Chills
 | This articleneeds morereliable medical referencesforverificationor relies too heavily onprimary sources.(September 2019) |  |
| Chills | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
Chillsis a feeling of coldness occurring during a highfever,but sometimes is also a commonsymptomwhich occurs alone in specific people. It occurs during fever due to the release ofcytokinesandprostaglandinsas part of theinflammatory response,which increases theset pointfor body temperature in thehypothalamus.The increased set point causes the bodytemperatureto rise (pyrexia), but also makes the patient feel cold or chills until the new set point is reached.Shiveringalso occurs along with chills because the patient's body produces heat during muscle contraction in a physiological attempt to increase body temperature to the new set point.[1]When it does not accompany a high fever, it is normally a light chill.
Sometimes a chill of medium power and short duration may occur during a scare, especially in scares of fear, commonly interpreted like or confused bytrembling.
Severe chills with violent shivering are calledrigors.
Pathophysiology
[edit]Chills occur when thehypothalamictemperature set point is suddenly elevated.[2]This could occur due to several causes, including tissue destruction, pyrogenic substances, or dehydration.[2]Due to the body temperature being below the new set point, body mechanisms of raising body temperature, includingvasoconstriction,and shivering ensue.[2]The person experiences this period as extreme cold, even though they might have a body temperature higher than normal.[2]As the body temperature rises and reaches the new set point, chills stop and the person feels neither hot nor cold.[2]If the factor causing the high temperature is then removed, the hypothalamic set point decreases, but the body temperature is still higher than it. This then triggers the body cooling mechanisms to reduce the body temperature to the new set point, and is experienced as severe sweating, and hot skin due to vasodilation. This phase of the febrile state is known as the "crisis", or the "flush".[2]
Causes
[edit]Chills are commonly caused by inflammatory diseases, such asinfluenza.[3][better source needed]Malariais one of the common reasons for chills and rigors. In malaria, theparasitesenter theliver,grow there and then attack the red blood cells which causes rupture of these cells and release of a toxic substancehemozoinwhich causes chills recurring every 3 to 4 days. Sometimes they happen in specific people almost all the time, mildly, or it less commonly happens in a generally healthy person.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Huether, Sue E. (2014).Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children(7th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 498.ISBN978-0323293754.
- ^abcdefHall, John E.; Hall, Michael E.; Guyton, Arthur C. (2021).Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology(14th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. p. 910.ISBN978-0-323-59712-8.
- ^Stan Tian (2015-04-30)."The Main Flu Symptoms Fever, Aches and Chills".Healthguidance.org.Retrieved2016-05-12.