Do you usually experience nighttime leg cramps? They\’re quite horrible, especially if they happen to you regularly. One way to deal with them is to know what\’s causing them. You can also educate yourself about handy first aid treatments to at least east the pain.

Common causes

The most common cause of nighttime leg cramps is dehydration. You need to make sure that you\’re taking the time to drink at least eight full glasses of water daily so you won\’t suffer from leg cramps while you\’re asleep or awake. You might even want to put a glass of water on your bedside if your doctor prescribes more than eight glasses of water a day for your body type.

You may also experience nighttime leg cramps if you are malnourished. When your body lacks specific vitamins and minerals like calcium or potassium, you will experience muscle problems. You should see your doctor and ask him for supplements if this is the case. He might ask you to take an account of your daily diet. If you\’re on a crash diet, you’re more prone to leg cramps in general.

If you\’re taking any medicines which affect your fluid levels or your neurotransmitters, you\’re also likely to experience nocturnal leg cramps. You might have to weather this out, or you can ask your physician to prescribe something else for you should your leg cramps get really bad. Try to assess the benefits of your medication against the side effects.

Pregnant women are also reportedly more prone to nighttime leg cramps. This is because they gain more weight and the sudden weight change can cause a strain to their back and leg muscles. What pregnant women can do is strengthen these muscle groups by walking or doing stretch exercises. They just need to clear these exercises with their doctors first to make sure that they are safe for the baby.

First aid treatments

Should you experience nocturnal leg cramps, try not to panic. Instead, massage the cramping leg to make the muscles in that area relax. If the cramping lasts for too long, you may also try to apply warm compress, or gently stretch the muscle group to encourage it to relax. Once the muscle has relaxed, you could take a warm shower to prevent \”aftershocks\”.

Most people report that they experience nighttime leg cramps when the temperature is low. It\’s harder for muscle groups to relax when the temperature of the room is cold. Heat generally relaxes muscles. If this is the case, then perhaps you can wear leg warmers or socks to sleep. This can lessen the chances of nocturnal cramps from happening. Try not to sleep in a single position too. When your circulation is cut off, you could experience mild to moderate leg cramps as well.

Severe or neurological leg cramps

The symptoms mentioned above are for mild or common leg cramps. Sometimes, though, leg cramps are more serious than that. If this is the case, you\’ll have to see your doctor. If your leg cramps occur too frequently, or if they last for 45 minutes a day, then it\’s time to have your nervous system checked out. Your brain could be sending the wrong signals to your muscles. The longer you put off the check up, the harder this disorder could be treated, so don\’t shy away from it. Face the music and get yourself treated right away.

Seomul Evans is SEO services consultant and content writer for American Leg Cramp Society. Visit the site to know more about Leg Cramps During Pregnancy.

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Author Bio: Seomul Evans is SEO services consultant and content writer for American Leg Cramp Society. Visit the site to know more about Leg Cramps During Pregnancy.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Leg Cramps, Society, American, Pregnancy, Leg Cramp Causes