Cold chills
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Understanding Cold Chills: Causes, Symptoms, and Psychological Aspects
Acute Cooling and Common Cold Symptoms
Acute Cooling of the Feet
Research has shown that acute cooling of the feet can trigger the onset of common cold symptoms in a subset of individuals. In a study involving 180 healthy subjects, those who experienced foot chilling reported a higher incidence of cold symptoms compared to the control group. Specifically, 13 out of 90 subjects who were chilled reported cold symptoms within 4-5 days post-procedure, compared to only 5 out of 90 in the control group. This suggests that acute chilling can indeed precipitate cold symptoms, although the exact mechanism remains unclear.
Body Surface Cooling and Respiratory Infections
The belief that acute cooling of the body surface, such as through wet clothes or hair, leads to respiratory infections like the common cold is widespread. However, experimental evidence does not support a direct cause-and-effect relationship between cold exposure and increased susceptibility to common cold viruses. Instead, it is hypothesized that acute cooling may cause reflex vasoconstriction in the nose and upper airways, potentially converting an asymptomatic viral infection into a symptomatic one by inhibiting respiratory defenses.
Clinical and Physiological Characteristics of Chills
Definition and Mechanisms
Chills are characterized by a combination of subjective sensations of cold and objective muscle tremors. These can range from mild shivering to intense, widespread shivering or rigor. Chills can be triggered by both external factors, such as cold exposure, and internal factors, such as bacterial invasion. The onset of chills during infections is often associated with the invasion of the bloodstream by bacteria, although the exact timing and mechanism can vary.
Symptoms of Common Cold and Influenza
Common cold and influenza symptoms, including chills, are primarily driven by the body's immune response to infection. Cytokines released during infection can cause fever, anorexia, malaise, and chills, among other symptoms. These responses are part of the body's effort to fight off the infection.
Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Chills
Aesthetic Chills
Chills can also occur in response to emotional stimuli, a phenomenon known as aesthetic chills. These are often experienced as goosebumps, shivers, or tingling sensations and can be triggered by music, visual arts, literature, and other forms of aesthetic experience. Aesthetic chills are linked to both positive and negative emotional responses, such as awe, surprise, enjoyment, disgust, fear, and sadness .
Distinct Varieties of Aesthetic Chills
Research has identified three distinct categories of aesthetic chills: warm chills, cold chills, and moving chills. Warm chills are associated with positive emotions like happiness and relaxation, cold chills with negative emotions like sadness and anger, and moving chills with intense emotional experiences such as feeling moved or affectionate. These different types of chills are elicited by various stimuli and are influenced by individual differences in traits like empathy.
Conclusion
Cold chills can arise from a variety of causes, including acute cooling of the body, bacterial infections, and emotional stimuli. While the physiological mechanisms behind chills related to infections and cold exposure are relatively well understood, the psychological aspects of aesthetic chills are more complex and involve a range of emotional responses. Understanding these different facets of chills can help in better managing and interpreting this common yet multifaceted phenomenon.
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