Chills during illness feel miserable, but they’re actually your body’s way of generating heat to reach a higher internal temperature. The fastest way to get relief is to address the fever driving them, using an over-the-counter fever reducer while keeping yourself comfortably warm without overheating. Most chills resolve within 20 to 45 minutes once your body temperature reaches its new, fever-elevated set point, or once medication brings that set point back down.
Why You Get Chills When You’re Sick
When your immune system detects an infection, it triggers the release of chemical signals that travel to the brain’s temperature control center. These signals essentially raise your body’s thermostat. Your normal 98.6°F suddenly registers as “too cold” by the brain’s new standard, so it activates the same warming responses you’d experience standing outside in winter: shivering to generate muscle heat, constricting blood vessels near the skin to trap warmth inside, and producing that deep, bone-level feeling of cold.
This is why chills typically hit at the beginning of a fever, not during it. Once your core temperature climbs to match the brain’s new set point, the shivering stops and you start feeling hot instead. Understanding this cycle matters because it changes how you should respond. The goal isn’t to fight the shivering itself but to either help your body reach its target temperature comfortably or bring the target back down with medication.
Take a Fever Reducer
The most effective way to stop chills is to lower the fever set point back toward normal. Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen do this well. Ibuprofen tends to produce a greater temperature reduction over the first two to six hours compared to acetaminophen, but either one works. Most people notice chills easing within 30 to 60 minutes of taking a dose.
If you’re using acetaminophen, stay under 4,000 milligrams total in a 24-hour period. Be careful with this limit because acetaminophen hides in many combination cold and flu products, so check labels to avoid accidentally doubling up. Ibuprofen should be taken with food to avoid stomach irritation, and it’s not ideal if you have kidney issues or are dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea.
Stay Warm, but Don’t Overheat
Your instinct when chills hit is to pile on blankets and heavy clothing. This feels logical but can actually backfire. Trapping too much heat around your body makes it harder to release that heat, which can push your fever higher and, paradoxically, make the chills worse as the gap between your actual temperature and the set point widens. The higher your temperature climbs, the more uncomfortable you’ll feel once the fever breaks and your body tries to cool down rapidly through heavy sweating.
Instead, use a single light blanket and wear comfortable, breathable clothing. A long-sleeved shirt and light pants are enough. The goal is to take the edge off the cold sensation without sealing in heat. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature and let air circulate, but avoid sitting directly in a draft or under a fan, which can intensify the feeling of chills.
Drink Warm Fluids
Warm broth, herbal tea, or even just hot water with lemon serves two purposes. First, the warmth provides immediate comfort by raising your perception of temperature from the inside, which can ease that deep-cold feeling faster than blankets alone. Second, and more importantly, fever increases fluid loss through sweating, faster breathing, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. Dehydration makes chills and overall illness feel significantly worse.
Sip steadily rather than forcing large amounts at once, especially if your stomach is uneasy. Broth has the added benefit of replacing some sodium and electrolytes. Avoid very cold drinks during active chills, not because they’re harmful, but because they can intensify the sensation of cold and make you more uncomfortable.
Rest and Let Your Body Work
Physical activity generates heat, but it also diverts energy your immune system needs. Lying down under a light blanket in a quiet room is genuinely the most productive thing you can do during a chills episode. Most bouts of shivering during a common illness like the flu or a cold last 15 to 45 minutes before the body reaches its fever set point and the shivering stops on its own.
A warm (not hot) bath can help bridge that gap if the chills are intense. Water temperature around 100°F feels soothing without pushing your core temperature dangerously high. Hot baths or heating pads cranked to maximum can overshoot, creating the same overheating problem as heavy blankets.
Chills vs. Rigors
There’s a difference between the mild-to-moderate shivering most people experience with a common virus and what doctors call rigors. Rigors involve violent, uncontrollable shaking that can last several minutes, sometimes with teeth chattering so hard it’s painful. You can’t stop rigors by wrapping up in blankets or willing yourself to hold still.
Rigors can accompany serious infections like kidney infections, pneumonia, or sepsis. They also sometimes occur with influenza and other high-fever illnesses that aren’t necessarily emergencies. The shaking itself isn’t the concern; it’s what might be causing it. If you experience rigors alongside confusion, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, or a fever above 104°F, those are signs that something more serious may be going on and you need medical evaluation promptly.
When Chills Happen Without Fever
Not all chills mean infection. Low blood sugar, anxiety, thyroid problems, and even intense exercise in cold environments can trigger shivering. If you’re getting chills repeatedly without any other signs of illness, or if they persist for more than a day or two without an obvious cause like a cold or flu, that pattern is worth investigating with a healthcare provider. Chills that come and go over weeks, especially with fatigue or unexplained weight loss, can occasionally signal something that needs attention beyond home care.