Can inflammation in your body cause chills?

September 27, 2025 •

4 min read

Inflammatory diseases often present with flu-like symptoms, including chills and muscle stiffness. Understanding this complex relationship is key to recognizing why inflammation can manifest with chills, a common sign of your immune system at work as it reacts to perceived threats within the body.

Quick Summary

Yes, inflammation can indeed cause chills, as it is a fundamental part of your body's immune response. When the immune system responds to an infection or injury, it releases chemical messengers called cytokines, which can impact the brain's thermoregulatory center, triggering shivering to raise the core body temperature.

Key Points

Inflammation and Chills Connection: Yes, inflammation can cause chills as part of the body's immune response to an infection or injury.
Cytokines Play a Key Role: During inflammation, the immune system releases cytokines, which signal the brain's thermostat to raise body temperature, triggering shivering (chills) to generate heat.
Acute vs. Chronic Inflammation: Chills are common with short-term, acute inflammation (infections), but can also be a symptom of long-term, chronic inflammatory conditions like autoimmune diseases.
Underlying Causes: Common causes include infections, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease, with serious cases potentially indicating sepsis.
Managing and Monitoring: Rest, hydration, anti-inflammatory foods, and stress management can help with mild cases, but persistent or severe chills require medical evaluation to find the root cause.

The Underlying Connection Between Inflammation and Chills

Inflammation is a vital defense mechanism, the body's way of protecting itself from harm, such as infections, injuries, and irritants. When this process is initiated, it triggers a cascade of events involving the immune system. One of the key players in this response is the release of proteins known as cytokines. These chemical messengers travel through the bloodstream and can have a systemic effect on the body, reaching the brain's hypothalamus.

How Your Immune System Triggers Chills

The hypothalamus acts as the body's thermostat, regulating internal temperature. When certain cytokines are released in response to inflammation, they can signal the hypothalamus to raise the body's set point for temperature. In its effort to meet this new, higher temperature, the body triggers mechanisms to generate heat. One of the most effective ways to do this is through involuntary muscle contractions, or shivering. This process is what we experience as chills.

During this process, the body may also constrict blood vessels near the skin's surface, a process called vasoconstriction, to conserve heat. This explains why a person with chills might also feel cold to the touch or appear pale. The combination of shivering and vasoconstriction helps the body elevate its core temperature to fight off pathogens, as many bacteria and viruses struggle to survive at higher temperatures.

Acute vs. Chronic Inflammation

Understanding the difference between acute and chronic inflammation is crucial to understanding the symptom of chills.


Characteristic	Acute Inflammation	Chronic Inflammation
Onset	Rapid, within minutes to hours.	Slow, over weeks, months, or years.
Duration	Short-term, lasting a few days.	Long-term, potentially lifelong.
Cause	Infection, injury, tissue damage.	Persistent irritants, autoimmune diseases, long-term exposure to pathogens.
Symptoms	Pain, redness, swelling, heat, potential for chills/fever.	Can be silent or have persistent symptoms like fatigue, low-grade fever, sometimes chills.
Purpose	Immediate defense and healing.	Body’s immune system is unable to turn off the inflammatory response.

In acute inflammation, such as with a viral or bacterial infection, chills are a common and temporary symptom. However, in chronic inflammation, the link to chills can be less direct and may be associated with low-grade, persistent fever or a general feeling of being unwell. Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or rheumatoid arthritis can be linked to inflammation that may cause chills.

Common Causes of Inflammation-Induced Chills

Chills can be a key indicator of systemic inflammation resulting from various underlying health issues. Some common culprits include:

Infections: This is the most frequent cause. The immune system's response to an infection (viral, bacterial, or fungal) can release inflammatory chemicals that lead to chills and fever. This includes common illnesses like the flu, pneumonia, or urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Autoimmune Diseases: In conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy tissues, causing widespread inflammation. This can lead to flu-like symptoms, including chills, body aches, and fatigue.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Patients with IBD may experience systemic symptoms, including fever and chills.
Sepsis: In rare but serious cases, a severe inflammatory response to an infection can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition. Sepsis is often accompanied by a very high fever and severe chills.
Menstruation: For some, hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can trigger the release of inflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins, which can contribute to body aches, nausea, and chills.

Managing Chills from Inflammation

Addressing the chills requires treating the root cause of the inflammation. While waiting for a diagnosis, some home remedies and lifestyle adjustments can help manage the symptoms.

Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can worsen symptoms and make it harder for your body to regulate temperature. Drinking plenty of water, warm lemon water, or herbal teas can help.
Rest and Keep Warm: Resting allows your body to dedicate energy to healing. Using warm blankets or a warm compress can also provide comfort during a chill episode.
Use Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Incorporating foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, such as ginger, green tea, and leafy greens, can support your body’s natural response.
Manage Stress: Chronic stress can contribute to inflammation. Techniques like deep breathing and yoga can help calm the body and mind.
Consider OTC Medication: Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help reduce both inflammation and associated pain, but should be used with caution and as directed by a healthcare professional.

When to Seek Medical Attention

While occasional chills are often no cause for alarm, persistent or severe chills warrant a visit to a doctor. If chills are accompanied by a high fever, severe headache, confusion, or difficulty breathing, it could be a sign of a more serious infection or condition requiring immediate medical intervention. It is important to consult a healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause and ensure proper treatment.

Conclusion

In summary, the answer to can inflammation in your body cause chills? is a definitive yes. This common symptom is a direct result of the immune system's signaling process, designed to combat perceived threats by raising the body's temperature. While it is often a sign of acute infection, chronic inflammatory diseases can also be a contributing factor. For long-lasting or concerning symptoms, consulting a healthcare professional is always the best course of action to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment.

For more information on the immune system and inflammation, you can explore the resources available from the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, it is possible to experience chills from inflammation without a high fever. The body's temperature-regulating mechanisms can initiate shivering to raise core temperature, even if the overall fever response isn't pronounced. This can occur with chronic inflammatory conditions or early on in an infection.

Chills are the sensation of feeling cold, while shivering is the involuntary muscle contraction that causes your body to shake. Shivering is the physical action your body takes in response to chills, a signal that your immune system and hypothalamus are working to raise your body's temperature.

Cytokines are proteins released by the immune system during inflammation. Certain cytokines are pyrogenic, meaning they cause fever by acting on the hypothalamus, the brain's temperature control center. This signals the body to generate heat through shivering, which results in chills.

You should see a doctor if your chills are severe, persistent, or accompanied by a high fever, confusion, difficulty breathing, or other concerning symptoms. This could indicate a more serious infection or underlying inflammatory condition that needs medical diagnosis and treatment.

Yes, chronic inflammatory conditions, such as autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, can cause recurring or persistent low-grade fever and chills. This happens because the immune system is in a constant state of low-level activation.

Not all inflammation causes chills. Localized, mild inflammation, such as a sprained ankle, typically causes swelling, redness, and pain at the site, but not systemic symptoms like chills. Chills usually occur when inflammation is widespread or part of a systemic immune response, as seen with infections.

Other common symptoms associated with inflammation that can cause chills include fever, body aches, fatigue, headache, muscle stiffness, and a general feeling of being unwell or lethargic.