Chills
Chills refer to cold feelings without any apparent cause. People experience chills when their muscles contract and expand repeatedly, and their skin’s vessels constrict. Often, they occur due to fevers and lead to the body’s involuntary shaking or shivering. Depending on the cause, the episodes can happen frequently and last upwards of an hour. The common causes of chills are bacterial infections like strep throat, viral or bacterial gastroenteritis, flu, meningitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, UTIs, and malaria.
Treating chills usually depend on whether or not they’re triggered by fevers and how serious the condition is. If the fever you’re experiencing is mild—38.6°C (101.4°F) or less—and isn’t causing other symptoms, there’s usually no need to visit your doctor. All you need to do is get a lot of rest and keep yourself adequately hydrated. Use only light sheets, as covering yourself with thick blankets and heavy clothing will raise your temperature further. Using lukewarm water when bathing can keep the fever at a minimum.
If the fever is too high, presents with severe symptoms like a stiff neck and abdominal pain, and doesn’t improve within two days, it’s usually a good idea to contact a healthcare provider immediately.
