Key Takeaways
- Body aches and chills are natural responses by your immune system to help fight infection.
- Over-the-counter medications, drinking water, getting rest, and warming your body can all help reduce body aches and chills.
- If you have body aches and chills with a 101° fever that lasts 72 hours or longer, seek out medical care.
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We all know the dread of starting to feel body aches and chills. It can be one of the first signs of an illness brewing in your body. Many viruses and illnesses have these symptoms, including flu, COVID-19, norovirus, and others.
Both body aches and feeling chills can last for hours or days, depending on what your body is fighting. Our experts explain what is behind these symptoms and put together a list of remedies that can bring you relief and get you back toward feeling like yourself again.
What causes body aches and chills?
Body aches come from your body’s immune response to an infection. Symptoms of flu, COVID-19, norovirus, and other common viruses often include body aches and chills.
When your immune system is fighting off an infection, it releases white blood cells and proteins called cytokines as part of its response. Those proteins are linked to inflammation and typically cause aches and pains in the muscles and joints throughout your body.
Chills are a similar response by your body to help regulate itself; they are often associated with fever.
When you get chills, you may have goosebumps, shiver, or tremble. That small, rapid trembling movement by your muscles helps to warm your internal temperature, which helps to fight the infection.
Remedies for body aches and chills
Some bacterial infections can be resolved with a prescribed antibiotic. If a virus is behind your symptoms and an anti-viral medication is not available, you may need to handle your symptoms with at-home care.
Here are some suggestions on what to do to find some relief from body aches and chills.
Over-the-counter medication
Pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can reduce fever, inflammation, and lessen the pain you may be feeling with the muscle aches and shivers from the chills.
Drink water
Staying hydrated helps your body fight infections. If you have a fever, your body needs to replenish the water it loses when it sweats. For viruses that also cause stuffed noses and coughs that produce mucus, staying properly hydrated helps to reduce the viscosity of mucus.
Rest (and sleep)
With all of the movement from your muscles and tissue during the body aches and shivering/shaking, you are going to feel more tired. Take the time to lay down at home and sleep if you are able to. The longer you rest, the better chance you give your body at fighting off whatever infection you are dealing with.
Get warmer
Putting a heating pad on your body can help to reduce soreness from muscle aches and lessen the frequency of chills. Taking a hot shower can have similar effects. Body aches and chills often occur with other viral symptoms, so a hot shower can help in other ways too (loosening congestion in lungs, cleaning sweat off skin, etc.)
If your temperature gets above 101° for at least 72 hours and your body aches and chills persist, visit your primary care provider or find an urgent care near you so a healthcare professional can get you the relief you need.