Rigors Underlying Cause
Chills may be caused by:
- Fever:
- When a fever "breaks", the temperature drops, and the patient will often experience chills.
- Bacterial infections:
- More violent shaking chills, known as rigors, can be a sign of an underlying streptococcal infection, such as pneumonia.
- Malaria:
- This parasitic blood infection often causes shaking chills, sweats, and high fever.
- Cold intolerance:
- An abnormal intolerance to cold can be due to hypothyroidism
- Anxiety:
- Some anxiety disorders may cause shaking chills
- Drug side effect
- Hypothermia:
- As the body temperature drops, shaking ensues. This is the body's attempt to raise the core temperature.
- Hot flashes:
- Commonly associated with menopause, hot flashes often progress to chills as the hot flash resolves.
- Drug withdrawal:
- Alcohol withdrawal:
Last Updated: Nov 30, 2010 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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PubMed Rigors References
- Batsis JA, Uslan DZ, Baddour LM. 70-year-old man with fever, shaking chills, and weakness. Mayo Clin Proc. 2005 Sep;80(9):1209-12. [16178501]
- Call SA, Vollenweider MA, Hornung CA, Simel DL, McKinney WP. Does this patient have influenza? JAMA. 2005 Feb 23;293(8):987-97. [15728170]
- Lutfiyya MN, Henley E, Chang LF, Reyburn SW. Diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. Am Fam Physician. 2006 Feb 1;73(3):442-50. [16477891]