What is shivering a symptom of?

Author: Bulah Bode  |  Last update: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Shivering causes your muscles to contract and relax, which warms up your body. Sometimes you might get cold chills from being exposed to low temperatures. Shivering can also be a sign that your body is fighting off an illness, infection or another health problem.

What illness starts with shivers?

Sepsis is an overwhelming response of the body to infection, and it often occurs in connection with lung, skin, gut, or urinary tract infections. One of the symptoms of sepsis is shivering. Other symptoms may include confusion, fever, warm skin, lightheadedness, a rapid heartbeat, and a skin rash.

Why am I suddenly shivering for no reason?

High levels of stress or anxiety can cause your body to release adrenaline. This “fight or flight” hormone can make you feel shaky and cold, even if there's no drop in temperature. When your blood sugar levels drop too low, you might experience shivering, sweating, or cold sensations.

Why am I shivering with no fever?

Causes of Body Aches and Chills but No Fever. Infection, illness, inflammation, allergies, or immune system problems can cause body aches and chills. 1 But this can happen for less alarming reasons, including weather, stress, and other lifestyle factors.

Why do I randomly shiver even when it's not cold?

Shivering can be caused by strong emotions such as stress, fear, excitement, and anxiety due to a surge of adrenaline in the body. As part of the body's fight-or-flight response, the adrenaline hormone causes shivering. Shivering can be caused by a sudden increase in adrenaline levels in the blood.

Chills without Fever - Causes, Treatment Options

What illness starts with body aches and chills?

Flu-Like Symptoms. Flu-like symptoms include fever, chills, cough, body aches and headache. Besides the flu, other infectious diseases that can cause these symptoms include RSV, COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Is shivering a symptom of high blood pressure?

High Blood Pressure, Loss Of Coordination, Shaking And Shaking Hands Or Tremor. Your symptoms and signs match a wide variety of different medical conditions, including high blood pressure or a disorder of your muscles. If you have had an emotionally traumatic experience, an acute stress reaction is another possibility.

How to stop body shivering immediately?

Chills are your body's way of raising its core temperature. Deep breathing, using extra blankets or heat pads, and medical care can all help stop shivering. When you are chilly, your muscles contract and relax quickly to produce heat. This causes some or all of the body to shiver or shake.

Should I be worried if I'm shaking?

However, a Piedmont neurologist says it is cause for concern if the shakiness begins to interfere with daily tasks like eating, drinking, writing, buttoning a shirt, dialing a phone, etc. In these cases, a visit to the doctor to test for a neurological or underlying metabolic issue may be warranted.

Should I go to ER for shivering?

When to Contact a Medical Professional. Call the provider if: Symptoms such as stiffness of the neck, confusion, irritability, or sluggishness are present. Chills are accompanied by a bad cough, shortness of breath, abdominal pain or burning, or frequent urination.

What is shivering an indication of what will it do?

Shivering causes your muscles to contract and relax, which warms up your body. Sometimes you might get cold chills from being exposed to low temperatures. Shivering can also be a sign that your body is fighting off an illness, infection or another health problem.

Is shivering a symptom of COVID?

Symptoms of COVID-19

COVID-19 symptoms can include: a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

What helps chills go away?

Home remedies
  • drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
  • taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers to reduce discomfort.
  • resting.
  • taking acetaminophen for pain relief.
  • applying damp, lukewarm cloths to the forehead.
  • wearing comfortable clothes.
  • making sure that the person has enough covers to feel comfortable.

What cancers cause chills?

Chills can also be a sign of blood cancers, including leukemia. Symptoms of leukemia may include swelling of the lymph nodes, along with fever, chills, fatigue, loss of appetite, night sweats, abdominal pain and recurring infections.

What is trigger shivering?

When the core body temperature drops, the shivering reflex is triggered to maintain homeostasis. Skeletal muscles begin to shake in small movements, creating warmth by expending energy. Shivering can also be a response to fever, as a person may feel cold.

Is shivering a symptom of low blood pressure?

These symptoms are present in a wide variety of medical processes, including infection, dehydration, and reactions to medications. Rapid onset of these symptoms may require urgent or emergency care.

Which medicine is best for shivering?

An evidence-based protocol based on the most current research has been developed for the management of shivering during therapeutic hypothermia. Meperidine is the drug of choice and provides the greatest reduction in the shivering threshold.

Is shivering related to heart?

In cardiac arrest survivors undergoing therapeutic hypothermia, the occurrence of shivering is independently associated with a good neurologic outcome as compared to its absence. Shivering can be used as an additional clinical predictor of good neurologic outcome during prognostic evaluation in patients undergoing TH.

Does high sugar cause shivering?

Most of the time the body controls blood sugar well. But if you have frequent blood sugar swings, you may have a condition called dysglycemia. This may give you symptoms that make you feel tired, shaky, or confused. Dysglycemia refers to blood sugar levels that go too low or too high.

What is the fastest thing to lower blood pressure?

The fastest ways to safely lower blood pressure include:
  • Practicing breathing exercises that slow your heart rate and promote relaxation.
  • Lying down and resting for 10 minutes.
  • Eating a healthy diet.
  • Losing weight (if needed)
  • Doing regular exercise.
  • Limiting alcohol.
  • Stopping smoking.
  • Taking your medication as directed.

Why am I so tired and achy all the time?

Common causes of tiredness and fatigue include: not getting enough sleep or finding it hard to get to sleep (insomnia) an unhealthy lifestyle (such as having an unhealthy diet and not getting much exercise) stress, depression and dealing with life challenges, such as bereavement or looking after a new baby.

What illness accompanied by fit of fever and chills?

Ague: A fever (such as from malaria) that is marked by paroxysms of chills, fever, and sweating recurring regular intervals. Also a fit of shivering, a chill. Hence, ague can refer to both chills and fevers.

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