We don’t always know it, but having frequent cramps can be a sign of a serious illness.
There cramp is characterized by the involuntary, sudden and painful contraction of a muscle that becomes stiff. Unlike a contracture, the cramp disappears within a few seconds to a few minutes. It generally occurs in the lower limbs (feet, calves, thighs) and hands after an effort of writing (writer’s cramp), essentially the night. The cramp results from a increased excitability of the nerves located in the muscles. Although this phenomenon can occur in anyone for no specific reason, it is more common in pregnant women, THE sportsmen and the over 60 years old. The causes are often benign.linked to dehydration when you don’t drink enough, a magnesium deficiency, an ionic disorder (imbalance between the entry and exit of ions from the body) or the side effect of a medication” indicates Dr Cyril Bègue, general practitioner and deputy secretary general of the College of General Medicine. Sometimes it is also a intense muscular effort or poor position in bed which triggers it. But also and we don’t always think about it, the cramp can be the sign of illness. For example :
- kidney disease : “Cramps can be among the symptoms that occur in chronic kidney disease, along with fatigue, digestive problems, itching and sleep problems. In these cases, it is more annoying because the patients can have ionic disorders“, develops the general practitioner.
- an endocrine disease : THE cramps can occur in people suffering from diabetes And hypothyroidism which occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormones.
- a neurological disease 😮We can cite for example diabetic neuropathy (complication of the nerves due to excessively high blood sugar levels) or heart disease. Charcot (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
- cirrhosis : this serious disease results in chronic inflammation of the liver leading to destruction of liver cells. “Muscle cramps are common musculoskeletal disorders in liver diseases.“, indicates the Learned Society of Diseases and Cancers of the Digestive System (SNFGE) which recommends that doctors systematically search for them with a view to treating them.
Stretching and massages work very well to relieve cramps. It is also recommended to drink water rich in magnesium (Rozana, Hépar, Badoit, Contrex…) and to warm up well before a sports session to prevent the occurrence of cramps.
“If the cramps occur from time to time, they are isolated and they resolve spontaneously, there is no need to consult. Conversely, if we have them frequentlythat we start to have tingling and burning, discoloration of the skin and a feeling of heat, the affected limb is swollen and feverishit is recommended to consult”, concludes Dr Cyril Bègue.