Good day, dear readers!
In today’s article we will look at such an unpleasant symptom that accompanies many diseases as chills (trembling), as well as its causes, associated symptoms, treatment and prevention of chills. So…
What is chills?
Chills– feeling of cold and chilliness caused by spasms skin vessels, which is also accompanied by trembling and sometimes goosebumps. Trembling develops primarily in the muscles of the head ( masticatory muscles) backs, shoulder girdle and limbs.
Most often, the cause of chills is a disease of viral etiology, which is characterized by elevated or high body temperature. Mild chills can occur during stress, fear and other emotional outbursts, but they usually pass quickly. Therefore, in all cases, chills are a symptom that tells us that something is happening to the body.
Chills are one of the protective functions body - with muscle spasms the body generates a large amount of energy, and accordingly heat, during which self-warming and normalization of body temperature occur.
Treatment of chills is aimed at removing its cause, therefore, when the body’s functioning is normalized - when the disease or external unfavorable conditions in which the person is located are removed, the chills go away on their own.
Chills. ICD
ICD-10: R50.0;
ICD-9: 780.64.
Causes of chills
Conventionally, chills are divided into 2 types – chills with fever and chills without fever. Among the reasons for their development are:
Chills without fever are caused by:
- finding the body in unfavorable conditions climatic conditions, in the cold, and freezing of the body;
- diseases of the endocrine system: , ;
- , fright;
- hormonal changes – pregnancy;
- overwork;
- metabolic disorders;
- injuries.
Chills with fever are caused by:
- infections: and other diseases accompanied by elevated and high body temperature;
- digestive system disorders: , ;
- circulatory disorders, internal bleeding;
- other diseases: , Raynaud's disease.
Symptoms of chills
Depending on the cause of the chills, the following symptoms may accompany them:
- blue lips, nails (due to hypothermia);
- , malaise;
- constrained body movements, lethargy;
- , disturbances of consciousness, hallucinations;
Diagnosis of chills
Diagnosis of chills includes:
- Anamnesis;
Treatment of chills 
What to do if you have chills, if you feel cold? As noted above, treatment of chills is aimed at eliminating its root cause. Thus, it can be noted following methods treatment of chills:
- Warm the body - dress well in warm clothes, wrap yourself in a blanket, drink hot tea, raspberries or milk with, if there is no elevated temperature, take a warm bath or steam your feet in a basin.
— If you are emotionally unbalanced, you need to take deep breaths, drink a glass of water, a sedative, such as tea with mint or sage;
- If, it is necessary to take a remedy for increased fever, when it normalizes, the chills will go away on their own;
- If chills are caused poor condition vessels, as for example with, then hardening procedures have proven themselves to normalize their work;
— For different infectious diseases(flu, etc.) it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, which will help quickly remove infections from the body and, accordingly, normalize its condition.
Important! If you have chills, do not drink alcoholic beverages! Use medicines possible, but only after consulting a doctor.
Preventing chills
During the cold season, dress well and avoid hypothermia;
Severe chills in humans it is provoked by a spasm of blood vessels. The person suddenly becomes very cold and trembles in the muscles. Due to spasms of the skin muscles, “goose bumps” appear. The main cause is a febrile state when the body temperature rises. This condition is typical for infection, injury and other diseases.
When chills develop, the human body produces a large amount of heat, so the body temperature rises. After the temperature drops, the chills stop.
Chills - a syndrome or a disease?
Some people confuse and describe chills as a disease. There is no need to do this, it is only a symptom. Chills do not always appear only at high body temperatures. It can often occur in excitable people who are very worried about something. Chills may be a consequence of fright. The syndrome is neurotic; it goes away when the person relaxes and calms down.
Severe chills may be a consequence of stress, low pressure, fatigue. In women, it often appears during menstruation or worries in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Severe chills as a symptom of the disease
Most often, the symptom occurs due to an infectious disease. When the virus is in human body, it leads to the production of pyrogens. These substances warm the body from the inside, so the body temperature can rise sharply.
Chills are one of the symptoms of a serious illness. It is possible that a patient with this symptom has an infectious or purulent inflammation, malignant tumor. If severe chills bother you for several days, you should urgently consult a specialist.
Complaints can often be heard from people with impaired peripheral circulation. Such patients live in areas with a humid and cold climate. Under such conditions, blood circulation decreases, oxygen does not reach the fingers and toes. The skin becomes red, very itchy and swollen. When a person wants to warm up, the itching and swelling increase.
Extremities may become cold with obliterating endarteritis - vascular disease, due to which blood circulation is impaired and gangrene can develop. Chills are also common in patients with diabetes.
Chills and a constant feeling of cold indicate that the function is reduced thyroid gland. If everything is fine with a person, endocrine system provides thermoregulation of the body. When certain hormones are lacking, a person is constantly tormented by cold. Symptoms are most often observed in women over 50 years of age during menopause.
Please note if you have these symptoms:
- Hair fall out.
- You get tired quickly.
- Mood changes often.
- You gain weight sharply.
- The skin became dry.
If you have at least a few of these symptoms and are experiencing chills, be sure to get tested for your thyroid hormone levels.
Sudden chills may occur in patients with vegetative-vascular dystonia. Such people feel cold even in a hot room. When the disease occurs, thermoregulation is impaired. In this clinical situation, it is necessary to take the following measures:
- Visit baths and saunas.
- Take a contrast shower.
- Pay attention to winter swimming.
- Take a massage course.
All the above methods can be used if you have healthy heart!
If chills are felt in the hands, one may suspect Raynaud's syndrome - periodic vascular spasm in the extremities. In some situations it is strong, the fingers turn white or even turn blue. For preventive purposes, your hands should always be warm; for this, wear mittens, gloves, and give them baths.
Causes of chills without fever
Please note that often viral infection begins without fever, but with chills. This is how the body reacts to the disease. This is a signal that urgent action needs to be taken. Effective preventive method for chills during ARVI, use warm tea with the addition of raspberries, honey and lemon. If you are preparing tea, keep in mind that raspberries are not brewed with boiling water; they are added when the water cools down, otherwise they will lose all their beneficial substances.
When a person constantly refuses to eat normally and uses different diets, everything can end with chills. Remember that beauty requires sacrifice, but this negatively affects your health. Therefore, review your diet and eliminate harmful products nutrition. You need to eat food often and in small quantities.
How to get rid of severe chills?
If the chills are due to excitement, you need to take a deep breath and exhale. This condition is a blood reaction to produced enzymes. Has a positive effect on nervous system Valerian tincture. Often you can’t get carried away with the drug, it is addictive.
Helps relieve chills Herb tea. For it you can use lemon balm, chamomile, mint, sage. You can add honey or sugar to tea. If the chills are related to the thyroid gland, the patient needs complex treatment You may need to take hormonal medications.
Remember that chills are a protective reaction of the body; they improve blood circulation. When a symptom is accompanied by high fever, aches, severe headaches, and fatigue, it is necessary to take an antipyretic. You can use complex preparations - Rinzasip with vitamin C, Rinza. They contain a large amount active ingredients, which relieve chills, runny nose, weakness, and headache.
Thus, many are accustomed to the fact that severe chills always accompany high fever. This is wrong! Chills can provoke more serious illnesses. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to this symptom in a timely manner. It is dangerous when chills are a sign of endocrinological disorders, a consequence of stress. No need to bring yourself to nervous exhaustion. It is necessary to eat well; your diet should contain foods containing large amounts of vitamins. This will help prevent chills in the future.
Weakness, chills and fever may accompany the most various pathologies. To choose the right therapy, it is very important to take into account the features clinical picture.
This is what will help put accurate diagnosis. Such manifestations are a reason to consult a specialist. So, what to do if you have chills and fever?
Chills are a feeling of cold caused by spasm of blood vessels on the surface of the dermis. As a result, so-called goose bumps appear. In this condition, muscle tissue trembles.
So, the following signs are characteristic of a state of chills:
- Feeling cold. A person freezes even in warm clothes at an air temperature of more than 20 degrees.
- The appearance of goosebumps on the skin. With fever, small pimples can be seen on the surface of the dermis. This symptom is associated with contraction of the smooth muscles that surround the hair follicles.
- Trembling. This sign is caused by reflex muscle contractions.
In most cases, people feel chills at the initial stages of the development of infectious pathologies. Sometimes this sign appears without fever. This may be due to severe stress or hypothermia. Chilling is essentially a protective response that helps keep you warm and stimulates circulation.
Appearance mechanism
Chills are the result of vascular spasms. Muscle contraction causes tremors throughout the body. As a result, a person literally shakes at fever. Despite the fever, the patient experiences a pronounced feeling of cold. By shaking, the body tries to speed up blood circulation and warm up internal organs. Increased blood flow allows you to quickly cope with viruses and bacterial microorganisms.
Many people try to cope with unpleasant manifestations as soon as possible. Experts say that high temperature combined with chills is evidence of an active fight against microbes that penetrate the body. Therefore, we can conclude that chills are an unpleasant but useful function.
Causes of feeling cold and increasing body temperature
Before removing these manifestations, you need to establish the reasons for their occurrence. The most common factors include the following:
- flu;
- tonsillitis;
- acute respiratory viral infection;
- severe stress;
- pneumonia;
- measles;
- overheating;
- condition after vaccination.
In babies infancy This condition may be a reaction to teething. Sometimes the provoking factor is the child's hyperactivity.
However, most often this clinical picture characterizes infectious pathologies - tonsillitis, influenza, ARVI. The appearance of a headache with chills and weakness may be a symptom of intoxication of the body.
With colds, deterioration in well-being is observed only in the first few days. First, the patient has a sore throat, then the temperature increases, weakness appears, the body freezes, and the body aches. Cough and rhinitis are present for a week.
Influenza is characterized by a more severe clinical picture. With the development of this pathology, symptoms increase quite quickly. A person suddenly develops a fever, severe chills, a headache and aching bones. Temperatures can reach 39 degrees. One of the most dangerous complications influenza is inflammation of the lungs. As pneumonia develops, the temperature increases greatly.
Other complications may include the following:
- sinusitis;
- bronchitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- stomatitis.
That is why it is so important to consult a doctor promptly when the first manifestations of ARVI appear - rhinitis, chills, cough.
Tonsillitis
Another cause of such symptoms is tonsillitis. In this case, chills are present for a short time. Then the strong ones appear painful sensations in the throat. As a result, the patient experiences difficulty swallowing and speaking. Tonsillitis is also accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes and a significant increase in temperature - it can reach 40 degrees.
Meningitis
Meningitis is a very dangerous pathology. It is characterized by the appearance of acute headaches, which occur in the form of attacks. This symptom worsens when changing body position. In addition, there is a risk of vomiting, severe chills, pain syndrome when touching the body. IN in this case It is strictly forbidden to self-medicate, since the disease is life-threatening.
Thermoneurosis
The appearance of such a clinical picture is also characteristic of such a pathology as thermoneurosis. It is accompanied by brain disorders. In this case, the symptoms resemble ARVI, but subsequent development does not occur.
Thermoneurosis is one of the varieties vegetative-vascular dystonia. Pathology affects the vulnerable and closed people. Psychotherapy can help cope with such symptoms. Hypnosis and auto-training can also be used. To prevent the disease, you should lead a correct lifestyle, observe a work and rest schedule, get enough sleep and eat rationally.
Sinusitis
Also, sinusitis often leads to the appearance of such symptoms. In addition to fever, weakness and chills, there is nasal congestion. To improve the patient’s condition, the doctor may recommend a course antibacterial therapy and special nasal drops. IN difficult situations it will not be possible to do without a puncture. Using this procedure, mucous secretions are removed from the sinuses.
Encephalitis
A temperature that is accompanied by severe chills may indicate such dangerous pathology like encephalitis. This disease is characterized by problems in the functioning of digestive system, the appearance of nausea and vomiting, constant seizures, dizziness. In the absence of timely treatment, the likelihood of death is high.
Treatment rules
To cope with elevated temperature and chills, you need to adhere to a number of rules:
Methods for reducing temperature
If a person has a temperature of 37 degrees, it does not need to be lowered. Accept medicines recommended when exceeding 38.5 degrees.
To reduce temperature indicators the most commonly used are ibuprofen and paracetamol. These drugs have different shapes release. For kids early age Syrup and candles will do. Adult patients can use tablet forms of drugs.
No medicine should be taken more than 4 times a day or for more than 3 days in a row. If chills occur, suppositories may produce less pronounced results. In such a situation, tablets and syrups are more suitable.
It is important to note that children under 12 years of age are strictly prohibited from using aspirin. Also, doctors do not recommend using analgin. If the temperature cannot be brought down, the patient is given a lytic mixture. It contains this drug.
What should you not do if you have a chill?
There are certain actions that can make you feel worse. So, if chills and fever appear, it is not recommended to do the following:
In what cases should you consult a doctor?
There are certain symptoms, if they appear, you should definitely consult a specialist:
- the appearance of fever and chattering teeth;
- sudden deterioration of condition;
- recent holidays in exotic countries;
- the presence of serious somatic pathologies.
The appearance of chills in the background high temperature may indicate infectious diseases. In simple cases, this condition does not pose a health hazard. If other manifestations appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
There are many symptoms that may indicate completely various diseases. In this article we'll talk about what chills are.
What it is?
At the very beginning, you need to understand the main term that will be used in the article. So, chills in their essence are a spasm of those blood vessels that are closest to skin person. When people talk about chills, they most often mean:
- Feeling cold.
- Trembling and muscle spasms (body tremors).
- The appearance of so-called “goose bumps”.
Chills themselves can appear at any time of the day, regardless of the type of human activity.
Reason 1. ARVI
If a person has chills, there can be a variety of reasons for this. However, most often they are associated with colds. Chills are the first symptom that signals that something is wrong with the body. And a little later, other signs may appear: cough, runny nose and even fever. However, the disease can be “killed in the bud.” To do this, as soon as a chill appears, you need to steam your feet, drink warm tea, crawl under the covers and fall asleep.
Reason 2. Infectious diseases
Another reason why chills may appear? The reasons may lie in various kinds(for example, the flu). The temperature will not appear immediately; it will rise only after 24 hours after infection. After about 24 hours, other symptoms will appear.
Reason 3. Pressure surges
Reason 7. Trauma
Why else might a person get chills? The reasons are also associated with injuries. So, if a person has recently been injured and experienced shock, similar symptoms may occur.
Reason 8. Diseases
Doctors say that chills can also be caused by certain diseases that are not associated with a cold. When might it occur? this symptom?
- Improper functioning of the thyroid gland. In addition to chills, there will also be symptoms such as fatigue and lethargy (symptoms similar to a cold).
- Hormonal imbalances can also cause problems such as chills. In this case, people most often talk about diabetes mellitus.
- Severe chills can cause a disease such as malaria.
Reason 9. Women's
Why might women experience chills? The reasons in this case may be the following:
- Emotional fluctuations. It will not be a secret to anyone that women are more emotional than men. Even if a little nervous, a lady may begin to feel cold. You can cope with this situation quite easily: you need to drink chamomile tea, listen to pleasant music and take a warm bath. In some cases you can also take sedative(for example, the drug “Glycine”).
- Chills in women can also alternate with hot flashes. This is possible if a woman is going through menopause. To cope with the problem, you need to seek help from an endocrinologist or gynecologist (this problem is associated with changes in the woman’s hormonal levels).
- Menses. Infrequently, women may experience chills during monthly discharge - menstruation. This condition most often appears in the first days of discharge. Others possible symptoms: weakness, fatigue, low performance, pain in the lower abdomen.
Night chills
Sometimes people get chills at night. Causes this state may be as follows:
- Night chills and sweating are often observed in diabetics.
- People who have hyperhidrosis may feel chills at night - heavy sweating. However, this will happen due to the fact that a person can simply freeze while resting on sheets wet from sweat.
- Night chills also often bother people who suffer from hemorrhoids. However, this symptom usually indicates complications that may arise as a result of the development of this disease.
When should you see a doctor?
It is worth saying that chills can be a symptom of a serious illness, with which you can independently (without medical care) can't cope. In what situations should you consult a doctor?
- If chills are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. In this case, poisoning, intoxication of the body, and disruption of intestinal function are possible. If timely and adequate assistance is not provided, various types of inflammatory processes may begin.
- Chills may occur as a symptom food allergies. In this case, it appears after taking an allergen product.
- If chills are accompanied by a cough, runny nose, or fever, this may indicate that the person has a cold or flu. However, these symptoms may also occur in more serious illnesses. And only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis.
- Chills may appear immediately after arriving from a trip to exotic countries. In this case, you should immediately go to an infectious disease specialist.
- If chills recur periodically at the same time, and your blood pressure also rises, you need to go see a cardiologist. These symptoms in this case may be indicators of a disease such as hypertension. If left untreated, a person may have a stroke.
Chills are a feeling of cold, accompanied by involuntary trembling and twitching of muscles, chattering of teeth (“tooth does not touch tooth”), the appearance of goose bumps, this is a protective reaction of the body to increase peripheral blood circulation in order to warm up. A person feels unwell, chilly and cold. These symptoms develop due to sudden spasms of small vessels located just under the skin. Chills are not a disease - it is only the body's reaction to sharp changes temperature and metabolic disorders. This common symptom febrile conditions: influenza, septicemia, serious injury, some forms of diarrhea, heavy bleeding etc. If the chills are very strong and last more than half an hour, this may indicate malaria, pneumonia, scarlet fever, smallpox, etc.
Causes of chills
It is incorrect to correlate the appearance of chills only with an increase in body temperature; it can appear without it, so it is important to pay attention to the appearance of such a symptom. Let's look at the reasons that can lead to its appearance; there are not as few of them as it might seem at first glance. The most harmless cause of chills can be called hypothermia, but only if it is not severe. If you notice blue lips and fingers, notice lethargy, a drop in body temperature, then this is much more serious. In this case, everything should be done possible measures for warming up, such as a warm bath and tea, and in case of loss of consciousness, a person needs health care. Chills are often accompanied infectious diseases, weakness and headache may be present. As a rule, these symptoms are followed by fever and additional symptoms.
As a rule, it appears at the same time, most often in the evening hours. In this case, medical help is also necessary, since hypertension can have serious consequences. Sometimes chills are accompanied by emotional excitement, excessive worry and stress. At the same time, a person feels icy cold or hot, he has a desire to move, or, conversely, he falls into a stupor. If these conditions do not last long, it may help breathing exercises, sedatives. If the stress is prolonged, then you should contact a psychologist to identify the cause of its occurrence and eliminate it.
If chills are accompanied by severe headache, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, insomnia, then these symptoms may accompany malaria. This disease is considered very serious and life-threatening, therefore, in this case, it is better not to think about self-medication, especially if the person has recently returned from a trip to some exotic country. Call urgently ambulance and get ready to be sent to the infectious diseases department.
When chills are accompanied by hot flashes, intense sweating, menstrual irregularities, and emotional changes, then we are most likely talking about menopausal syndrome. Consult a gynecologist-endocrinologist who will recommend correct treatment. Similar conditions can be observed in the presence of other hormonal disorders, for example, hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus. In this case, they may be accompanied by loss of body weight while maintaining normal or even increased appetite, rapid heartbeat, and nervousness. If we are talking specifically about endocrine diseases, then serious treatment is necessary and strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
Chills without fever
Chills can occur without an increase in body temperature. The reasons for this condition may be: hormonal disorders(eg hyperthyroidism, diabetes, climacteric syndrome); climb blood pressure(in this case, the repeating time of occurrence of chills is typical); infectious diseases (including such dangerous ones as tuberculosis, malaria); slowdown metabolic processes in the body against the background of a long-term diet; nervous tension, lack of sleep, stress, excitement, overwork, etc. To understand the causes of chills, you need to consult a doctor. general practice or a general practitioner. He will conduct a full physical examination and prescribe the necessary laboratory and instrumental examinations. Do not put off visiting a doctor for too long, as a number of diseases causing chills, requires immediate treatment.
Diagnosis of chills
Diagnosis of chills includes:
- Anamnesis;
- General blood analysis;
- Blood chemistry.
Chills and a constant feeling of cold indicate that the function of the thyroid gland is reduced. If everything is normal in a person, the endocrine system provides thermoregulation of the body. When certain hormones are lacking, a person is constantly tormented by cold. Symptoms are most often observed in women over 50 years of age during menopause.
Notice if you have the following symptoms:
- Hair fall out.
- You get tired quickly.
- Mood changes often.
- You gain weight sharply.
- The skin became dry.
If you have at least a few of these symptoms and are experiencing chills, be sure to get tested for your thyroid hormone levels.
Treatment of chills
It is necessary to reduce body temperature with the help of antipyretics (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin for adults). You can lie under a warm blanket and drink a lot of warm tea (it helps in 15 minutes if the condition is due to hypothermia). Lie in a warm bath, then thoroughly rub your body with a terry towel. You should not use any alcoholic beverages, as this can worsen the condition and even lead to fainting. If the cause of chills is nervous overexcitation, you need to drink a sedative, for example, tincture of motherwort or valerian.
When to call a doctor:
- chills are observed in the baby, and if it is combined with lethargy or nervousness;
- chills very much, until teeth chatter;
- chills do not go away within an hour;
- general condition deteriorates sharply;
- shortly before this, the patient visited exotic countries;
- chills are observed in a patient with heart disease who has recently had dental treatment (there is a possibility of infection);
- the patient has severe chronic diseases eg diabetes;
- this condition occurs in a person using steroid hormones or undergoing radiotherapy.
Preventing chills
- During the cold season, dress well and avoid hypothermia;
- Try to eat food enriched with vitamins and microelements;
- Do not let various diseases take their course so that they do not become chronic;
- If you are too emotional person, try to avoid work where there are stressful situations;
- Avoid overexerting yourself physically when doing anything.
