Dorothy FarrarTrembling all over
Anybody can experience tremors all over their body . He doesn’t have to be seriously ill to do that. However, the uncontrollable muscle movement that affects the entire body is usually a sign of a disease.
What is full body tremor?
Trembling all over the body is also known as chills (febris undularis). It appears suddenly, cannot be controlled and usually lasts several minutes. The tremor attacks can occur alone or be accompanied by fever , body aches , nausea and headachesbe accompanied. When the muscle tremors have passed, the person concerned is tired and sleepy. The involuntary contractions of the skeletal muscles are usually harmless. However, it is advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible if the tremors all over your body last for a disproportionately long time, are very severe or could be connected to certain events. A doctor’s evaluation is also recommended if the tremor appears to be without cause and without other symptoms.
causes
Chills occur when the body is exposed to cold and the body temperature drops. To increase it again, the skeletal muscles contract and then relax again. As a result, they generate heat. If the person affected has an infection, the heat ensures that their immune system can fight the pathogens better. Chills are usually a symptom of an impending cold or a flu-like infection. In addition, hypothermia, inflammation of the renal pelvis, meningitis, gastrointestinal infection, pneumonia, inflammation of the epididymis, erysipelas, scarlet fever, poisoning, allergic reactions and acute glaucoma (glaucoma) can trigger the sudden tremors all over the body.People who are not vaccinated against tetanus (lockjaw) also get chills after being infected with the bacterium . People vacationing in tropical countries and experiencing the tremors there should see a doctor as soon as possible, as the symptom indicates possible exposure to yellow fever, plague, anthrax, malaria, spotted fever, and smallpox. If the trembling person has stayed in the sun for too long in this country, heat stroke can occur. It is accompanied by chills and other signs of illness and requires immediate medical attention.
In adolescents during puberty, the tremors can occur without feeling cold and then indicate a brief drop in blood pressure. Other causes of chills include an overactive thyroid, withdrawal symptoms after stopping a drug, anemia (lack of red blood cells), vitamin B deficiency, hypoglycaemia, low blood pressure, and being underweight . If the involuntary muscle tremors occur during or after an operation, the patient cannot tolerate the administered anesthetic or another drug.
In addition, anxiety disorders and hyperkinetic disorders such as ADHD can lead to the onset of chills. The rapid spasms of the muscles can also indicate a tremor: the arousal tremor occurs without any other symptoms and is not a sign of an underlying disease. Chills usually begin with a strong feeling of cold, which spreads throughout the body within a short time. This is followed by muscle contractions that cannot be influenced. This mainly affects the large muscles of the back, the thighs and sometimes also the masticatory muscles (teeth chattering). The affected person soon becomes very tired and needs to rest. Often the chills are accompanied by other symptoms.
Diseases
When to the doctor?
Trembling all over the body can occur due to mild hypothermia. Staying outdoors for a long time without warm enough clothing or being in a pool with insufficient exercise can trigger the tremors. In these cases, a doctor’s visit is not necessary. It is usually sufficient if the person concerned wears warm clothing or takes a warm bath. The discomfort disappears within a few minutes.
If the trembling all over the body persists for a long time despite sufficient heat, a doctor should be consulted. You have other medical conditions or severe hypothermia that need treatment. If symptoms such as fever, gastrointestinal complaints, nausea, vomiting or sore throat occur, the person affected is often suffering from a flu-like infection or a cold. Tremors are also a sign of the disease. A doctor should be consulted, since the triggering viruses or bacteria multiply in a short time and contribute to a deterioration in the state of health.
In rare cases, the tremors all over your body are due to an allergic reaction. A doctor must be consulted to find out what substance is causing the hypersensitivity. If the tremor is accompanied by breathing difficulties or chest pain, a lung disease may be present. A doctor should be consulted so that further examinations can be carried out.
diagnosis and course
To find out what disease causes the appearance of chills, the doctor must thoroughly examine the patient. After the extensive questioning ( anamnesis ), he scans the lymph glands for possible swelling. Then he listens to the lungs. The doctor then usually knows the cause of the tremor. Sometimes he has a blood test done in the lab.
If pathogens can be detected, a bacterial culture is created. In this way, he finds out which pathogen is the cause and can adjust the subsequent treatment accordingly. Sometimes the patient has to give a urine sample. Ultrasonography of the kidneys, a check of bronchial function (bronchoscopy), and a chest X -ray may also be needed. If glaucoma is suspected, the intraocular pressure must be checked.
complications
A tremor all over the body can be due to very different causes. The possible complications are correspondingly heterogeneous. Trembling all over the body as an expression of a feeling of cold with an infectious disease is usually harmless. But it can also be the first sign of the onset of chills. Chills involve rapid contractions of large skeletal muscles. In this way, the body temperature is raised quickly to ward off invaders such as bacteria, viruses or fungi.
The rapid rise in body temperature can be associated with a number of complications for those affected. In particular, prolonged high fever of more than 39 degrees Celsius threatens a circulatory collapse. A fever of 41 degrees Celsius or more is life-threatening. The high temperature makes the walls of small blood vessels (capillaries) more permeable. The endothelial cells, which regulate the exchange of substances between blood and tissue, contract. There are gaps that allow fluids to leak from the blood vessels into the brain, which can result in life-threatening cerebral edema. Tremors are also a regular sign of shock. A shock, no matter what kind, is always to be taken seriously and, in the worst case, can be fatal. Anaphylactic shock, for example, i.e. an extremely strong allergic reaction, can lead to a drop in blood pressure and nausea and, in the next stage, to respiratory and circulatory arrest.
treatment and therapy
If the sudden tremors all over your body are caused by a cold or a flu-like infection, it is not absolutely necessary to see a doctor. If a bacterial infection is the cause of the chills, the patient is given an antibiotic . If the tremor is accompanied by a fever, it may make sense to prescribe an antipyretic drug . In addition, the patient should remain in bed and rest. Naturopaths usually prescribe Aconitum napelles (blue monkshood) in the potency D200 or Belladonna in the same potency against chills.
Patients suffering from tremors caused by a cold are best advised to take a warm bath and wrap themselves in a warm blanket. Since the muscles then no longer have to contract to increase body temperature, the chills usually disappear quickly. Drinking linden blossom tea warms you from the inside and has a sweat-inducing effect. Patients who have chills and fever should also drink more fluids than usual. People who have acute glaucoma require special treatment from an ophthalmologist: the increased intraocular pressure must be lowered immediately.
If the chills were caused by heat exhaustion, the person should be moved to a cool, shaded area immediately. He then needs moist, cool compresses on his neck and forehead as quickly as possible, as well as cold compresses on his calves. He should also drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the possible loss of electrolytes. Sometimes it is also necessary to stabilize your circulation. If the cause is not clear, the patient should under no circumstances try to treat themselves, but seek medical examination and treatment as soon as possible.
prevention
It is not possible to prevent chills because it is not a disease in its own right. However, the patient can try to prevent the tremors caused by an onset of a cold by strengthening their immune system and hardening.Getting enough sleep and reducing stress can also be helpful in this regard. There are vaccinations against other diseases that are accompanied by chills (flu, tropical diseases).
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.