Why does my legs convulsive at night: how to identify the cause and what to do?

Many people have experienced such a nuisance as night cramps in the legs. They arise as a result of muscle spasm and are accompanied by painful sensations, often quite strong. Cramps affect the muscles of the calves, sometimes the foot, often reduces the thigh and toes.

Seizures are not an independent disease, it is a consequence of a number of factors. Among other things, they include various diseases, including problems with the veins of the lower extremities.

Let's consider more in detail why at night the legs cramp and this is indicated by such spasms of the limbs.

reasons Identification - the primary task

Causes of seizures may be varied. Often cramps occur at night for the following reasons:

• hypothermia;
• lack of vitamins and minerals in the body;
• smoking;
• abuse of sweet coffee;
• foot fatigue;
• excess weight.

These reasons are most harmless and to eliminate them is not very difficult. But it is not uncommon for the night leg cramps to be a sign of serious illnesses associated with impaired blood circulation in the veins of the lower extremities. These include:

• varicose veins;
• chronic venous insufficiency;
• presence of knots and thrombi in the vessels of the legs;
• increased capillary permeability;
• occlusion of veins and stuff.

The emergence of this kind of disease is due to the fact that the supply of blood vessels is inadequate, and its outflow is disturbed. This leads to the development of pathological changes in the venous system, which often results in convulsive spasms.

In addition, the legs can collapse for the following reasons:

• disorders in the work of the nervous system and neurological pathologies;
• infectious diseases and inflammatory processes;
• latent traumatic foot injury;
• diabetes;
• pathological changes in the thyroid gland.

Pregnancy as a provocation agent

Convulsive spasms occur equally often in both sexes. It can not be said that men or women are most predisposed to the appearance of such unpleasant symptoms. The strength and type of spasm also do not depend on the sex of the patient.

The only difference is the reasons for the appearance of seizures. In women, they can also appear as a result of wearing shoes with a high heel or platform. During the wearing of such shoes, the legs and spine are in the wrong, unnatural position, which results in an uneven distribution of the load on the legs.

In addition, one of the reasons why often reduces legs in women is pregnancy.

In the body of a woman who expects the baby, there are many changes. One such change can be called a rapid increase in weight and an increase in the volume of blood circulating in the body.

Due to this, there can be irregularities in the circulatory system, as a result of which the vessels of the legs receive nutrients in insufficient quantities, there is swelling, and the metabolic products are not completely withdrawn. This can cause the cramps in the legs.

In addition to the above reasons, spasms in pregnant women may appear due to the following factors:

• lack of nutrients in the body;
• disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• toxicosis;
• improper nutrition;
• use of diuretics.

During pregnancy, varicosity often occurs, which can also lead to cramps in the calves and calves.

Children's factor

Children often develop cramps during the growth period of growth. These manifestations can be accompanied by severe pain and fright.

Most often, spasms occur due to increased physical activity of the child and a heavy load on the legs. Also, the cause may be an uncomfortable position during sleep or hypothermia. In this case, easy massage of the legs.

Despite the fact that spasms can be of a single nature, the child can not ignore night cramps. You should consult a doctor to rule out the possibility of developing a serious illness, having flat feet or disturbing the balance of the necessary elements in the body.

Seizures are different - clonic and tonic

Seizures are divided into several types. They can be:

• tonic;
• is clonic;
• is tonic-clonic.

During tonic seizures, there is a long contraction of muscles, and there are no periods of relaxation. Clonic spasms are characterized by a rapid change in the contractions for relaxation. Tonic-clonic spasms include all manifestations of the first two types of convulsive seizures.

Concomitant symptomatology

Convulsive spasms are often accompanied by a number of concomitant symptoms. These include:

• tingling in the leg;
• pain and heaviness in the limbs;
• numbness;
• feeling of tight skin;
• feeling of chilliness in the toes.

These manifestations are associated with impaired blood circulation and may be signs of various diseases. If you have one or more of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor for a checkup.

Why leg cramps can lead to varices

As mentioned above, seizures can be a sign of the onset of a disease such as varicose veins. Ignoring these symptoms and delaying with a visit to the doctor, a person increases the risk of further development of the disease.

How can convulsive spasms contribute to the development of varicose veins? The fact is that spasm is often caused by stagnation of blood in the veins and a violation of blood circulation.

These same factors provoke and varicose veins. If at the initial stage, with the appearance of the first convulsions, the necessary treatment was not carried out to remove the disorder, the disease will progress further.

How to deal with the problem yourself

What can you do if your legs are down at night - you can try to get rid of seizures yourself at home with the help of folk remedies.

Traditional medicine for the elimination of such problems are applied both inside and outside. The means for internal reception include:

• anticonvulsive broths , which includes birch buds, barberry, walnut, hawthorn, dill, valerian - the components of the broth are boiled and boiled for 15-20 minutes, take the drug 3 times a day before meals;
• clove ( about 0.5 grams) with sugar 2 times a day;
• honey 1-2 tablespoons before meals;
• apple cider vinegar ( 2 tablespoons per glass of warm water) 2 times a day, the duration of treatment is 30 days.

There are many tools for external use when eliminating convulsive spasms. Among the most effective are:

1. Mixture of mustard powder and olive oil .A teaspoon of oil must be mixed with two teaspoons of powder, and then treat the mixture with problem areas. The course of treatment is 21 days.
2. Ointment from warm honey .Honey is heated in a water bath, after which the sore areas are lubricated. Legs should be wrapped with a warm cloth and keep the ointment half an hour, then rinse with water.
3. Lemon juice .Before going to sleep, the feet should be lubricated with lemon juice and put on warm socks for the night.

For the prevention of nocturnal seizures, a mixture is also used, which includes yolk 1 egg, vinegar and turpentine( 1 teaspoonful).The ingredients are mixed, and the resulting product is rubbed into the feet and calves of the legs before going to bed.

What to do if the foot is brought down:

Medical preliminary examination

For the successful treatment of nocturnal seizures, it is necessary to know exactly the reason why it reduces the legs. For this, the doctor-therapist can be assigned the following studies:

• general analysis of urine and blood;
• analysis for biochemistry;
• consultation of specialists such as phlebologist and neurologist;
• ultrasound for assessing the state of the vessels in the lower limbs.

In addition to the above, other research methods may be required to exclude or confirm the initial diagnosis. From the correctness of the diagnosis and the timeliness of treatment, the outcome of the underlying disease, which spasms were provoked, largely depends.

When help is needed immediately and how to provide it

If there are convulsions, you can not postpone your visit to a doctor. Despite the fact that spasms themselves do not pose a threat to human life, they can not be ignored.

There are times when a person needs urgent help in case of seizures. This happens when the spasms are accompanied by severe pain or fainting. In such a situation, you need to help the patient right away.

How to provide first aid for a severe seizure? Let's list the necessary actions:

• needs to help the victim to sit or lie down;
• to try to remove the tension of the cramped muscle by squeezing it with your fingers( first it will cause a sharp pain that will quickly loosen);
• ask the affected person to move his toes;
• to massage the limb.

Another common way to relieve muscle spasm is pin prick. It is important to prick the place of spasm.

After the spasm has passed, a person needs some time not to make sudden movements and relax.

Than doctors

can be helped to get rid of nocturnal seizures until their cause is established, only after the diagnosis the doctors prescribe a treatment, the essence of which is as follows:

• elimination of the cause of spasms;
• nutritional scheme for replenishing the body with vitamins and essential elements;
• reception of vitamin-mineral complexes;
• physiotherapy and baths.

In most cases, the effect of the treatment is fast enough and the frequency of nocturnal spasms is significantly reduced.

What to do if the legs are constantly spasmodic

You can remove the convulsive spasm in your legs with the help of such actions:

• take a sitting position, then put your feet on the floor and try to get up;
• take a deep breath, bend over, and pulling your toes, with a force to pull them up;
• massage your calf muscles.

After the relief comes, you need to rub the affected muscle. For these purposes, warming ointments, vodka or a warm moist compress are suitable.

Consequences in unpredictability

Convulsive spasms are dangerous for their unpredictability and can overtake at any time. The most common consequences are:

• feeling of constant discomfort;
• pain and discomfort in the muscles;
• the appearance of seizures at night leads to lack of sleep and overall weakening;
• after an attack, pain in the leg may not pass for several days, which leads to additional strain on the muscles.

In addition, leg cramps are one of the most common causes of accidents during swimming in water.

Complex of preventive measures

In order to avoid convulsive manifestations, it is necessary to observe the following rules:

• regularly massage the muscles of the legs;
• doing gymnastics;
• wear comfortable shoes;
• to control weight;
• in the evenings to make contrasting baths with herbs( chamomile or valerian) for the feet;
• to exclude smoking;
• not to drink coffee with sugar before bedtime and eat less during the day;
• enter into the diet of vegetables and fruits.

Adhering to these simple rules and following the recommendations of specialists, you can get rid of night cramps and keep your feet healthy, which means that you can protect yourself from many problems, including phlebological problems.