Alternating chills and fever: what symptom is this?
Nov 09, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ren Yi
Introduction
In general, alternating chills and fever may be symptoms of conditions such as the common cold, malaria, pyelonephritis, cholecystitis, or infectious endocarditis. Alternating chills and fever may be associated with various diseases, and a specific diagnosis requires comprehensive evaluation based on the patient's physical condition. If this symptom occurs, seek timely medical attention to determine the cause and receive targeted treatment.
In general, alternating chills and fever may be symptoms of diseases such as common cold, malaria, pyelonephritis, cholecystitis, or infective endocarditis.
1. Common cold: During the early stages of a cold, patients often experience chills. Even in a warm environment, they may still feel cold and may even shiver. Subsequently, their body temperature gradually rises, leading to fever.
2. Malaria: A typical symptom of malaria is periodic episodes of chills, high fever, and profuse sweating. During an episode, patients first feel cold all over, followed by a rapid increase in body temperature. After the high fever persists for a certain period, patients experience profuse sweating, and their body temperature gradually returns to normal, with symptoms alleviating.
3. Pyelonephritis: Patients with acute pyelonephritis often experience chills and high fever. At the same time, they may feel aching pain on one or both sides of the waist, with the pain radiating to the lower abdomen along the ureter. This is often accompanied by urinary tract irritation symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination.
4. Cholecystitis: During an acute cholecystitis attack, patients typically first experience pain in the upper right abdomen, which may radiate to the right shoulder or back. The intensity of the pain varies and may be a persistent dull ache or intermittent colicky pain. This is followed by chills and high fever.
5. Infective endocarditis: Patients with infective endocarditis may develop fever, which can manifest as persistent low-grade fever, remittent fever, or intermittent fever. This is often accompanied by systemic symptoms such as chills, night sweats, and loss of appetite.
Alternating chills and fever may be related to various diseases, and a specific diagnosis requires comprehensive evaluation based on the patient's physical condition. If these symptoms occur, seek medical attention promptly to determine the underlying cause and receive targeted treatment.
