Nocturnal muscle cramps

Synonyms

Clonus, spasm
English: convulsion

frequency

Simple, nocturnal muscle cramps everyone has probably had it before. Children are less likely to have cramps Musculature, young adults and older patients, on the other hand, are more likely to have night cramps. The distribution of Smooth muscle spasms is difficult to depict and corresponds to the occurrence of Gastrointestinal infections, bronchial asthma, Colic at Gall kidney stones and . Complain of hormone-related cramps approx. 40-50% of growing women. From neurological convulsions are approx. 400,000-800,000 people affected. However, the number of unreported cases is very high for the individual types of convulsions, as not every convulsion requires treatment and the patient does not lead to the doctor.

Symptoms

At Spasms of the striated muscles there is a thickening at the affected area, combined with sometimes very strong pulling pain. At this point there is also a functional restriction of the affected Muscles. However, these restrictions are usually not so pronounced, because other muscle parts can take on the task of the cramping ones. Smooth muscle spasms of the Bronchi can with Shortness of breath go along while cramps of Gastrointestinal tract with moderate to severe pain and pulling, sometimes making a normal posture impossible. Also called Colic designated convulsive discomfort, caused by Gallstones or Kidney stones are among the most severe pains in the body. Often the pain goes with it nausea and Vomit hand in hand. At hormone-related period pain the cramps are almost always limited to the lower abdomen. Neurological cramps are never perceived as painful by those affected. After a epileptic seizure (epilepsy) but most of them report strong ones Muscle achesthat of the spasmodic position of the muscles originate.

diagnosis

Muscular cramps can usually be diagnosed by interviewing the patient. Muscle cramps often occur at night, and those affected complain of hardening of the muscles in the affected area, which resolve by themselves after a few minutes. A blood test will reveal whether there is a mineral deficiency.

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Organ-related cramps can be diagnosed by the doctor in addition to questioning the patient from time to time by touching the abdomen or by listening to intestinal noises. In this context, he will also ask about the duration of the cramps, the dependency on food consumption and the stools. Colic cramps caused by gallstones or kidney stones can be detected with an ultrasound scan. Bronchial smooth muscle spasms can be diagnosed almost exclusively by the patient's description of the symptoms. Neurological cramps (epilepsy) are mostly expired when the doctor arrives and can only be diagnosed by questioning the person observing the seizure, if necessary. EEG recordings of the brain waves can in some cases indicate a recent epileptic seizure. But this is also an exception, and most of the time one can only find out epileptic seizures by asking about symptoms or about family history.

Hormone-related cycle-dependent cramps are also inquired about in the vast majority of cases and, due to the classic description of those affected, do not require any further clarification. Three-month colic in children is diagnosed by the pediatrician. Here, too, the typical infant age and a parental description of the symptoms are often sufficient to make the diagnosis. After eating, the children usually pull up their legs while screaming loudly, the head is red or blue, the stomach is distended and the feet are cold. In this case, no further diagnostic procedures are necessary.