Understanding Chills: What Causes Them and When to Seek Help

Chills are a natural body response. Chills happen when your body core temperature drops below its normal range. Chills are also a natural response of your body getting ready to fight off an infection. Chills can feel like shivering, feeling cold, shakes, teeth chattering, and goosebumps. When you start to have chills you can’t control them.

There are a number of things that can cause your body to have chills. If you have been outside in cold weather, or inside when the air conditioning is blasting. Average body temperature of a person is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Normal temperatures can vary from person to person. A normal temperature can range anywhere between 97 degrees and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Knowing your body’s normal temperature can be important in knowing when you have a raise or drop in temperature.

Health conditions that can cause chills are bacterial infections, cancers, drug withdrawals, hangovers, low blood sugar, menopause, panic attacks, parasite infections, sepsis, or a virus. Some people have chills after undergoing general anesthesia. In certain situations where you have a surge of adrenaline you may also experience chills. People during or after delivering a baby can have chills.

Chills can sometimes be the first sign of an infection. Sometimes they are the first sign of a fever coming on. Not all fevers will need treatment. If you start to have chills you can rest with a light blanket over the top of you. Try not to be too bundled or it can overheat your body, and raise your temperature too high. Dress in layers, like adding a sweater so that you can take layers off when you start to warm up. You can turn the temperature up inside your home. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids during this time to help your body fight off whatever infection you have.

When To See A Doctor

Mild fevers usually don’t need to be seen by a doctor. If you are an adult or a child over three and your fever is over 104 degrees Fahrenheit then you will want to see a doctor. Other fevers that need medical attention are a fever higher than 102.2 for children between 3 months old and three years. A fever over 100.4 for children younger than 3 months should also be seen by a doctor. You should also see a doctor if you have other severe symptoms that start to develop, have mild symptoms that worsen over a few days time, have chronic unexplained fevers, have a fever after taking a medication, or have a fever with a weakened immune system.

Treatment

You cannot always prevent chills from happening. If you are chilled from being in too cold of weather try to dress warmly when being exposed to the elements. Dress in layers. Wearing a hat and gloves can also help keep your body temperature warm. You can also drink a warm beverage, tea, hot chocolate, or coffee to help raise your body temperature. If your chills are caused by an infection, stay home when you are sick, get the recommended vaccines to help ward off infections, and make sure you are practicing good hand hygiene to eliminate the spread of germs.

If you have a fever due to an infection you can treat the fever with over the counter fever reducers, such as tylenol, or ibuprofen. Make sure you are drinking lots of fluids. Getting medications such as an antibiotic or an antiviral medication can help fight off infections. Rest is also important when your body is fighting infections.

Takeaway

Chills happen when your body temperature drops below its normal. Normal temperatures range from 97 degrees to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Chills are your body’s natural response to help fight off an infection. The shivering helps your body raise its temperature to fight the infection. Though they can be irritating, chills usually are not cause of concern on their own. If you have chills for a long time or a fever that won’t break on its own you will want to reach out to your doctor. Not all fevers need medical attention so resting and drinking lots of fluids at home can help you through your body fighting off the infection.