Chills, often accompanied by goose bumps, are generally caused by cold weather or temperature; i.e. during winter or cold, rainy season.
However, if your chills are accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, cough and colds, sore throat, aching muscles or weakness; this may be your body’s signal that something is amiss with your health.
What Causes Chills Health-wise?
Medically speaking, there are a number of reasons why a person will suddenly have a bout of the chills. The most common medical reason for chills is influenza, otherwise known as the flu.
Chills caused by the flu bug are usually accompanied by a high-temperature fever, cough, colds, sore throat and muscle pain.
Warm clothing, complete bed rest, fever-reducing medicine, cough and cold medication, and lots of water and fresh fruit juice are usually what a doctor will prescribe a patient who has the chills and the flu.
If the symptoms do not go away after following your doctor’s orders, you may have to go back for another check-up and perhaps take lab tests suggested by your physician to determine what else may be causing your fever and chills.
Urinary System Problem
If your chills are not caused by the flu bug, there could be parts of your body that are afflicted with a bacterial infection. One of the most common infections that causes chills and fevers is an infection in a specific part on your urinary system.
This could be an infection in your urinary tract, bladder or kidney. If any of these is causing your fevers, you will most likely experience other accompanying symptoms.
For instance, if you have a urinary tract infection, usually shortened to UTI; you may also feel pain in your groin area every time you urinate and you may also feel the need to urinate every so often – more frequently than usual.
If your cough and cold do not go away after medication has been administered within the prescribed time frame by your physician, you may have a more serious respiratory problem. Usually, respiratory problems that may cause chills and fevers are bronchitis and pneumonia.
Pneumonia may develop into a life-threatening medical condition if it remains untreated for a long time.
It is therefore advised that the patient seek immediate medical attention if the respiratory problem does not improve after being given medication to avoid the condition from developing into a full-blown pneumonia.
Other Common Causes
Medical conditions that may also cause fever and chills are gastroenteritis either from having bacteria or virus in the stomach.
Ear infection, appendicitis, colon problem and tonsillitis may also cause chills accompanied by fever.