe overheating throughout the body is present in heat stroke – where the body temperature rises above 40 degrees.
- Withdrawal symptoms: Stopping addictive substances such as certain medications, nicotine, alcohol or illegal drugs can trigger physical and psychological symptoms, often including chills.
- Mental illnesses: So-called hyperkinetic disorders such as ADHD can cause chills. Anxiety disorders are also among the mental illnesses that cause muscle shaking.
- Acute glaucoma: In a glaucoma attack, the intraocular pressure suddenly rises rapidly. Possible signs include acute headache, loss of vision, a noticeable hardening of the eyeball, nausea, vomiting, and chills. The patient needs medical help immediately!
- Hyperthyroidism: the excess of thyroid hormones can cause, among other things, muscle tremors in sufferers, as in chills.
Chills: What to do?
Tips for chills due to the onset of fever include:
- Warmth: Warm blankets, a warm foot bath or a warm bath can stop the involuntary muscle shivering that eventually turns into fever. Thanks to the externally supplied heat, the body itself has to work less to raise the temperature.
- Hot tea: Lime blossom tea is very suitable as a home remedy for a fever, because it has a warming and diaphoretic effect. A tea made from elderflower or rosehip peel also helps the body generate heat.
- Drink plenty of fluids: The rule for fever and feverish chills is always: drink plenty of fluids! The rule of thumb: drink half a liter of fluid per additional degree of body temperature more.
If, on the other hand, the chills are caused by sunstroke, the main thing you should do is cool down. These home remedies and tips help:
- Cool head: cold-moist compresses or cool yogurt wraps on forehead, head or neck lower temperature.
Home remedies have their limits. If the symptoms persist over a longer period of time, do not get better or even get worse, you should always consult a doctor.
Chills: When do you need to see a doctor?
You do not need to see a doctor immediately for every attack of chills. If the chills are due to a common cold, they usually go away on their own and can be relieved on their own if necessary. However, if you suspect that you have a real flu (influenza) or another serious illness, you should consult your family doctor to initiate the appropriate treatment for the underlying illness.
You should also seek medical advice if you suffer from unusually severe or prolonged shivering. You should also seek medical advice if the muscle tremor occurs for seemingly no reason, with no other symptoms of infection.
In case of severe sunstroke as well as heat stroke, you should call the emergency doctor immediately! The same applies to signs of a glaucoma attack or blood poisoning (sepsis).
Chills: What does the doctor do?
First, the doctor takes your medical history. Among other things, he will ask about the type, severity and course of your symptoms as well as any underlying diseases (such as hyperthyroidism, autoimmune diseases or tumors). Information about addictions and recent travel to warm regions is also important. Sometimes this information is enough for the doctor to narrow down the cause of your chills.
During the subsequent physical examination, the doctor will take your temperature, palpate your lymph nodes for swelling and listen to your lungs, among other things. Often, it is possible to tell what triggers the chills after this.
However, if the cause of the chills is still unknown, blood tests can help. The measured values can indicate, for example, inflammation in the body and invading pathogens. Sometimes imaging procedures such as ultrasound or X-ray examinations (of the chest, for example) are also useful.
Treatment for chills
Home remedies have their limits. If the symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not get better or even get worse, you should always consult a doctor.
Frequently asked questions about chills
What to do in case of chills
If you have chills, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid extra physical exertion. If the severe muscle shaking persists, other symptoms are added, or the fever is very high, seek medical attention or call emergency services.
What is chills
Chills are severe, uncontrollable shaking of the muscles, usually all over the body. It is a response to severe hypothermia or acute infection. The intense muscle activity causes the body to try to raise its temperature to stop hypothermia or fight off pathogens.
What are the causes of chills?
What does chills feel like?
Chills usually make you feel very unwell, sick and weak. Chills are manifested by uncontrolled shivering and a strong, almost unbearable cold sensation that occurs regardless of the ambient temperature. Goosebumps, chattering teeth, accelerated breathing and pale skin are often added to the symptoms.
How long do chills last?
Depending on the cause, chills last for only a few minutes, but in severe cases, the shivering can last up to an hour and occur several times a day. If chills are severe, last a long time, or recur, be sure to seek medical help.
When do you get chills?
When the body tries to raise its temperature, chills occur. This is how it fights infections or diseases such as flu, malaria, pneumonia, or urinary tract infections. Hypothermia, certain medications or medical treatments can also cause chills. If chills persist or recur frequently, seek medical attention.
What do you do for chills in children?
What to do when you have severe chills?
Keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and rest if you have severe chills. If the muscle shaking persists or if other symptoms such as fever or weakness develop, see a doctor or call emergency medical services immediately. Chills can be an indication of a serious infection and the cause should be medically determined.
