What Causes Shaking Chills

Shaking chills arise suddenly due to the influx of a particular infection. There are times when you might misinterpret shaking chills for seizures or tremors. However, you could rest assured that they, indeed, are two different scenarios.

Shaking chills are an extreme of shivers we experience during fever. However, they are deucedly intense and have the potency to make you feel extremely uncomfortable.

When our body senses any foreign matter invading the system, the defense mechanisms try to fight the infection that has made an entry. Due to this, the body temperature rises, and fever is the resultant phase. Shaking chills with fever are a common accompaniment as the body's mechanism to fight has been hampered with the influx of the infection.

► When your body temperature rises, the surface air feels cold and you begin to shiver. Sometimes, the shivers are very intense and become shaking chills, also referred to as rigors.

Chills can also occur due to lymphomas, blood transfusion reactions, and certain drugs. Shaking chills may occur without fever, too, as a normal response, when we are exposed to a frigid environment.

A marked condition in menopausal women, hot flashes are episodes characterized by intense undulations; rising from tepidity to heat. Hot flashes preponderantly target the face and the upper body. They may frequent menopausal women any time during the day; however, nighttime flashes, too, are a common complaint registered by women.

Waking up to a self, soaked in sweat is one disturbing characteristic. The episode may culminate in a matter of five minutes; however, it is also probable that the body regains the normal temperature only after 20 to 25 minutes have lapsed.

When the hot flashes subside, they often culminate with a drop in body temperature. Women may feel abnormally frigid for a brief period before the body is absolved of all the symptoms.

Anxiety impedes an individual's modus operandi ad nauseam. Anxiousness plagues each one of us at some point in time of our lives; however, when anxiety pullulates beyond the stretch of imagination, the serial of conundrums begin to arise.

Ad hoc stimuli may generate stress and tension no end; however, what siphons attention is the phase when anxiety becomes a way of life. Termed chronic anxiety, a panic attack may trigger fluctuations in the body's temperature; sweaty palms, icy feet progressing toward chills. Palpitations and lightheadedness may further escalate the chills.

The paroxysmal cycle of malaria begins with a period of chills lasting one to two hours. Headache and severe muscle pain are prominent. Shaking chills are accompanied by high fever that lasts three to four hours.

This is followed by two to four hours of profuse diaphoresis commonly known as sweating. Chills occur within the time range of 48 to 72 hours when caused by Plasmodium malariae and every 40 to 42 hours when the chills are caused by P. vivax or P. ovale.

Snakebites may also cause chills with fever, profuse sweating, weakness, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and thirst. The area of the snakebite may be marked by immediate swelling and tenderness, pain and a bloody discharge.

The patient is in a state of shock; thus, one may also have difficulties in articulating, and suffer visual impairment that may also lead to paralysis.

With the onset of influenza, there is an abrupt onset of chills, fever, severe headache, and cough. It is evidenced that some patients develop fulminant rhinitis, rhinorrhea, conjunctivitis, and sore throat. Chills generally subside after the first few days, but an intermittent fever, weakness, and cough may persist approximately for a week.

Pneumonia characteristically causes intermittent chills. Pneumonia is characterized by the onset of fever, cough with sputum being bloody in nature, chest pain, dyspnea, and tachycardia. The patient may experience bronchial breathing sounds and crackles accompanied with fatigue, and a headache.

Feeling chilly is the body's natural response to cold weather. Shivering of the body in cold environment indicates that the body is no longer able to tolerate the low temperature of the surrounding area. The difference between the temperature of the body and the existing surroundings causes chills to occur.

Shaking chills accompanied with fever, abdominal pain, and jaundice characterizes a sudden obstruction of the common bile duct. If you are suffering from these symptoms, you may be suffering from cholangitis.

In sinusitis, shaking chills occur along with fever, headache, tenderness, and swelling over the affected sinuses. The primary indicator of sinusitis is nasal discharge that consists of traces of blood for a day or two.

An alcoholist may find it deucedly difficult to pull himself away from consuming alcohol. However, a sudden withdrawal may lead to panic attacks, lightheadedness, uneasiness, and consequently chills.

It when the system is invaded by deleterious bacteria finding their way through the bloodstream, that the body endures chills and fever. Swollen and painful joints are the other indicants of septic arthritis.

Hepatic abscess is characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal tenderness, chills and fever. This pain may rise and abnormally affect the shoulder region.

With acute hemolytic anemia, shaking chills occur with fever and abdominal pain. The patient develops jaundice, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly.

In case of children, they are not considered to be potent victims of chills because they have poorly developed shivering mechanisms. Infections that are contracted by children, such as measles and mumps, are not capable of producing shaking chills. However, older children and teenagers may have chills if they are infected with pneumonia.

► You are bound to feel drained out. Just try to relax. It would be much better if you calm down and keep breathing deep.
► Speak to yourself. Believe that you would get better and you are feeling better. Saying such things to oneself could be of great help.

► As you have just suffered from chills you need to warm up. Get someone to pile on blankets, especially around your arms and legs.
► You could also resort to heating pads. They work extremely well, as well. After the chills have stopped, remove the heating pads and ask someone to put cool washcloths dipped in cologne water on your forehead and neck.

Shaking chills could be a scary sight for someone who has not endured them nor has seen someone else going through the misery. However, it is better to curb the situation rather than letting the intensity have its way.