Body chills
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Understanding Body Chills: Causes, Mechanisms, and Implications
Introduction to Body Chills
Body chills are a common phenomenon characterized by a sensation of coldness accompanied by involuntary muscle tremors. These chills can range from mild shivering to intense, widespread shivering known as rigor. They can be triggered by various external and internal factors, including exposure to cold environments or infections1.
Physiological Mechanisms Behind Chills
Muscle Tremors and Cold Sensation
Chills are primarily a muscular response, where rhythmic oscillations of skeletal muscles generate a sensation of coldness. This response can be both a subjective feeling of cold and an observable muscle tremor1. The physiological basis of chills involves the body's attempt to generate heat through muscle activity, which is a natural response to cold exposure or fever1.
Reflex Vasoconstriction
Acute cooling of the body surface can lead to reflex vasoconstriction, particularly in the nasal and upper respiratory tract. This vasoconstriction reduces blood flow and can lower the temperature of the nasal mucosa by up to 6 degrees Celsius5. This response is thought to play a role in the onset of common cold symptoms by potentially converting asymptomatic viral infections into symptomatic ones4 5.
Chills and Infections
Common Cold and Chills
There is a common belief that exposure to cold can lead to respiratory infections like the common cold. While some studies have shown that acute chilling of the feet can trigger cold symptoms in a small percentage of individuals, the overall scientific consensus is that cold exposure does not directly increase susceptibility to viral infections2 4. Instead, the chilling effect may exacerbate existing subclinical infections, making symptoms more apparent4.
Chills as an Indicator of Bacteremia
In patients with acute febrile illness, the severity of chills can be an important indicator of bacteremia. Shaking chills, characterized by whole-body shaking, are strongly associated with a higher risk of bacteremia compared to mild or moderate chills6. This makes the evaluation of chills crucial in clinical settings for diagnosing and managing infections.
Psychological and Aesthetic Chills
Aesthetic Chills
Chills are not always associated with negative stimuli. Aesthetic chills, which are positive emotional responses, can occur during experiences such as listening to music, viewing art, or engaging in religious practices. These chills are a universal emotional experience and highlight the complex interplay between physiological responses and emotional stimuli3.
Conclusion
Body chills are a multifaceted phenomenon with both physiological and psychological dimensions. They can be triggered by cold exposure, infections, or emotional experiences. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and implications of chills can aid in better clinical diagnosis and enhance our appreciation of the body's complex responses to various stimuli. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the connections between chills, infections, and emotional experiences.
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CLINICAL AND PHYSIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILL
The word "chill" is used to describe the combination of subjective perception of inward trembling or cold and objective involuntary muscle tremor, indicating a serious and alarming condition.
Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms.
Acute chilling of the feet can cause the onset of common cold symptoms in around 10% of subjects, but further studies are needed to determine the relationship between symptom generation and respiratory infection.
RCTKnowledge, curiosity, and aesthetic chills
Aesthetic chills, evoked by positive emotions, reveal fundamental aspects of human beings' relationship with the natural world.
Acute cooling of the body surface and the common cold.
Acute cooling of the body surface may cause reflex vasoconstriction in the nose and upper airways, potentially converting an asymptomatic subclinical viral infection into a symptomatic clinical infection.
REACTIONS OF THE NASAL CAVITY AND POSTNASAL SPACE TO CHILLING OF THE BODY SURFACE
Chilling of the body surface can cause depressed nasal temperature and nasopharyngeal temperature, causing reflex vasoconstriction and ischemia, with partial recovery often occurring after rewrapping.
The degree of chills for risk of bacteremia in acute febrile illness.
The severity of chills in patients with acute febrile illness is associated with a higher risk of bacteremia.
Observational StudyExposure to cold and acute upper respiratory tract infection.
Breathing cold air and chilling the body surface may increase the risk of acute upper respiratory tract infections, while ingestion of cold drinks and food shows no evidence of a link to URTI.
Literature Review[Fever with chills].
Abrupt onset of fever with chills is a body response to exogenous pyrogens, and treatment should focus on addressing the cause of fever and evaluating antipyretic drug risks.
CLINICAL CALORIMETRY XXXII: TEMPERATURE REGULATION AFTER THE INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF PROTEOSE AND TYPHOID VACCINE
Intravenous injections of foreign protein and typhoidal vaccine cause chills in arthritic patients, providing an ideal opportunity for studying temperature regulation in man.
“Feed a cold, starve a fever” — folk models of infection in an english suburban community, and their relation to medical treatment
Folk models of illness in an English suburban community reinforce biomedical treatment and concepts, leading to 'negotiable' biomedical diagnoses and treatment, impacting healthcare delivery.
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