Cramps in legs during pregnancy and in elderly age: causes, treatment
Cramps are severe, short-term and uncontrolled painful muscle contractions that occur for no obvious reason, quite always at nighttime or at rest. They most often occur in crural muscles, involve the whole muscle or its part in the process, the duration of a cramp is from several seconds to several minutes.
Causes of occurrence of night cramps of lower limbs
In most cases, cramps are episodic and non-lethal. They often occur in perfectly healthy people. However, if cramps have become frequent of long-lasting, it could be the cause of severe diseases, and the condition requires a meticulous examination.
- various types of central and peripheral nervous system damage (polyneuropathy);
- psychiatric disorders manifesting with tics;
- contractures;
- paroxysms of epileptic character;
- visceral diseases (uremia, enteritis, liver pathology);
- muscle diseases (myositis, metabolic myopathies, muscular dystrophies);
- endocrine pathology (hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism);
- vascular lesions in lower limbs (obliterating atherosclerosis, endarteritis, varicose veins);
- peripheral edemas, iron deficiency, sleep deprivation, smoking, alcohol, dehydration, acute exercise, long staying in non-physiological positions, hidden traumas, pathologies of joints, ligaments, spine, insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals, sedentary lifestyle, plasma separation, hemodialysis, administration of some medications that provoke cramps in legs as a side effect (duiretics, ACE inhibitors, В-blockers, corticosteroids, nifedipine, rifampicin, cloibrate, salbutamol, procainamide).
Sometimes the causes cannot be identified, most often in the case of so-called idiopathic cramps.
The causes of night leg cramps in elderly age lie in the natural processes of atrophy of the muscle tissue and insufficient intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium. This problem can be solved with a well-designed therapeutic course, which includes vitamin and mineral complexes. Elderly people should not forget that often the problem is associated with physical inactivity, so it is mandatory to move even at an advanced age.
It is worth noting that inappropriate nutrition may be the cause of leg cramps in older people. It is important to include fresh vegetables, fruits in the menu, eat fish and meat, not forgetting about dairy products. If cramps bother an elderly person for a long time, he/she needs to visit a doctor and find the cause of the problem. The specialist will not only perform diagnostics, but also draw up a menu, give recommendations on physical activity and prescribe a treatment for the underlying disease, if any.
Many people are interested why toe cramps occur We can list the same reasons as above.
- excessive physical activity, overstrain;
- change in lifestyle (high activity or, on the contrary, forced inactivity);
- acute exacerbation of any chronic diseases;
- unhealthy diet with a small amount of vegetables and fruits, meat and dairy products.
If we consider leg cramps during pregnancy, their causes (with the exception of pathologies) are well known: the growing uterus begins to press on the portal vein. This leads to abnormalities of the outflow of venous blood from the lower extremities and congestions.
How to treat severe leg cramps
- strain the limb as much as possible, pull the foot forward, then pull fingers towards yourself. This will help to relieve cramping in the calf muscles;
- make pinching quick movements of the skin, there should be several pinches;
- massage the problem area of the lower limb with strong and quick movements;
- prick the cramp area with something not sharp, for example, a pen or an ear piece. Use scissors or needles for this purpose with extreme caution.
How to get rid of leg cramps in women during pregnancy? First, you need to inform your gynecologist about the problem, he/she will perform examinations and find out the real cause. Secondly, it is important to take vitamin complexes with magnesium and potassium that the doctor prescribes. Do not forget about preventive measures: avoid strenuous physical activity and dehydration. After intense physical activity, if this happened, it is worth lying down with your legs raised up to improve venous outflow.
Author of the article - Nataliya Maslyanchuk
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