Leg Cramps From Diabetes

 Seizures in diabetes mellitus: 

The most common disease, after cardiovascular and oncological pathologies, is diabetes. According to medical statistics, about 8% of the world's population is affected by this disease, and a double growth over the next 20 years of patients diagnosed with the disease is predicted.

Diabetes is a group of pathological disorders in the endocrine system, the basis of which is a lack of insulin. The complete absence of hormones is the reason for the increase in blood sugar

In diabetes, the production of the protein hormone insulin, which is required for the processing of sugar into glucose, is significantly disturbed, which is associated with pathological processes in the pancreas.

A hormone deficiency disrupts the body's metabolic processes involving fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It also leads to imbalances in water-salt regulation and mineral levels.

As the disease is chronic, there is a chance of getting it, which increases with age.

Reasons for the development of the first and second type

There are many reasons for the development of diabetes, but basically, all of them have pathological disorders in the functioning of the glands of the endocrine system, especially the pancreas. There are two main types of disease: the lack of production of the hormone insulin and its immunity by other body tissues.

1. Destroying the cellular structure of the glandular tissue responsible for insulin production leads to a complete lack of hormones; it is not enough to even process small amounts of glucose that enter the body. In the complete absence of hormones (absolute deficiency), an insulin-dependent pathology called type 1 diabetes (IDDM) is formed. The main reason for the development of pathology is genetic predisposition. As a result of autoimmune processes, antibodies are produced that destroy the cells that are responsible for making insulin. Viral infections are external variables that contribute to the development of diabetes. After the disease with mumps (mumps), infectious mononucleosis, rubella, and acute hepatitis in 20% of cases, the development of IDDM is recorded.
2. Heredity is also a dominant factor in the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, non-insulin-dependent (NIDDM). The main reasons are the immunity of pancreatic hormones to the tissue structures of the body and the relative insufficiency of its production. This type of diabetes is diagnosed much more often, about 4 times.

Signs of illness

Diabetes typically develops gradually, though in rare instances, it can manifest suddenly, leading to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels and resulting in a diabetic coma. The symptoms of diabetes can be categorized into primary and secondary groups. The primary signs of the disease include:

• development of polyuria - increased and frequent urination. The pathology is associated with the influx of sugar into the urine and the intense extraction of water from the tissue structures;
• occurrence of polydipsia - difficult to quench, intense thirst, as a consequence of the first symptom;
• development of polyphagia - the uncontrolled feeling of hunger;
• rapid weight loss. Typically type 1 diabetes.

Minor signs of diabetes include:

• occurrence of itching and discomfort on the genital mucosa;
• increased fatigue and muscle weakness;
• feeling dry mouth;
• persistent headache;
• the appearance of the smell of acetone in the discharge of urine and glandular taste in the mouth;
• the feeling of limb stiffness, loss of vision;
• increased susceptibility to fungal infections.

The symptoms are typical of diabetes of both types, but in cases of IDDM, they are more pronounced. The disease also has many specific symptoms. For example, the symptom of another diabetes in men is an inflamed foreskin on the penis, as a result of frequent urination.

Other characteristic features of NIDDM include:

• occurrence of frequent convulsions of the legs and arms;
• insensitivity to mild pain;
• long healing of wound surfaces;
• occurrence of problems with potency and decreased libido;
• the disappearance of hair on the legs and the intensity of its growth on the face;
• appearance on the skin of yellow growths (xanthoma), as a result of impaired fat metabolism;
• reduced immunity.

The main problem in recognizing the disease is mild symptoms. The diagnosis of other diabetes is often made by accident when laboratory tests of blood and urine are taken.

Danger of diabetes

Disorders in the endocrine system affect most organs of the human body and cause many serious complications. The danger of diabetes lies in the development of:

• diabetic neuropathy, with pain, cramps, and tingling in the limbs;
• diabetic nephropathy, with local edema, almost throughout the body, indicating renal dysfunction;
• diabetic microangiopathy, with severe pain in the legs during movement and physical activity;
• diabetic angiopathy, with the formation of trophic ulcers on the legs. The danger is a decrease in the sensitivity of the feet, which in the future will be met with gangrene and amputation;
• diabetic dermatopathy, with significant skin damage - furunculosis, lipoid necrobiosis, xanthomatosis, and various fungal infections;
• diabetic retinopathy, a serious complication with a significant decrease in visual acuity;
• pathology of the cardiovascular system, with hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis of blood vessels, which inevitably leads to cardiovascular disease;
• coma, whose onset of diabetes can be very rapid.

Symptoms of diabetic spasms

When diabetes is diagnosed, a person often experiences convulsive pain in the muscles and joints of the limbs. More often, convulsive syndrome manifests itself at night and in the evening. 

Night cramps deprive a person of complete sleep, which in combination with other manifestations of the disease causes additional exhaustion. Symptoms of diabetic cramps include:

• the feeling of "hot" tingling in the calf muscles;
• feeling of acute pain in the affected area;
• "Goosebumps" on the skin;
• stiffness and stiffness.

Why do cramps occur in diabetes?

The negative impact of diabetes extends to all systems and organs of the human body, and their defeat causes a convulsive symptom.

The most serious and life-threatening cramps are those in which all the muscles contract. Generalized convulsions lead to loss of consciousness. With such convulsions you need to call an ambulance, otherwise, the person may die.

Convulsions with endocrine disorders

Anomalies of the endocrine system cause an increase in reflexes to shrink muscle fibers, especially in the calf legs. The lack of formation and assimilation of adenosine triphosphate, necessary for the normal functioning of the entire muscular skeleton, significantly reduces the relaxing function of the muscles and causes convulsive convulsions.

Diabetic nervous system damage

Nervous system damage in diabetes spreads mainly to the peripheral parts - feet, calves, hands, and facial nerves. The fall in glucose causes starvation of nerve cells, and the rise - the call of free radicals that oxidize the cellular structure. 

Elevated sugar stimulates the accumulation of carbohydrates (fructose and sorbitol) in the tissues, which interferes with the absorption of the aqueous component in the cells and causes the processes of edema and atrophy of nerve endings. As a result, neurons cease to adequately coordinate inhibitory and excitatory signals that reach muscle fibers.

Muscle weakness

Muscle weakness with feelings of pain is accompanied by both an increase and a decrease in sugar. The affected peripheral side of the nervous system, along with the damaged blood supply, contributes to the accumulation of toxins in muscle mass. 

Dietary and gas exchange procedures in the muscles are significantly reduced and, in addition to weakness, the patient may have a seizure.

Vitamin deficiency and micronutrient deficiency

Impaired metabolism in diabetes does not allow the body to fully absorb useful trace elements and vitamins, which causes their deficiency. Lack of the elements potassium, magnesium, and sodium required for normal muscle function causes frequent cramps.

Vascular problems

Regularly elevated sugar index damages the blood supply system. The defeat of small vessels with the development of the disease flows smoothly towards problems with large arteries.

 The pathology causes disturbances in the blood supply to tissue structures and, as a result, a convulsive symptom. At the same time, at the site of spasms, the skin becomes blue.

Disposable factors include diabetes mellitus, smoking, high blood pressure, prolonged exposure to cold, and general intoxication of the body. Intense smoking causes an increase in total carboxyhemoglobin levels in the body. The result is cell starvation and the development of arterial spasms.

Overheating and muscle-warming

The summer heat is an occasion to raise sugar levels. It can increase by 1.5 times, which causes the development of vascular insufficiency and frequent convulsive attacks. Visiting baths, saunas and hot baths also cause muscle overheating and increase the likelihood of cramps.

Dehydration

Dehydration in diabetes is the most common cause of seizures. With endocrine disorders, there is a water imbalance: excess glucose is removed by the body in urine, which leads to increased excretion of water, as the main component of urine. 

Exhausting sports training, and strenuous physical work, which causes increased sweating and loss of large amounts of fluid, can lead to dehydration.

Possible negative consequences

A convulsive symptom is a signal of the development of neuropathy with damage to nerve endings on the periphery of the nervous system. This pathology requires treatment, and constant limb pain and loss of mobility can be neglected. 

The progression of the disease abounds in negative consequences in the form of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest.

What to do for first aid?

Convulsive spasm always occurs unexpectedly and causes palpable pain. If it is impossible to take an anticonvulsant, you should:

• lean into a comfortable position;
• try to relax your muscles as much as possible;
• he stretched out his convulsive leg and withdrew his toes.

For first aid, you can use the old way - to prick a cramped muscle with a needle or needle. There will be a reflex contraction of the muscle fibers and the spasm will be relieved.

Methods of treatment

To diagnose the causes of convulsive conditions, the specialist conducts research on heat and sensitivity to pain and checks with the help of a tunnel the presence of a reflex reaction, and its speed. 

Having established the cause of the pathology, the doctor determines the methods of treatment.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

The application of physiotherapeutic procedures has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the peripheral system:

• electrophoresis;
• magnetotherapy;
• electrotherapy;
• pulse therapy.

The physician should be careful when performing these procedures for patients diagnosed with diabetes. The person may not be sensitive to heat and mechanical stress.

Recently, the acupuncture method, which triggers the healing mechanism, has often been used to treat seizures.

physiotherapy

The complex of physical exercises helps in the treatment of convulsive contractions. Before performing therapeutic exercises it is necessary to consult with a specialist, who may prescribe individual exercises. The following specific sequence will help smooth load distribution:

• first, perform a slow “rolling” (transfer of body weight) from heel to sock and vice versa;
• then perform alternating lifting on the toes and smooth lowering on the entire foot;
• they eventually assume a supine position and tense their muscles, slowly swinging their legs upward. One or both.

At the end of gymnastics, it is nice to walk barefoot on the floor. Performing simple exercises improves blood circulation in the leg muscles and gives them the necessary energy.

To maintain the normal functioning of the muscular system, human muscles must maintain the necessary elasticity. However, in some situations, for example, with stretching, excessive physical effort, and others, the stress lasts longer or is too strong, and it can lead to spasms. One of the most effective remedies for cramps is massage.

How to treat diabetes attacks

Treatment of convulsive manifestations in diabetes should be carried out after consultation with an endocrinologist, who is better aware of the cause of their occurrence. Therapy is always complex, involving the normalization of sugar levels, curative anticonvulsants, and preventive measures.

anticonvulsants

The patient should keep in mind that there are no universal pills that would immediately affect muscle cramps and pain symptoms.

 Anticonvulsant therapy is carried out with venotonic drugs that remove blood stasis in the leg muscles and normalize the speed of metabolic processes. Frequent use is practiced:

The drugs have a tonic effect on the vascular system, preventing the formation of blood clots, heaviness, and cramps in the legs.

The action of anticonvulsants is aimed at eliminating muscle cramps and epileptic seizures. Some of these medications are taken comprehensively for best results.

Pain medications

Leg cramps cause quite severe pain, but their duration does not exceed 2-3 minutes and there is no point in taking an anesthetic pill. However, with frequent convulsions, pain medications are recommended in complex treatment. 

Tablets "Analgin" and "Paracetamol" have a moderate analgesic effect and minimal contraindications. In addition to seizures, they often take Aspirin, as a means of diluting the blood and improving its circulation.

Drugs with potassium and magnesium

If metabolic processes with potassium and magnesium are disturbed, the use of aspirin as an absolutely safe agent is recommended. It is used for cardiovascular pathologies and insufficiency of peripheral blood circulation. 

The drug is adjusted in ampoules and tablets. Severe forms of convulsive syndrome suggest intravenous administration over 10 days. Treatment with tablets is carried out for a month: 1 tablet 3 times a day.

The medication should not be used in diabetic individuals who have acute or chronic organ failure. The drug has many analogous substituents - Panangin, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium, and Magnesium Aspartate.

Traditional remedies for the treatment of seizures

The success of alternative ways of therapy is based on the utilization of the therapeutic qualities of plants and minerals. The use of folk remedies in the treatment of seizures helps relieve pain and stimulate muscle tissue. Offer of alternative medicine:

• dissolve in a glass of warm water 1 teaspoon - honey, apple cider vinegar, and potassium lactate. Take 10 to 14 days once daily before meals;
• Consuming chamomile tea daily helps reduce the pain of spasmodic contractions. Decoction helps increase levels of glycine and amino acids, which have a sedative effect on the vascular and nervous systems;
• mix celandine juice with Vaseline grease 1x2 and rub the places exposed to attacks. The procedure is best performed daily in the evening, for 14 to 15 days;
• the yeast drink restores potassium and minimizes seizures. Soak dry rye bread in hot water for 5-6 hours. After straining, mix in a bit of dry yeast and allow it to ferment overnight. Sweeten with honey or sugar as desired, and drink half a glass before each meal.

It allows you to remove the hot compress of a single seizure. Warming the afflicted region for 15 to 20 minutes with a hot water bottle or a basic hot water bottle is adequate to relax the muscles and alleviate the convulsive spasm.

Laurel oil helps a lot in treating calf muscle cramps. Its application is carried out by rubbing the calves, for this, it is necessary to take 50 grams of dried bay leaf, break the letters, and pour unrefined sunflower oil in the amount of a quarter of a liter.

 The jar in which the ingredients are mixed should be closed and placed in a dark dry place for twelve days. After time has elapsed, the contents of the jar should be filtered. If it shrinks the calf muscle, you can wipe the place of information with cramps.