# Why do I get chills when I have a fever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2002, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831 "2002-10-04T13:44:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/1 "2002-10-04T13:44:56Z")
Yesterday I was running a fever, and it occured to me-if my body temperature is higher than usual, shouldn’t I feel warmer? Why do I always get really cold? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/2 "2002-10-04T13:47:36Z")
I’ve alwasy wondered this myself. Someone will be along to tell us soon, i am sure. And get well soon! ---
**Author:** ![yanx4ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/85e7bf/32.png) [@yanx4ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanx4ever)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/3 "2002-10-04T13:57:48Z")
I’m no doctor, but seems to me when you have a fever you are warmer internally, so the skin perceives the outside as being colder because it senses external temperature relative to internal temperature. That’s just a guess, I’m sure some MD will check in with a better answer. ---
**Author:** ![yanx4ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/85e7bf/32.png) [@yanx4ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanx4ever)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/4 "2002-10-04T14:06:14Z")
I’m no doctor, but seems to me when you have a fever you are warmer internally, so the skin perceives the outside as being colder because it senses external temperature relative to internal temperature. That’s just a guess, I’m sure some MD will check in with a better answer. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/5 "2002-10-04T14:16:23Z")
The “feeling” of being cold or chilled is actually the symptoms of your body trying to get warmer than it currently is. What you are feeling is the goosebumps and shivers, etc… Those are how your body raises its temp. When you are ill, you body raises its thermostat. You experience those unpleasent feelings while your body is trying to reach or maintain this new higher temp setting. Also remember that often when you are getting over whatever ails you, your fever will “break” and can leave in a nice pool of sweat as your body tries to return to a lower or more normal temp. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-chills-when-i-have-a-fever/130831/6 "2002-10-04T18:11:16Z")
**scotth** has it right. The body’s response to infection is to raise the temperature, as this tends to help kill off many infective agents. Your temp may be 102, but the body wants it at 104, so it tells the body it’s temperature is too low, causes the muscles to shake, and eventually raises the ambient body temp.