Chills without Fever

Had you experience having chills? It is a feeling of being cold for no reasons at all. It is the repeated expansion and contraction of muscles. Chills is usually accompanied by fever, but there are times when you experience chills but no fever and body aches.

The chills are constant and can last for a few minutes to an hour. A lot of people think that uncontrollable shaking and chills usually come with a fever, but that’s not always the case. There are medical conditions that cause chills without fever. ^{(1, 2)}

Photo 1: A patient with chills as well as colds and cough.
Picture Source: i.ytimg.com

http://www.fitnessauthorityonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Chills-without-Fever.png
(A patient trying to make himself warm by putting warm pad and drinking warm drinks.)

Image 2: A geriatric patient suffering from severe chills.
Photo Source: www.doctorshealthpress.com

What causes chills without fever

• Bladder infection
• A complication of prescribed medication
• Low haemoglobin level (anemia)
• Malnutrition
• Lack of sleep ⁽³⁾
• Low glucose level (hypoglycaemia)
• Prolonged exposure to cold environment
• Common cold that is usually viral in origin as manifested by coughing and runny nose
• Kissing disease (mononucleosis)
• Viral infection
• Influenza
• Inflammation of the membrane that protects the brain (meningitis)
• Pneumonia as manifested by coughing, fever, difficulty of breathing, and inflammation of the lungs
• Throat infection
• Food poisoning ⁽⁴⁾
• Spider bite. Normally, a bite of spider is harmless but if it is caused by the venomous type, then you will most likely experience symptoms like chills, nausea and vomiting, and muscle spasms.
• Sepsis, which is a type of blood infection which could eventually lead to clothing, low blood pressure, and organ failure. It is a life-threatening condition. Chills is the first clinical manifestation of sepsis. Other related symptoms are fever, vomiting, shaking, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.
• Hypothermia. A severely low body temperature as manifested by chills and shaking.
• The geriatric population is prone to chills.
• Panic attack is one of the reasons for experiencing chills. ⁽¹⁰⁾

What causes random chills? It is the body’s way of producing heat so as to increase the core temperature of the body. As a result, the muscles contract and relax rapidly.

What are symptoms chills without fever?

• The teeth chatter. It is the result of the body’s attempt to generate more heat. If you are experiencing chills, your teeth chatter too.
• Chills are usually accompanied by goose bumps. This commonly happens if you are exposed to a cold environment.
• As the body tries its best to generate more heat the warmer spots of the body will then produce more heat such as the groin and the armpits.
• The skin feels sweaty and clammy as the cold temperature causes the moisture to slowly evaporate.
• Your body shakes or shivers as a result of the contraction of the muscles. ^{(4, 5, 6)}

Treatment and management

What to do for chills without fever? How can you stop the sudden shivering of the body? Chills without fever do not necessarily mean that there is a serious underlying medical condition, although in some cases, it is an indicator of a serious illness.

On the positive note, chills without fever can be treated at home.

1. Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.
2. Give your body an ample time to rest and relax.
3. If the chills is severe, you should get a light sheet and cover yourself. Do not use heavy blankets as it increases the possibility of raising the body’s temperature.
4. Try to calm yourself by sponging your body with a lukewarm water. Do not use cold water as it can further aggravate the chills. ⁽⁷⁾
5. To significantly reduce the chills and fevers, it would help a lot if the patient will drink a warm herbal tea. If you don’t like the taste of the tea, then at least add honey to make the taste pleasing, especially for children.
6. Make sure you eat nutritious foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and cereals. You should take warm foods to improve internal heat.
7. Try to walk at least 30 minutes a day to improve the body’s heat and minimize chills.
8. Drink plenty of warm water as well as warm chicken soup. It soothes the cold feeling and minimizes chills. ⁽⁸⁾
9. Taking a warm shower one to two times a day can help alleviate the cold feeling.
10. It would help a lot if you are going to wear warm clothing, especially when going out in a cold climate.
11. Make sure you eat on a regular basis. Always have access to something edible so that when you have chills, you will have something readily available to eat.
12. Use essential oil to calm the body and mind. ⁽⁹⁾

Medical management for chills without fever

1. If the cause of chill is viral infection, the patient should take antibiotics. However, it should only be taken under the prescription of your doctor.
2. Increase your intake of vitamin B supplements to help minimize chills and increase the body’s energy level. ⁽¹⁰⁾
3. If the cause of chill is viral, then an antiviral medication is needed.
4. It is important to treat the accompanying symptoms of chills such as cough and colds. The usual treatment options include cough expectorants and nasal decongestants.
5. Anti-inflammatory medication helps in alleviating pain and discomfort brought by severe chills.
6. If the cause of chill is food poisoning, the best approach is to seek immediate medical intervention.
7. If the patient is dehydrated, then the patient should be put on intravenous therapy.
8. The patient should observe proper relaxation and breathing techniques.
9. For iron deficiency anemia the best remedy is iron supplement. ^{(1, 4, 5)}

When you should call your doctor?

You should contact your doctor if the chills have been going on for quite a while now and do not seem to go away despite desperate measures. You should call your doctor if the patient develops a fever as it could indicate that there is an underlying serious medical condition.

References:

1. www.webmd.com
2. www.tandurust.com
3. www.medguidance.com
4. www.home-remedies-for-you.com
5. www.ihealthblogger.com
6. www.healthyandnaturalworld.com
7. www.healthline.com
8. https://healdove.com
9. www.fitnessauthorityonline.com
10. www.nytimes.com