No matter the cause, chills serve one purpose: to raise your core body temperature.
When you have chills, your muscles rapidly relax and contract.
This activity boosts your temperature by producing heat.
skynesher / Getty Images
skynesher / Getty Images
Health Conditions
Health conditions cause chills for different reasons.
Though chills are often associated with having a fever, you could have them without a fever.
The fever raises your body temperature, making it harder for bacteria and viruses to live.
These actions support the fever by helping to increase your body temperature.
They also make you feel better by stopping the shaking and shivering.
However, individual averages can fall between 97 F and 99 F (36.1 C and 37.2 C).
Hypoglycemia While Sleeping
Your blood sugar can drop while sleeping.
Watch for signs of nighttime such as:
Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)
Hypothyroidismcauses low thyroid hormones.
As a result, your metabolism slows and body temperature may decrease.
Hypothyroidism causesintolerance to the cold, so you’re more likely to experience chills.
Hypothyroidism risk factors or causes include:
Hypothyroidism can be treated with medications that restore hormone levels.
Malnutrition
Feeling cold all the time or most of the time is a symptom ofmalnutrition.
Malnutrition is when your body is starving for nutrients and cannot function properly.
Research suggests that even the lack of one vitamin can lead to malnutrition.
Panic Attacks
Apanic attackis an intense physical response to anxiety, fear, or dread.
Anxiety causes an automatic release of adrenalin, which diverts blood to essential activities.
As a result, your core body temperature can drop, leading to chills.
Leukemia
Leukemia and other blood cancers may cause chills and a fever.
When you stop taking the drugs, your body temperature drops, causing chills.
Certain opioids may also change the bodys ability to regulate its core temperature.
As a result, your temperature may drop, leading to shivering and chills.
Menopausal Hot Flashes
Estrogen helps regulate your body temperature.
This can result in hot flashes and night sweats.
However, sometimes you cool down too much; then, you have chills after the hot flash ends.
These chills typically resolve when your body temperature returns to normal.
When you exercise, your blood circulates to the muscles and skin, raising your temperature.
If you stop the physical activity abruptly, your body can experience temperature shock.
Frisson is a sensation of excitement that causes shivering, chills, and goosebumps.
This reaction is similar to being cold but without exposure to a physical trigger.
However, being in the cold, certain medications, intense exercise, and emotional reactions also cause chills.
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2020 Mar 3;11:316. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00316
