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Chills and weakness, what to do. Severe chills, causes, treatment. Chills due to abnormal blood pressure

First you need to understand what chills are and the mechanism of its occurrence. Chills are a state of the body accompanied by mild or severe trembling, occurring at the moment of instantaneous tension of the subcutaneous muscles and nearby blood vessels and capillaries. It often makes a person feel as if he is “freezing”; even in the heat it can become really cold.

Factors and causes causing chills

The cause of chills may be sharp drop in ambient temperature, severe stress and so on. Often a person gets “frozen” during a chill; this condition occurs without an increase in body temperature.

There are many factors that can cause chills, but many of the reasons for its appearance are the result of a malfunction in the body’s normal functioning. If you have any concerns about your health due to systematic chills without fever, and you cannot find out the reasons on your own, it is strongly recommended to undergo a medical examination by specialists indicated by your local physician. After all, if there is a chill, there must also be reasons.

Often the reason that a person suddenly begins to shiver can be a serious pathology or disease that requires constant medical monitoring and treatment. The person himself, who does not know his exact diagnosis or is not a doctor, cannot give a definite answer why he is shivering if he feels well and does not even have a fever?

List of the main causes of chills

Here is a list of the most common factors that cause chills, which often occur without a significant change in body temperature:

  1. The body is simply frozen. Perhaps he was hypothermic. This is one of the main causes of chills. Recommendations – warm warming drink. If possible, you should dress warmly, put on shoes or wrap yourself in a blanket or blanket. If freezing occurs as a result of getting wet, you should change clothes and put on dry clothes as soon as possible. You should not delay this, since prolonged hypothermia inevitably leads to the development of serious colds with severe complications.
  2. The body still caught a cold and got sick or caught a respiratory infection. The chills that occur with such damage to the body may initially occur without an increase in temperature. Recommendations – warming plenty of fluids, warm foot baths, vitamins. If your health worsens and your temperature rises sharply, take antipyretic medications and see a doctor.
  3. Infectious diseases and poisoning. In the first hours, they occur without a strong change in body temperature, but they can cause quite noticeable chills, often accompanied by gastric or intestinal disorders (vomiting, diarrhea), and profuse sweating. Recommendations: If severe vomiting or diarrhea occurs, take antiemetic or bowel-strengthening medications and see a doctor as soon as possible.
  4. Severe stress. Overstrain of the nervous system causes chills of such strength that sometimes the body stops obeying its owner and directly shudders from shaking. It proceeds without increasing the temperature. Why is this happening? During stress, a large amount of adrenaline is released into the blood, which prevents the psyche and neurons from prematurely failing and the body from shutting down. Recommendations: take sedatives and try to calm down and relax. It's good if you can sleep. During sleep, the nervous system quickly returns to normal.
  5. Perhaps it allergy. Food grade, for dust, wool, etc. We must remember what was eaten or drunk shortly before the chill began. If this happened before, after eating such food, then this is a reason to visit a doctor. In addition to unpleasant chills, the temperature may rise, skin itching, sneezing, tears or snot may appear. Recommendations: take antiallergic medications, and if the reaction recurs, consult a doctor immediately.
  6. Hypotension/hypertensive crisis. With hypotension, blood pressure drops sharply, depriving blood vessels and capillaries of tone. With hypertension, on the contrary, there is a sharp jump in pressure upward, a sharp increase in the tone of the walls of blood vessels with increased load. In both cases, chills occur without an increase in body temperature, but may be accompanied by severe sweating, which only intensifies such chills, retching or vomiting, and weakness. In addition, a sharp increase in pressure in itself is a cause of chills.
  7. VSD– vegetative-vascular dystonia is a still little-studied disease in which capillaries and blood vessels lose their tone, and, in this state, cause the patient to experience frequent and quite noticeable bouts of chills, sometimes even accompanied by severe trembling of the whole body and a feeling of constant coldness in the extremities. The next most common cause, after hypothermia, is prolonged chills without an increase in body temperature. Recommendations – observation by a doctor, adherence to the regimen.
  8. Malfunctions of the endocrine system can also cause attacks of sudden and severe chills, which may be accompanied by sweating, shortness of breath, possible fever and even loss of consciousness. This turn of events requires urgent medical intervention, as there may be a sharp exacerbation of diabetes mellitus. Recommendations - a medical examination for possible diseases related to the thyroid gland, and if diabetes is confirmed - constant monitoring of blood sugar, diet and adherence to a medical regimen. Diabetes mellitus is a very serious and life-threatening disease, which is important to recognize in time and promptly begin treatment.
  9. Female menopause. During this period of restructuring of the body, women often experience hormonal imbalances, causing chills, sometimes accompanied by a feeling of intense heat and an increase in temperature. Recommendations – hormonal therapy (strictly under the supervision of a doctor!).
  10. Menstrual cycle. Often the cause of chills is blood loss (on the first day). Chills can be accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen, depression and a feeling of incredible fatigue. Recommendations: reduce stress, refrain from taking baths, painkillers, and, if necessary, antipyretics. If there is persistent pain, heavy bleeding or high fever, call a doctor.

Sudden and severe chills at night. What's the matter?

If chills appear at night, suddenly and severely to the point that a person wakes up, then most likely the reasons for its appearance lie in factors such as:

Afterword

The causes and methods for eliminating them described here are not a guide to self-medication. Chills without fever, the causes of which are unclear, may be a harbinger of illness. In any case, even if you have the slightest doubt about your health, you should see a doctor and undergo the examination and treatment prescribed by him, if any. During treatment, it is important to follow the prescribed regimen and take prescribed medications on time.

And so – prevention has always been and remains the best way to preserve good health for many years. Take care of yourself and be healthy!

Chills without fever are a fairly common symptom of some diseases. Of course, more often it is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and the appearance of muscle tremors and spasms.

Constant chills may be a reaction of the human body to increased thermogenesis. In addition to fever, trembling and spasms, it is characterized by pale skin, the formation of “goose bumps”, a feeling of cold, lack of sweating, etc.

It should be noted that chills without fever are a consequence of long-term or occur during an acute febrile reaction to any processes (infectious, autoimmune, allergic and others). The most common and well-known causes of a febrile state in humans are malaria, sepsis, inflammatory processes in organs with the formation of pus, the acute phase of lupus erythematosus, etc.

The main ones may be mechanical injuries of the body, vegetative-vascular dystonia, neurotic diseases, hypertension or high blood pressure, infections and viruses, hypothermia, fever and others. Also, very often, a constant feeling of cold occurs when the thyroid gland and endocrine system are disrupted. This is due to the fact that the thyroid gland is capable of secreting a certain group of hormones that take part in the process of thermoregulation of the human body. Accordingly, when this function decreases, the patient develops this symptom.

The presence of infectious diseases also causes chills in a person. In this case, when a harmful virus penetrates, special substances are produced. The body begins to secrete pyrogens, which can destroy the virus on its own. But at the same time there is an increase in blood temperature and, as a result, the whole body. In the process of equalizing these indicators, a person feels trembling and chills.

The appearance of trembling, which is characterized by chills without fever, is associated with a sharp narrowing of the walls of the blood vessels of the skin, as a result of which blood flow significantly slows down. This is what leads to chilliness and cessation of sweating. It should be noted that in addition to trembling, tinnitus, nausea and chills throughout the body may appear.

Very often, chills without fever or chills are a symptom of nervous overexcitation or occur during severe fright. In this case, it performs the function of protecting the body from environmental influences. Therefore, in diseases of the nervous system, such phenomena can occur quite often.
To get rid of unpleasant symptoms, it is advisable to start treatment on time. As a rule, at an elevated temperature, it is necessary to give the victim an antipyretic drug; in no case should he be subjected to cooling procedures, which can aggravate the situation.

Of course, when you have a chill, it is advisable to drink a large amount of liquid (mostly acidic) and ensure yourself peace. The best option is various herbal decoctions, berry fruit drinks, a solution of lemon juice or acid. If there is no high temperature, then you can take a hot bath and drink herbal tea with honey or raspberry jam. After the procedure, provide warmth (wool socks, blanket).

To remove harmful substances from the body, brew lingonberry leaves, as this remedy has a diuretic effect. Never drink alcoholic beverages, which cause vasodilation and increase blood pressure. As a rule, after this the patient’s general well-being worsens, muscle weakness and dizziness appear.

What to do if the temperature is freezing? It is necessary to find out the cause of the fever and begin treatment. Usually chills accompany elevated temperature during ARVI. This is especially evident in the first days of a cold.

But what to do if it freezes without fever, and what are the reasons for this condition?

Chills as a result of hypothermia

If a person spends a long time in a cold room or outside in frosty weather, his body is subjected to severe stress.

Hypothermia occurs very quickly if a person is forced to move little, or if he is wearing light clothing that is inappropriate for the weather.

When exposed to cold temperatures, the body's blood vessels narrow, causing blood circulation to slow down. Vasoconstriction is a protective reaction that prevents frostbite and damage to capillaries.

Blood concentrates in the body cavity, warming the internal organs. However, this reaction also has many harmful consequences. Thus, slowing blood circulation reduces local immunity in the upper respiratory tract. That is why the likelihood of contracting a respiratory infection increases significantly with hypothermia.

So, the man overcooled his body. He is freezing, but has no temperature. The reasons for this are simple - the inflammatory reaction has not yet begun, the infection is in a latent state, therefore the body temperature is normal, and sometimes it can be lowered.

How to stop the chills in this case? You need to warm up in all ways available at home:

If after hypothermia you feel unwell, have a sore throat or nose, and start sneezing, you probably have a viral infection.

In this case, it would be a good idea to take an antiviral drug, rinse the nasopharynx and irrigate the nose and throat with an antiseptic. After this, you should try to get a good night's sleep.

Unbalanced diet

Some people on strict diets often complain of chills. This is especially true for those who exclude fats from their diet as much as possible. Nutrition should be balanced. Those who want to lose weight, first of all, need to limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed, because they are responsible for the accumulation of fat deposits.

In an effort to lose weight, we must not forget that a certain number of fat cells in the subcutaneous tissue is necessary for normal thermoregulation and hormonal levels, especially in women. This is why women exhausted by diets often not only feel colder than others, but also have a number of problems with the functioning of their ovaries.

Hormonal factors

Thermoregulation is a process controlled by hormones. One of the key roles in this is played by thyroid hormones - thyroid hormones. The lack of these hormones is called hypothyroidism, and it is often accompanied by chills, weakness, drowsiness, and weight gain.

The opposite of hypothyroidism is hyperthyroidism, which causes hyperthermia, irritability, mood swings and insomnia.

In addition to thyroid hormones, sex hormones, for example, estradiol, influence heat exchange. This explains the change in sensations of heat and cold during the menstrual cycle in women, as well as hot flashes and chills during menopause.

Another hormone that affects heat exchange is insulin. People suffering from diabetes are often bothered by a feeling of cold, weakness, and nausea. In the later stages of the disease, blood glucose creates plaques in the blood vessels that interfere with normal blood circulation. Therefore, if a diabetic has cold feet, you need to tell your doctor about it.

If you suspect hormonal disorders, you should consult an endocrinologist, and also take blood tests for thyroid-stimulating hormone, insulin and estradiol.

Disorders of the cardiovascular system

The ability to stay warm largely depends on our circulatory system. For example, if it is freezing without fever, the cause may be vegetative-vascular dystonia. This is a complex of disturbances in the functioning of blood vessels and nerve cells that regulate their tone.

Another possible reason that the body freezes without fever is anemia, or anemia. This is a group of diseases in which the level of hemoglobin in the blood drops sharply. Many hypertensive patients also complain of chills.

The symptoms of these diseases are quite nonspecific and are largely similar:

  • weakness;
  • dizziness;
  • darkening in the eyes, or “spots”, “stars” before the eyes;
  • pale skin;
  • heart rhythm disturbance, etc.

Problems with the heart and blood vessels are a serious reason to consult a doctor. Treatment depends on the type of disease, complexity of the condition, age of the patient, and concomitant diseases.

In this case, it is impossible to make a diagnosis yourself, and attempting self-medication is pointless and dangerous.

If attacks of chills regularly bother you, especially for no apparent reason, consult a doctor. If the blood test does not reveal any abnormalities, apparently you are still not enough eat well or are constantly hypothermic.

In this case, you need to work on your lifestyle and acquire new healthy habits. If the tests indicate a possible cause for the feeling of chilliness, the doctor will select the necessary treatment and give recommendations on how to improve your well-being during chills.

Sometimes chills are a consequence of emotional stress, exhaustion of the nervous system. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to optimizing your daily routine, allocating time for rest and proper sleep.

Weakness and lethargy, a feeling of cold throughout the body, but no increase in temperature - this condition is familiar to almost everyone. Chills without fever occur for many reasons, but it always brings with it discomfort, disrupts the usual rhythm of life, and makes you expect the worst.

A feeling of impending illness, discomfort, coldness throughout the body, frozen hands and icy feet (they are cold to the touch), often sweating, sometimes even chattering teeth - all these are signs of chills. In such cases, despite severe chills, body temperature does not increase, and sometimes even decreases slightly.

With chills, rapid fatigue occurs and the desire to lie down. Unpleasant symptoms cause a feeling of illness, and people say about this condition: “chilling”, “freezing”, “chilly”.

If a child has a chill, the baby will be lethargic, pale, children’s teeth often chatter, their arms and legs are cold, there are signs of illness, but there is no temperature, they are capricious, cry, and go to bed at an inopportune time.

These symptoms occur for many reasons, but their nature is similar - it is a spasm of the blood vessels that are located under the skin. The narrowing of their lumen results in muscle spasm (which is why teeth often chatter).

Although chills are not a disease, but only a symptom of a disease, it is precisely this that often forces one to pay attention to the state of health.

Causes of chilliness

Chills without fever occur for many reasons. Among them will be both psychological and medical. Sometimes chilliness occurs only at a certain time - at night and then they talk about night chills, and in other cases it becomes a constant companion or occurs once, only as a consequence of certain obvious reasons. In the first two cases, chilliness will signal a complex disease that will require drug treatment. In isolated cases of chilliness, warming procedures will be enough to remove the unpleasant sensations.

Among the reasons for this condition are the following.

  • Viral diseases (flu, ARVI, intestinal infections). Here, chilliness is the result of general intoxication.
  • Stress, when chills are a reaction to psychological stress.
  • Hypothermia. Here, vasoconstriction is a natural reaction to cold.
  • Hormonal imbalances. In cases where hormones are also responsible for thermoregulation.
  • Vascular spasms as a result of disruption of the circulatory system.

Sometimes chills occur with fever. In such cases, it is caused by vasospasm, but it is much easier to recognize it; you just need to measure the temperature.

Shivers at high temperatures in the case of infectious diseases. Here, chills are always a sign of a viral or bacterial infection.

The main types of causes of chills

All causes of chills can be divided according to the nature of their occurrence. Depending on its nature, the methods by which this unpleasant condition can be eliminated will depend. Some of the most common types of chills include:

ARVI and influenza

One of the signs of the initial stage of a cold is a feeling of chills. If you experience a feeling of cold throughout your body, a feeling of weakness and chilliness, and along with them an unpleasant sore throat, most likely it is a cold or flu.

In a child, chills during a viral cold or flu are even more pronounced; his limbs will be cold, his skin will be pale, and the baby will literally shake and his teeth will chatter.

Treatment for symptoms that occur consists of rest and warm drinks (preferably herbal tea). If you suspect you have a cold, you can take a hot foot bath or a hot shower. This will help keep you warm and activate the body's defenses to fight viruses.

Hypothermia

Sometimes severe chills, a feeling of cold inside, chattering teeth, and cold extremities occur as a result of hypothermia. appears after a person finds himself in a warm room, it is the result of muscle contraction, which in this way tries to restore impaired thermoregulation in the body.

To get rid of chills, you need to drink warm tea with lemon and honey, take a good hot shower or take a hot foot bath. In addition to eliminating discomfort, it will help prevent colds.

Disruption of the circulatory system

If the circulatory system is disrupted, chilliness may also occur. Here, signs of chilliness are a consequence of narrowing of small capillaries. It happens:

  • With sudden changes in blood pressure (BP). This is how blood vessels react to this factor. Changes in blood pressure should be suspected in cases where chills occur after physical exertion, excitement, or at a certain time of day.
  • The cause can be determined by measuring blood pressure and taking appropriate measures to normalize it. In this case, consultation with a cardiologist or neurologist is important.

  • For vegetative-vascular dystonia (vascular weakness). Today this problem is becoming more widespread.
  • VSD can be suspected in the presence of dizziness, tinnitus, general weakness and symptoms of chilliness.

    To eliminate the state of chills, you will need hardening, contrast showers, a Russian bath or sauna followed by a cold shower, or a swimming pool is good. Treatment by a neurologist may be required.

  • If blood pressure is disturbed as a result of long-term diets. Long-term diets with unbalanced nutrition can provoke disturbances in the body, which will manifest themselves as chills without fever. To eliminate it, you will need a balanced diet, quitting smoking (provokes vascular spasms), hardening and physical exercise.

Chronic stress

Among the reasons that cause constant chills would be chronic stress. In this case, along with cold extremities and a feeling of internal cold, symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, impaired attention and memory will occur.

Among the short-term feeling of chilliness there will be post-traumatic syndrome. In case of complex accidents, fractures, or other injuries, symptoms of chills may occur. But they will appear after first aid and will be the result of stress and trauma.

A state of chills occurs with isolated severe stress. Moreover, a feeling of cold appears both during a difficult situation and after its completion.

To relieve chills in a stressful situation, you should drink a warm drink with a sedative (valerian, mint, chamomile), if you can lie down better. Chronic stress will require treatment by a psychotherapist and a neurologist.

If a child is shivering after a stressful situation, then to relieve the unpleasant symptom it is enough to provide him with rest (it is better to let him sleep), give him a warm herbal hour with mint, valerian, and cover him warmly.

A feeling of chills is characteristic of some thyroid diseases. The fact is that the hormones produced by the thyroid gland are also responsible for thermoregulation in the body. If the necessary hormones are not produced enough, a feeling of chills occurs. Thus, chilliness is characteristic of diabetes mellitus, goiter, and some forms of tumors.

Hormonal imbalances during menopause can also provoke a feeling of chills. In this case, chills without a rise in temperature occur during periods of increased physical or emotional activity, with sudden mood swings, often at night.

Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract

Sometimes the answer to the question of why it freezes must be sought in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The occurrence of chills is provoked by infectious processes in the stomach, intestines, and some diseases of the pancreas. Here you will experience chills after eating; it is also accompanied by nausea, sometimes vomiting, and pain in the gastrointestinal tract. Acute inflammatory processes cause an increase in body temperature, but chronic forms more often provoke chills at normal temperatures.

To eliminate discomfort, you will need to consult a gastroenterologist, undergo examination and treatment of the underlying disease. It will not be possible to eliminate the unpleasant feeling of cold and chills by itself.

Infectious attack

In case of a viral or bacterial infection: ARVI, influenza, sore throat, viral gastroenterocolitis, food poisoning, hepatitis, chills will be among the first symptoms.

It is freezing here without temperature due to general intoxication of the body. Along with chills, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting will appear, a rash or blisters are possible, general weakness and fatigue are very strong, and increased sweating often occurs. Viruses or bacteria have already launched their activities, but the immune system has not yet begun active actions. When the temperature rises, the chills will stop being so annoying.

If the cause of chills is infectious, an urgent consultation with an infectious disease specialist, testing and treatment of the infection will be required.

Causes of night chills

Chills at night occur for several reasons.

  1. The onset of menopause often causes chills without fever in women.
  2. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can also cause chills in the middle of the night. In this case, the feeling of cold occurs due to wet linen and sheets.
  3. Untreated hemorrhoids provoke an inflammatory process in the rectum, which causes a feeling of chilliness in the middle of the night.
  4. Violation of thermoregulation in diabetes mellitus occurs most often at night.

To eliminate night chills, you will need to monitor the patient’s sleep, as well as conduct several tests (for sugar, for occult blood). Complaints should be addressed to a therapist.

If chills without fever occur, the cause is always a violation of thermoregulation and spasm of small capillaries directly under the skin. This is only a superficial reason causing these sensations. In order to establish hidden factors, you will need to consult a doctor and conduct some tests.

Sometimes chilliness is the initial stage of an inflammatory disease, and its harbinger is chills, and temperature becomes a logical continuation of the disease.

Get treatment and be healthy!

The occurrence of chills without an accompanying increase in body temperature can occur under the influence of many external factors - stress, being in a cold room, etc. The person himself complains that he is “freezing”, and an increase in temperature is not typical for this condition bodies.

Numerous factors can cause discomfort, but most often the reasons lie in the malfunction of individual internal organs, or even entire systems. Sometimes it is not possible to figure out what caused this condition on your own, and then there is only one way out - to seek help from a medical specialist.

The main task is to identify and eliminate the causes of illness, because they often lie in the development of dangerous pathological processes. A late response to a deviation, or its complete disregard, can cause irreparable harm to health, since a person without a medical education will not be able to determine the source of the ailment or take the correct measures to eliminate his existing disease.

The main causes of chills without fever

Below are the most common causes of chills without fever.

  1. The initial stage of influenza or acute respiratory disease (ARI). In this case, the temperature does not yet rise, but the feeling of chills is already making itself felt. When the body is attacked by viruses, such a symptom may indicate the body’s struggle with foreign agents. Thus, the body gives a signal that there are health problems. In this case, a warm drink with honey, raspberries or lemon will help you warm up. You can also make a warm foot bath with soda or a decoction of medicinal plants.
  2. Cardiopsychoneurosis (). This disease is currently poorly understood. It is accompanied by a decrease in capillary tone, resulting in causeless chills without fever, decreased blood pressure, attacks of dizziness, heat intolerance, etc. The symptoms of this pathological condition are so varied and sometimes contradictory to each other that it is almost impossible to suspect the disease on your own.
  3. Blood pressure surges. Sudden changes in blood pressure are often accompanied by chills without an increase in body temperature. But most often this symptom is observed in hypertensive patients, so if a person regularly feels bouts of causeless chills, and the body temperature does not go beyond the normal range, he needs to see a doctor and undergo an examination.
  4. Psycho-emotional disorders. Chills without fever, accompanied by tremors in the muscles, may be a consequence of regular stress, which provokes the release of large amounts of catecholamines into the blood. The increased concentration of these hormones has a direct effect on the muscles, resulting in tremors throughout the body. When a sharp expansion of blood vessels occurs, the opposite effect is observed. At this moment, the person experiences a surge of heat that “spreads” throughout the body. In addition to chills, the body can react to stressful situations by increasing heart rate and breathing, or a short attack. A person begins to feel causeless anxiety and concern.
  5. Hypothermia. Often chills without an increase in body temperature occur due to hypothermia. In this case, the person feels trembling throughout the body and coldness in the hands and feet. As a rule, chills occur after the cold environment has been replaced by a warm place of stay. By behaving in this way, the body tries to naturally resume normal thermoregulation. A warm drink - tea with lemon and honey, cocoa, or just a glass of warmed milk - will help get rid of unpleasant sensations.
  6. Unusual manifestation of an allergic reaction. Quite often, chills without fever are observed in people who have eaten an allergenic product. It can be anything - honey, pollen, nuts, etc. In parallel with chills, the allergic person notices the appearance of headaches, swelling of the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, and itching all over the body.
  7. Pathologies of infectious origin, or poisoning (in particular food poisoning). During the first few hours, such pathological conditions occur without an increase in body temperature. In case of poisoning, chills are often accompanied by diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. In such circumstances, it is necessary to take an antiemetic and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
  8. Impaired functioning of the circulatory system. Often complaints of chills without elevated body temperature are made by people who have problems with the functioning of the circulatory system. Insufficient blood circulation leads to a lack of heat, so in such patients, in addition to chills, there is also coldness of the extremities, possibly even on a permanent basis.
  9. Pathologies of the endocrine system. The thyroid gland is directly involved in the process of thermoregulation of the body. When the level of T4 and T3 decreases, this function of the body is disrupted, as a result of which a person feels chilliness, trembling throughout the body, general weakness and other, no less unpleasant, symptoms. Another disease accompanied by chills without fever is. An increase in glucose levels leads not only to chills, this deviation is also accompanied by thirst, dry skin, and tremors of the limbs. It should be noted that a drop in sugar levels can also lead to chilliness.
  10. Gastrointestinal dysfunction. or stomach cancer is also often accompanied by a feeling of chills, while the temperature remains normal. At the same time, a person experiences acute abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and attacks of heartburn. If these pathologies were not detected, the patient undergoes an additional examination to determine the causes of the ailment.

Selected causes of chills in women

In addition to the previously discussed reasons, the occurrence of chills without an increase in body temperature in women can be explained by:

  • the onset of premenstrual syndrome;
  • migraine attacks;
  • hyperhidrosis, which can develop with inflammation of the sweat glands, endocrine pathologies, diseases of the internal organs, or tuberculosis.

In the cases described above, chills may occur regardless of the time of day. If it occurs at night, most likely we are talking about hypothyroidism in women.

Chills without fever during pregnancy

Chills without an increase in body temperature in pregnant women may occur due to the above-described deviations. But other factors can also cause this symptom:

  • development of ARVI or influenza;
  • suffered stress;
  • attack of VSD;
  • diabetes.

Another cause of chills without fever in pregnant women can be a state of shock or collapse.

A feeling of chilliness in expectant mothers is considered normal if it:

  • occurs during the first weeks of pregnancy and then goes away on its own;
  • does not have accompanying symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, panic attacks, cough, diarrhea;
  • not accompanied by bloody vaginal discharge.

Spontaneous abortion in the early stages can also cause chills without fever. Along with this symptom, the woman experiences severe abdominal pain, accompanied by vaginal bleeding.

Frozen pregnancy is another cause of chills without fever. In this case, this symptom is a sign of intoxication of the body, which has developed against the background of necrosis of fetal tissues and their penetration into the bloodstream. In addition to chilliness, women with a frozen pregnancy experience severe weakness, nausea and dizziness.

Arterial hypertension may be accompanied by chills in the second half of pregnancy. These symptoms are evidence of the development of preeclampsia, a condition that is dangerous to the health of the expectant mother and the life of the fetus. Preeclampsia requires mandatory treatment, since its uncontrolled course can lead to extremely serious complications, including death of both the woman and the unborn child.

Chills during menopause

Active hormonal changes in the woman’s body begin. The decline of reproductive function cannot but affect the general condition of the patient, therefore, in this case, chills without fever, followed by hot flashes, and accompanied by increased sweating and irritability, is a completely understandable symptom.

Chills during lactation

The causes of chills in the postpartum period mostly correspond to those during pregnancy. Another deviation that can cause this symptom, and is characteristic exclusively for nursing mothers, is lactostasis. To alleviate the condition, a woman just needs to regularly express milk so that it does not stagnate and does not form lumps in the breast tissue.

Often, women who have given birth develop or recur pathologies of the thyroid gland or diseases of other parts of the endocrine system: hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Damage to the pituitary gland with the subsequent occurrence of hypopituitarism is also a common cause of chills in women in labor.

To confirm or refute the presence of pathologies of the endocrine system and, in particular, the thyroid gland, it is necessary to take a blood test for thyroid hormones T3, T4, TSH, and undergo an ultrasound of the thyroid gland.

Diagnostics

To make an accurate diagnosis in the presence of chills without fever in a patient, the doctor must perform diagnostic procedures in the form of a physical examination and medical history. Based on the data received, the specialist makes a decision to:

  • clinical blood and urine tests;
  • fluorography or radiography;
  • biochemical blood test;
  • x-ray examination of internal organs;
  • tests for STDs;
  • immunological tests.

The examination regimen is developed by the attending physician individually for each patient. If we are talking about a pregnant woman or a nursing mother, X-ray examinations are excluded, if possible.

Treatment

Specific treatment methods directly depend on the root cause of chills without fever. In case of infectious etiology of the symptom, antibacterial drugs are prescribed. The patient must comply with bed rest and diet. In addition to antimicrobial drugs, the patient may be prescribed antipyretics and vitamins.

Food poisoning requires the use of sorbents, rehydration agents, antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs. In this case, following a diet is also mandatory.

If chills without fever are the result of an STD or systemic pathology, a course of basic therapy is carried out. Medicines are selected individually for each patient, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body and the clinical manifestations of the pathological process.

Causes of chills without fever, or when to see a doctor

Some situations accompanied by the appearance of chills without an increase in body temperature require mandatory consultation with a doctor. So, you need to make an appointment with a specialist if:

  1. In addition to chills without fever, the patient complains of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Such symptoms may indicate an acute intestinal infection, which requires mandatory medical intervention. With such complaints, the patient can contact a therapist or gastroenterologist.
  2. There is a skin rash, which, along with chills, may indicate the presence of an allergic reaction.
  3. The patient developed a runny nose, cough, muscle weakness and body aches. These pronounced symptoms may indicate ARVI or influenza.
  4. If chills are accompanied by atypical symptoms - skin hyperemia, vesicular rash, etc. These clinical signs are especially common in patients who have visited exotic countries, so they require especially close attention from an infectious disease specialist.
  5. If chills occur daily, or with suspicious regularity, it is recommended to consult a cardiologist and undergo the necessary diagnostics. Such a symptom may indicate hypertension, which requires mandatory treatment.

It is important to understand that all previously discussed causes and methods of treatment for chills without fever are not a guide to self-medication. Such a symptom can indicate serious and even dangerous health problems, so it cannot be ignored, but you should not take any measures to eliminate it at your own discretion.