Body Ache and Chills with No Fever

I know a lot of people who have, sometime or the other, experienced a queer condition, wherein they encountered body aches and chills with no fever, and no other ailments whatsoever to accompany and explain these flash in the pan episodes! Although these random chills and body aches didn't cause them much harm, they did cause significant physical discomfort whenever they occurred. The strangest part about most of these cases, is the fact that when these individuals decided to get their biological samples (blood, stool, urine - the usual fare!) tested for possible diseases or infections, the results came out negative! So what could be causing these chills without fever? Find the answer in the following segment.

What Causes Chills with No Fever?

Sudden chills, whether or not accompanied by body ache, can be a sign of either a nutritional deficiency or the initial stages of an infection that is on its way to take over the body within the next 24 hours. Also, certain other disorders or diseases of specific organs (such as heart, kidneys, gallbladder, etc.) can also lead to sudden random spells of chills that last for a short span of time, accompanied by aching muscles or joints, more often than not. Here is a list of some such physiological and biological conditions that often cause the afflicted person to experience random chilly spells without having a fever of any sort.

• Anemia - Lower the red blood cell count, lower the blood oxygen level. Lower the blood oxygen level, lesser the energy and nutrition cells all over the body have access to. This leads to insufficient production of cellular energy, leading to insufficient production of warmth, leaving the subject feeling colder than normal with reference to the external atmospheric temperature.
• Sluggish Metabolism - The slower the body burns fats and carbohydrates, the slower the rate at which heat is released. A sluggish metabolism leads to unnecessary accumulation of fats and carbs on one hand, while it makes the affected person feel chilly and clammy (especially on the palms and the soles) most of the time.
• Low Blood Sugar - Chills, clamminess and paling of the skin may occur in hypoglycemics owing to secretion of the adrenal hormone epinephrine when the blood glucose level goes below normal levels.
• Nutritional Deficiencies - Deficiency of minerals like iron and copper as well as chronic deficiency of Vitamin B complex can cause you to feel colder than normal. Malnutrition and anorexia leads to overall weakness of the entire body as enough dietary fuel is not available form which it can manufacture nutritional energy which helps regulate the body temperature. This leads to the person feeling chilly most of the time, despite the mercury being far from hitting rock bottom.
• Other Infections and Diseases - Pathogenic infections such as septicemia, hepatitis, UTI and bladder infection, common cold, diseases and disorders of the immune system that lower immune defenses, as well as other conditions such as leukemia, allergic reactions, diabetes, hypothyroidism, lupus, etc., often cause random chills and body aches in the affected individual.

The frequency and intensity of body aches and chills with no fever is also commonly associated with advanced age and the biological degeneration that accompanies senescence. Certain medications can also cause you to feel colder than usual, which is nothing to worry about as it's just a side effect.

Staying well nourished and active takes care of deficiency and metabolism issues. That's why a diet rich in vitamins and minerals along with other nutrients, coupled with following a regular workout regime helps a lot in keeping the chills out and lock the warmth in! Besides diet and nutrition, sufficient amount of sleep is also necessary to allow the body to repair the damaged and overworked tissues, as well as fortify the immune defenses. All this, coupled with proper treatment of any of the aforementioned diseases, is the most effective way to combat those body aches and chills. Also, taking a warm shower followed by drinking a cup of hot ginger tea or saffron milk, helps restore the body's temperature to normal levels by exuding heat from within.