Constipation is infrequent or difficult bowel movements, often with hard stools. Chills are sensations of coldness and shivering, with or without fever. This article explores the connection between these symptoms and their common underlying causes.
Understanding Chills and Constipation
Chills represent the body’s attempt to generate heat through rapid muscle contractions, often signaling a change in body temperature or the onset of a fever. Constipation involves the slow movement of stool through the colon, leading to fewer than three bowel movements per week or stools that are challenging to pass. Common reasons for constipation include dietary changes, insufficient fiber intake, dehydration, lack of physical activity, or certain medications.
Constipation itself does not directly cause chills. A direct physiological link between slowed bowel function and the body’s thermoregulatory response is not established. If both symptoms are present, it typically indicates an underlying condition affecting multiple body systems, rather than constipation directly triggering chills.
Common Causes of Chills When Constipated
When constipation and chills occur simultaneously, they often point to a shared underlying issue, frequently an infection or inflammatory process. These conditions can disrupt normal digestive function while also triggering a systemic response that includes chills, often alongside a fever. Recognizing these common causes helps in understanding the broader picture of health.
Infections are a frequent reason for the co-occurrence of these symptoms. Diverticulitis involves the inflammation or infection of small pouches in the colon. This condition commonly causes abdominal pain (often in the lower left side), alongside fever, chills, nausea, and changes in bowel habits, which can include constipation. Similarly, appendicitis, inflammation of the appendix, can lead to severe abdominal pain (typically starting around the navel and shifting to the lower right abdomen), nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever with chills, sometimes accompanied by constipation.
Other types of infections can also present with both symptoms. Upper urinary tract infections (UTIs), specifically kidney infections, can cause systemic symptoms like high fever, chills, and back or side pain, though constipation is not a direct symptom of UTIs, it can sometimes be a risk factor for UTI. Viral or bacterial gastroenteritis, often called “stomach flu,” inflames the stomach and intestines, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea (less commonly constipation), abdominal cramps, low-grade fever, and chills.
Systemic inflammation, even without a clear infection, can also manifest with both digestive issues and chills. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. During disease flares, individuals may experience abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits (including constipation), and systemic symptoms like fever and chills due to the inflammatory response.
Dehydration can contribute to constipation by making stools hard and difficult to pass, as the body absorbs more water when fluid intake is insufficient. While dehydration does not directly cause chills, severe dehydration can lead to feeling unwell, impact the body’s temperature regulation, and might be present alongside conditions that do cause fever and chills. Therefore, maintaining adequate fluid intake is important for overall health and bowel regularity.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Given that chills accompanying constipation often indicate an underlying health issue, it is important to recognize when medical attention is necessary. While mild constipation can often be managed with lifestyle adjustments, the presence of chills suggests a more significant problem requiring professional evaluation.
Consult a healthcare professional if you experience a high fever alongside chills and constipation, as this can signal an active infection requiring treatment. Severe or worsening abdominal pain, especially if it is intense or constant, is another warning sign that warrants immediate medical assessment. The presence of blood in the stool, whether bright red or dark and tarry, should also prompt a visit to a doctor.
Other concerning symptoms include persistent nausea or vomiting, an inability to pass gas or stool, or any signs of confusion or lethargy. If your symptoms are persistent, worsening, or unusual, seeking medical advice ensures an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. A medical professional can identify the root cause of both your constipation and chills.