Can I Be Chill About the Chills?

Picture this: Your body starts to ache. Your skin breaks out in goosebumps and you shiver even though you're dressed warmly and the room isn’t cold. What’s going on?

It sounds like you have the chills and maybe even a fever. We’ve all had the chills. Still, why do we get them when our body temp spikes higher than normal?

What Causes the Chills?

Although the chills are an involuntary reaction to cold temperatures, they often occur with a fever. When your body is fighting an illness, it sometimes raises your temperature as it tries to kill the virus or bacteria that’s making you sick. As your temperature rises, the rest of your body tries to catch up, making you feel cold. Your muscles then contract and relax very quickly to help you warm up — which causes shivering.

Fever and chills are common symptoms of:

• Strep throat
• Flu
• Pneumonia
• Sinus infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Meningitis

How Do You Treat the Chills?

Treatment for a fever and chills can vary depending on what’s causing them. If your fever is mild (102ºF or less), you can try to lower it at home. Home remedies include:

• Getting plenty of rest
• Drinking lots of fluids
• Take fever-reducing medicine (acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen)
• Sponging the body with lukewarm water

The U.S. Library of Medicine,  advises against bundling up in blankets if you have a high temperature. It will only make the chills worse.  Similarly, a fan or AC won’t bring a fever down.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Make an appointment with your doctor if your fever:

• Doesn’t improve after three days or lasts for more than five days
• Stays above 103ºF even after you've tried to bring it down at home
•  Is accompanied by a bad cough, shortness of breath, stomach pains, stiff neck, confusion, irritability, or the need to urinate often

If you have a baby younger than three months old, you should go to the doctor if they have a fever:

• Higher than 101ºF
• More than one day

Your doctor will usually ask you a couple of questions and run some tests to figure out what’s causing the fever and chills. Once the cause is found, your doctor will offer advice on how to treat it.

Source: Chills,  U.S. Library of Medicine, 2023

Originally published 2/10/2016; Revised 2021, 2022, 2024