Body Chills Symptoms and Treatment

Body Chills Symptoms

Body chills can occur for a number of reasons and the occurrence is usually accompanied by some other medical problems including a temperature as well as soreness in the muscles. When affected by the chills, the patient will appear to shiver quite noticeably and may even require to be wrapped in blankets. While the condition is most often caused by the development of a fever, it is also normal to be a result of low body temperature or hypothermia. Since human beings are warm blooded creatures, it is essential that the body temperature be maintained at an optimum level, which is measured at 98.6 degrees Celsius. Any increase in the body temperature by even 2 degrees is abnormal for the body and is usually a result of the body attempting to make it inhospitable to some kind of virus or infection that has been allowed to enter the body. Chills occur when the muscles within the body involuntarily contract and relax extremely fast within small durations in order to generate heat to keep the body warm. Chills, however, are not an entirely independent condition and could be a symptom of a more serious or severe underlying condition within the body. Conditions like pelvic infections, malaria, meningitis, AIDS and kidney failure are all known to show chills as a symptom in the initial phases of their development as well as occasionally during their presence in the body.

Treatment For Chills

Suffering from chills can be quite an uncomfortable experience. Also considering the amount of stress placed on the muscles to rapidly contract and relax, a person is likely to feel extremely exhausted when the condition is alleviated. There is a tendency for people to wrap themselves up in a blanket when suffering from chills. However, if the person also has a fever at the same time, this could be ill advised as there is a likelihood of the temperature increasing. Since evaporation helps cool down the skin and reduces the body temperature, you could try sponging your body with some lukewarm water to help reduce the fever. Avoid using cold water, however, as it has a tendency to trigger the chills. If the chills last for a significantly long period of time, you should make it a point to approach your health care provider in order to identify whether the occurrence is a result of some underlying medical condition. Also allow your body to get enough rest as the muscles are likely to be very worm out after going through such rigorous motions.