According to Dr. Pooja Pillai (Internal Medicine Specialist, Aster CMI Hospital, India), fever is an increase in body temperature, while chills are a cold sensation accompanied by tremors. Common causes include viral infections (flu, colds), bacterial infections (pharyngitis, urinary tract infections), or infectious diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. In children, fever can be caused by teething or vaccination.
In addition to high body temperature and tremors, people with fever accompanied by chills also often experience other symptoms such as headache, muscle and body aches; profuse sweating, fatigue, exhaustion; loss of appetite, especially in children, often accompanied by fussiness and slowness.
However, chills are not always accompanied by fever. According to the Cleveland Clinic (a non-profit general education medical system headquartered in the United States), this condition may appear alone due to hypoglycemia, menopause, panic attacks, or even side effects of certain medications.
Chills are an unintentional reaction of the body. Chills cause muscles to contract and relax, helping to warm the body. It can also be a sign that your body is fighting diseases, infections, or other potential health problems.
Dr. Pillai said that treatment depends on the cause of the fever. In cases of mild fever, patients can take care of themselves at home by resting, drinking plenty of filtered water, soup or electrolyte solution. At the same time, wear light, cool clothes and keep the room at a moderate temperature. In addition, patients can use paracetamol to reduce fever according to the doctor's prescribed dosage.
For children, it is important to monitor the temperature regularly, replenish adequate water and avoid using medicine without doctor's advice. If the fever is due to bacterial infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
Experts recommend that patients need to go to a medical facility immediately if the fever lasts for more than 3 days or is above 39.5°C (103°F). Dangerous signs to note include shortness of breath, rash, continuous vomiting, convulsions or extreme weakness. For young children, emergency intervention is needed if the child refuses to breastfeed, faintly sleeps, cries non-stop, or has obvious signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, little urination.
