About seizures in diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a fairly serious disease that affects a variety of systems of the human body. Therefore, with diabetes mellitus, disturbances in the functioning of various organs occur. This also applies to both the upper and lower extremities, as a result of which convulsions can occur. About what causes them and about the treatment of this phenomenon later in the text.
In diabetes mellitus, peripheral nerves are damaged. These lesions result in serious pain in the area:
Such sensations last for quite a long time, and most often appear during sleep or late in the evening. Also, with diabetes, a person may experience a tingling sensation in the legs and a kind of “crawling” goosebumps. After prolonged walking, cramps appear in the calf muscles . This also occurs mainly at night.
In case of subsequent development of diabetes mellitus, other symptoms may well arise. They are much more severe and dangerous in their manifestations and consequences.
How do seizures occur?
Leg cramps are sudden and involuntary decreases and increases in muscle groups that provoke acute painful sensations. The duration of seizures can be different and vary from three to five seconds to 10 minutes. Quite severe penetrating pain is also likely. It is characterized by the fact that after it the muscles remain very sensitive for a long period of time. This happens especially often in type 2 diabetes, and less often in type 1 diabetes.
Of course, with fairly frequent seizures that form due to diabetes, first of all, the disease itself should be treated. However, a few quickly remembered and easy rules will make it possible to alleviate and correct those cramps that occur at night.
So, if a person feels a spasm, then it is necessary:
The body position, which is very important in diabetes, should remain straight and the legs should be kept together.
When cramps occur, the following algorithm of actions will also be effective: you need to take a fairly deep breath, hold your toes with help and pull them towards you.
After the spasms are eliminated, a light massage of the calf-type leg muscles will not be superfluous.
One of the more than likely reasons why seizures occur is dehydration of the human body. This can happen for a variety of reasons: in the summer heat, in a stuffy bath or even sauna, after active and grueling sports training. At the same time, sweating increases, and the body loses a huge amount of fluid.
In the process of treating not only hypertension, but also heart failure, diuretic drugs are prescribed. They can also easily provoke cramps in the calf muscles at night, because the body does not receive many trace elements. We are talking about potassium, magnesium, sodium - all of them are needed for rational contraction and relaxation of muscles, as well as the subsequent transmission of nerve impulses.
About seizures and causes of the phenomenon
Another reason for the described phenomenon should be considered:
All this occurs when the formation and processing of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP) is reduced, and therefore all metabolic processes within the slow leg muscles experience a deterioration, as well as a noticeable decrease in their ability to relax. All metabolic processes slow down in the event of a change in the degree of blood viscosity, pathological processes in blood vessels, or muscle fatigue, which increases reflexes to contraction.
In addition, this can also happen when carrying out normal everyday work in a state of overwork. Thus, muscle contractions in diabetes are provoked by a variety of factors: from increased body temperature to stress and calcium deficiency.
The basis in the treatment of the presented manifestations of diabetes mellitus should be considered physical therapy. However, before carrying out all kinds of exercises, it is imperative to consult with a specialist, because a variety of contraindications are likely. An approximate list of the most suitable exercises when cramps of the lower extremities are quite simple.
First of all, you should perform fairly slow rolls from the toe to heel area, and after that, after resting a little, move on to the next exercise.
Next, you will need to rise on your toes, and then slowly lower your heels to the floor. After this exercise, if you have diabetes, it is recommended to rest a little.
The last of the exercises most often recommended by experts is to raise your legs alternately or together while lying on your back. If possible you should:
Is it possible to get rid of seizures?
In the case when fatigue sets in quickly enough, it would be best to stop doing it. In this case, seizures will occur much less frequently. After performing these exercises, it is recommended to walk around the room without shoes for some time. This will give you the opportunity to stretch your limbs, which is very important for diabetes.
Optimal physical activity makes it possible to stimulate blood circulation in the legs. It also helps in the process of feeding the muscles with the necessary energy and helps in the fight against unwanted cramps in any type of diabetes. Also, in order to optimize blood circulation in the lower extremities, specific compression hosiery is perfect.
It helps not only with diabetes, but also with varicose veins and other problems with the lower extremities. In particular, due to its capabilities in terms of blood circulation, compression hosiery provides an excellent opportunity to overcome cramps, doing this gradually and systematically.
To combat them, it is also important that the shoes are invariably convenient and comfortable, that is, they do not squeeze the foot and do not, as a result, lead to corns. As is known, the fight against them seems quite difficult in diabetes, both type 1 and type 2.
Thus, to determine the cause of seizures and combat them, you need to contact a specialist.
This is what will make it possible to avoid more serious problems.
Diabetes mellitus leads to serious disruptions in the functioning of the entire body, including damage to peripheral nerves. This condition is accompanied by cramps, tingling, and painful sensations in the limbs, which are more often felt at night.
Sometimes acute pain in the legs occurs, after which the muscles remain hypersensitive for a long time.
Convulsions in diabetes mellitus last from a few seconds to 10-12 minutes.
With hyperglycemia (find out what it is), metabolic processes are significantly disrupted, and the body's cells are no longer normally supplied with nutrients.
This occurs due to acidosis (acidification of the body), when tissues and organs lack magnesium, calcium and potassium. Read more about ketoacidosis in this article.
A deficiency of these metals manifests itself as follows:
Cheap aluminum utensils (pans, spoons, forks, pots, plates, mugs) are present in many people's kitchens. Unacceptable doses of soft metal easily end up in food. This happens when iron filings are used to clean aluminum surfaces, for example, when washing dishes, or when heating sour-tasting foods in it.
See for yourself: run your finger across an aluminum surface that has been cleaned with metal shavings. There will be black marks on it. This is a harmful metal oxide that is dangerous to your health!
What to do if you have leg cramps?
If you have diabetes and have seizures, you should:
If you feel a tingling sensation in the muscles of your legs, you need to sit on the bed, lower your legs and, as carefully as possible, stand on the cold floor. It is better to keep your legs together and your body should be in a straight position.
Many diabetics develop atherosclerosis over time. Blood vessels narrow and cannot deliver blood normally to the extremities. Because of this, leg cramps appear in diabetes mellitus.
Exercise therapy (see here) is the primary treatment for seizures. If you have diabetes, it is recommended to do the following exercises:
After charging, it is advisable to walk barefoot (flexing your toes) on the cool floor. Compression stockings or knee socks improve blood circulation in the legs.
With diabetes, patients need to buy comfortable, preferably orthopedic shoes and avoid heavy stress on their feet.
Treatment of diabetes mellitus is the basis for the prevention of spasms and cramps in the leg muscles. You need to monitor your blood sugar levels, stick to a diet and follow all the endocrinologist’s recommendations.
Self-massage of the feet will help reduce pain in the legs during cramps, but if you have diabetes, you should use the technique of kneading, but not rubbing.
To prevent trophic ulcers, take hygiene measures:
Before using any remedy, even a harmless one, be sure to ask the permission of an endocrinologist.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects all human organs. Peripheral nerves are also affected in this disease. Damage to such nerves manifests itself in painful sensations in the feet, calves and legs. Let's look at the main causes of seizures in diabetes, their signs and methods of effective treatment.
These are sharp contractions in the muscles that occur involuntarily and cause sharp, sometimes unbearable pain. They can last anywhere from seconds to several minutes. After such muscle contraction, increased sensitivity of the affected area of the body is possible.
The muscles of the legs are most susceptible to cramps, and less often the muscles of the back, hips and abdomen. Either one muscle or a group of muscles can contract. The pain occurs because the muscle releases a large amount of waste products in a very short time. They irritate the endings of the nerves, which is why a person feels pain.
Every person experiences seizures at least once in their life. But in diabetes mellitus they are an indicator of pathological processes in the human body.
Convulsions in this dangerous disease indicate the presence of complications, often delayed in time. This means that the patient must be attentive to his health. There is no need to skip taking medications on time or follow a diet. Such steps will help correct blood sugar levels.
A patient who frequently experiences leg muscle cramps must not only constantly monitor blood sugar levels. The priority tasks for maintaining healthy feet are listed below.
Since diabetes causes complex damage to the entire body, the causes of leg cramps must be looked for in this area. Thus, involuntary muscle contractions occur as a result of dehydration. This is a common reason for this phenomenon, since glucose carries away a lot of water, and due to increased diuresis, water-salt metabolism is disrupted.
Convulsions also occur from a deficiency of potassium, sodium, and magnesium in the human body. Because of this, the mechanism of contraction and relaxation of the leg muscles is disrupted, causing them to begin to contract involuntarily.
Since nerve conduction is impaired in diabetes mellitus, an imbalance of stimulating and relaxing nerves occurs. The muscles of the legs suffer most of all, which is why they begin to remain in a contracted state. The reflex component of the contraction and relaxation cycle also suffers, which ultimately leads to convulsions.
In diabetes mellitus, a disorder in the synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid) also occurs. Its quantity decreases, which leads to impaired metabolism in the muscles. As a result, their ability to relax is reduced. Pathological processes in blood vessels during diabetes mellitus (primarily a deterioration in the blood supply to the muscles) leads to the accumulation of metabolic products in the muscles, in particular lactic acid. The muscle becomes overtired, which leads to its contraction.
If a person subjects his leg muscles to heavy physical work for a long time and does not follow the work and rest schedule, then they cannot fully rest. As a result, we have their involuntary contraction with painful sensations, often severe.
During sleep, as well as when changing body position, a redistribution of muscle tension occurs. A muscle spasm occurs and, as a result, severe muscle pain. Of course, it becomes impossible to use the affected limb.
If a cramp occurs at night, it deprives a person of proper sleep. In combination with other unfavorable pathogenic factors of diabetes mellitus, this leads to additional exhaustion. Often, even a light touch of the sheet causes pain and burning, which almost completely deprives you of sleep.
Nerve conduction disorder causes other adverse symptoms:
Involuntary muscle contraction is an alarming sign, as it indicates the onset of diabetic neuropathy. This is the name for diabetic damage to the peripheral nervous system. The progressive course of diabetic neuropathy leads to the patient experiencing constant pain, he cannot walk due to a disorder of muscle innervation.
Neuropathy, which affects the autonomic nervous system, threatens sudden cardiac arrest due to disturbances in the rhythm of heart contractions.
Neuropathy has the following symptoms:
Treatment of seizures begins at the stage of first, pre-medical aid. All people with diabetes should know how to manage cramps. So, first aid in case of night cramps should consist of:
If muscle contraction occurs while walking, then it is necessary to squeeze the leg muscles and pull them towards you.
Treatment of seizures should be carried out in conjunction with an endocrinologist. After all, he knows best the reasons for their occurrence.
Diabetes mellitus is often called the “silent killer.” After all, approximately 25% of patients are unaware of the development of a serious pathology. But diabetes is no longer a death sentence! Chief diabetologist Alexander Korotkevich told how to treat diabetes once and for all. Read more.
Anticonvulsants are indicated (Acediprol, Benzobamil, Benzonal, etc.). Treatment will be more effective when taking complexes of vitamins and microelements. Nutrition correction is also indicated. For severe symptoms, treatment is supplemented with anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers. Antidepressants are taken to correct the conductivity of the peripheral nervous system. The same function is performed by relaxing drugs - muscle relaxants.
Unconventional therapy improves the condition of the peripheral nervous system. Electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, electrotherapy, and pulse therapy show good results. However, in patients with diabetes mellitus, the appointment of physiotherapeutic procedures should be carried out very carefully.
Of course, the patient should not forget that treatment of diabetes with specific antihyperglycemic drugs and insulin (if prescribed) should not be interrupted for a day. Physical therapy also helps prevent the appearance of involuntary muscle contractions.
The diabetes incidence statistics are getting sadder every year! The Russian Diabetes Association states that every tenth resident of our country has diabetes. But the cruel truth is that it is not the disease itself that is scary, but its complications and the lifestyle it leads to.
Find out how to get rid of diabetes and improve your condition forever with help. Read more.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE RF: “Throw away the glucometer and test strips. No more Metformin, Diabeton, Siofor, Glucophage and Januvia! Treat him with this. »
Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that causes disturbances in the functioning of various organs. Diabetes affects peripheral nerves. These lesions lead to pain in the legs, calves and feet. Such pain continues for quite a long time and usually appears at night. Also, diabetes mellitus is characterized by a feeling of tingling in the legs and crawling. After a long walk, the calf muscles cramp; this usually happens at night. If the disease develops further, other symptoms may appear, more severe and dangerous.
Leg cramps are sudden and involuntary muscle contractions that cause severe pain. The duration of seizures varies and ranges from a few seconds to 10 minutes. Quite acute pain is possible, after which the muscles remain sensitive for a long time.
Of course, in the case of frequent seizures due to diabetes, first of all, the disease itself must be treated. But a few simple and uncomplicated rules will help you cope with night cramps.
If you feel a spasm, you need to sit on the bed, lower your legs from the bed, and then carefully stand on the cool floor. The body position should be straight, legs should be kept together. If you have a cramp, the following procedure will also help: you need to take a deep breath, take your toes with your hand and pull them towards you. After eliminating the spasms, a light massage of the calf muscles will not hurt.
Pharmacies once again want to make money from diabetics. There is a smart modern European drug, but they keep quiet about it. This.
The basis for the treatment of this disease in diabetes mellitus is physical therapy. But before performing various exercises, you should definitely consult a doctor; contraindications are possible.
An approximate list of exercises against leg cramps in diabetes:
After the exercises, you need to walk around the room barefoot, stretching your toes.
The necessary physical activity stimulates blood circulation in the legs, nourishes the muscles with energy, and helps against cramps in diabetes. Also, to improve blood circulation in the lower extremities, special compression hosiery is suitable. Shoes for diabetes should be convenient and comfortable, should not squeeze the foot and lead to corns.
I have suffered from diabetes for 31 years. I'm healthy now. But these capsules are not available to ordinary people, pharmacies do not want to sell them, it is not profitable for them.
I have type 2 diabetes - non-insulin dependent. A friend advised me to lower my blood sugar levels with DiabeNot. I ordered it online. Started the appointment. I follow a relaxed diet and started walking 2-3 kilometers every morning. Over the past two weeks, I have noticed a gradual decrease in sugar on the glucometer in the morning before breakfast from 9.3 to 7.1, and yesterday even to 6.1! I continue the preventive course. I'll write about my successes.
Margarita Pavlovna, I’m also on Diabenot now. DM 2. I really don’t have time for a diet and walks, but I don’t abuse sweets and carbohydrates, I think XE, but due to age, sugar is still elevated. The results are not as good as yours, but sugar hasn’t gone beyond 7.0 for a week now. What glucometer do you use to measure your sugar? Does it show you using plasma or whole blood? I would like to compare the results of taking the drug.
Why is there little written about type 1 diabetes?
My daughter has type 2 diabetes! Sugar fluctuates very much, we can’t normalize it!
They write all sorts of things about type 2 diabetes! Type 1 diabetes does not exist. I have been suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes for 24 years. The kidneys have already failed. And on all forums they only discuss how to eliminate complications with the help of herbs and diet. This won’t help people like me, but it’s hard to discuss such a topic. It’s better that we die out, no man, no problem!
My son has type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes, almost nothing is written about him - is this a death sentence?
The site is easy to use on a mobile device!
If a person is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, then the joints and muscles of the upper and lower extremities often suffer from the pathology. Cramps in diabetes mellitus are common and are accompanied by long-term painful sensations. Diabetic seizures occur with particular frequency at night or in the evening hours. Such deviation should not be tolerated as it is fraught with consequences.
A cramp is characterized by a sharp muscle contraction that occurs spontaneously and causes a person a sharp type of pain. Sometimes the patient is unable to bear the pain and may lose balance if cramps are noted in the legs. The duration of sharp muscle contractions in diabetes can vary from a few seconds to 2-4 minutes. After the muscles contract, there may be increased sensitivity in the damaged area.
Leg cramps are predominantly observed in diabetes, but a sharp contraction of the muscles of the upper limbs, back, abdominal or thighs cannot be ruled out.
A diabetic has multiple or single convulsions, characterized by contraction of one muscle. Painful sensations during cramps are associated with the release by the muscle of a large number of waste products, which irritate the nerve endings. In diabetes mellitus, seizures occur much more often than in a healthy person, which is associated with disruption of many body systems.
Diabetes mellitus negatively affects the patient's blood vessels and nervous system. With regularly elevated sugar levels in the body, gradual damage to small blood vessels occurs. Soon large arteries are affected, which causes the development of angiopathy. If there is a deviation, the blood supply and tissue nutrition are disrupted. These disorders serve as a source of minor tingling, “pins and needles” and cramps of the limbs. If treatment is not carried out on time, the affected tissues die.
Hand cramps are common with diabetic neuropathy.
The same pathological phenomena are observed in nerve tissues, in which motor, autonomic and sensory nerve fibers suffer. In this case, the diabetic develops neuropathy with characteristic symptoms:
Another reason for convulsive muscle contractions in diabetes is the incorrect composition of fluid in the body. During the decompensation stage, a diabetic experiences increased urine production, which is accompanied by frequent trips to the toilet. During this process, large amounts of sodium and potassium are removed from the body, which negatively affects nerve conduction and provokes seizures.
A sharp contraction of muscles in diabetes mellitus occurs at any time of the day and is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. When a diabetic suffers from a cramp in an arm or leg, he is unable to control the affected limb for a short period of time. When night cramps occur, a person’s sleep is disturbed, and if other signs of diabetes mellitus are added, then additional exhaustion of the body is noted. Convulsive muscle contraction in diabetes is accompanied by the following manifestations:
You should not take seizures with diabetes lightly, as they signal the development of neuropathy, which affects the nerve endings of the peripheral system. If the condition is not treated in time, it will actively progress and lead to constant severe pain in the legs and arms. Soon the patient may lose the ability to walk as a result of impaired muscle innervation. If neuropathy affects a person's autonomic nerves, then sudden cardiac arrest is possible due to an abnormal heart rhythm. It is possible to identify the development of neuropathy by the following signs:
When a person has sharply cramped muscles due to diabetes mellitus, first aid should be provided to him if the patient is not able to help himself. First aid for sudden muscle contraction consists of the following:
Return to contents
Seizures in diabetes are treated comprehensively. The doctor may prescribe the following medications to the patient:
Products containing calcium help reduce the symptoms of seizures.
In addition, the patient must adjust his diet, which can also lead to severe muscle contraction in diabetes. If you supplement your daily diet with calcium, magnesium and vitamin C, the number of seizures will be significantly reduced. The doctor also recommends taking analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs as part of complex therapy. Some diabetics are prescribed antidepressants that have a positive effect on the peripheral nervous system.
If you have diabetes, the following actions that provoke limb cramps are strictly prohibited:
Therapeutic exercises that reduce the likelihood of seizures are beneficial for diabetes. It would be best if the attending physician prescribes an individual treatment complex that is most suitable for the patient. The main exercise is rolling from heels to toes. It is recommended to perform the exercise in a lying position. Also, for cramps due to diabetes, it is advised to walk more barefoot on a textured surface and exercise on special exercise machines that stimulate blood circulation and metabolic processes in the limbs.
It is possible to treat seizures with folk remedies, but you should first consult a doctor so as not to cause even greater harm to health and not provoke complications. Physiotherapeutic procedures can have a beneficial effect on the vascular and nervous system and reduce the number of muscle contractions:
Physiotherapeutic procedures should be carried out with extreme caution, since diabetics often lack sensitivity of the skin to high temperatures and mechanical stress. Reflexology measures, namely acupuncture, are often used. Needles have a positive effect on reflex zones and self-healing mechanisms are launched.
Acupuncture for diabetes is strictly forbidden to be carried out independently; such manipulations are performed by an experienced doctor.
It is also possible to use natural ingredients for seizures that occur due to diabetes mellitus. Thus, alternative medicine advises wiping the skin of your feet with fresh lemon juice twice a day. After it dries, you can put on cotton socks and put on your shoes. Therapy lasts 2 weeks. It is also possible to prepare mustard ointment, which is applied to the affected limbs when the first signs of seizures appear. Lilies of the valley, mistletoe, walnut, hawthorn, barberry, blackberry, hops, sweet clover, valerian, thyme and other herbs that should be taken with caution by diabetics have anticonvulsant properties.
A person who suffers from diabetes often experiences such an unpleasant phenomenon as a seizure, which may be a consequence of this disease. If this happened once, there is no need to worry, but if the attack recurs, you should think about the reasons for its occurrence and subsequent treatment.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that occurs due to a lack of production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas. It affects the activity of all organs and can affect the peripheral nervous system, which leads to seizures.
Cramps are understood as involuntary muscle contractions accompanied by sharp pain. They can last from a few seconds to more than five minutes. Even if the spasm has passed, increased sensitivity may still remain in the place where it was.
A healthy person can feel a cramp at least once in their life, but if it occurs in a diabetic, this indicates the presence of a pathology in the body. Most often, such patients experience muscle spasms in the legs, but it can also occur in the arms, back, hips, and even the abdominal area.
You can learn more about cramps in diabetes by watching this video, and also from it you will learn some useful tips for combating muscle spasms:
With such a dangerous disease as diabetes, the patient’s nervous system and blood vessels are negatively affected due to constantly elevated blood sugar levels. For this reason, a diabetic may experience damage to large arteries and develop angiopathy, which is accompanied by disturbances in the blood supply and tissue nutrition. All these processes are the basis for the occurrence of seizures.
If this phenomenon is not stopped by drug treatment, it threatens necrosis of vascular tissue.
Muscle spasms can be either single (one muscle contracts) or multiple (a group of muscles contracts). The pain syndrome that occurs in this case is due to the fact that waste products released by the muscle in large quantities have an irritating effect on the nerve cells.
The causes of cramps in diabetes mellitus can be:
Cramps often occur at night and cause such pain that a person not only loses sleep, but also cannot control his limb, and touching other objects, say the same sheet, brings severe discomfort. Thus, the patient receives additional stress, which is reinforced by the lack of proper rest. These phenomena lead to exhaustion of the body.
Symptoms of seizures include:
If the above symptoms make themselves felt, it is important to visit a doctor to find out the causes of the spasm and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Every person, regardless of whether they have diabetes or not, needs to know what to do if they experience seizures. The algorithm of actions for muscle contraction is as follows:
After eliminating the muscle spasm, it is advisable to carefully massage the muscles of the limb.
Muscle spasms are an alarming signal because they may be a sign of the development of neuropathy, a disease that affects the human peripheral nervous system. First of all, its tissues suffer from this disease, since pathological processes occur in them, which leads to disruption of the motor, sensory and autonomic nerve fibers. As a result, the diabetic feels constant pain in the lower and even possibly upper extremities. This disease provokes disruptions in the rhythm of heart contractions and can lead to such serious complications as:
To prevent such complications, seek medical help if the seizure recurs.
Treatment of seizures should be carried out in a complex manner and include the following measures:
When taking medications aimed at eliminating muscle spasms, it is important not to stop taking antihyperglycemic drugs prescribed by your doctor.
Nutrition for a diabetic should be aimed at restoring microelements such as magnesium, potassium and calcium in the body. Eating fermented milk products (cheese, cottage cheese, kefir) and sesame seeds can compensate for calcium deficiency. Magnesium is found in dill, green onions, cereals, wheat bran, seaweed, dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, prunes), pumpkin seeds, and legumes. Eating leafy vegetables, broccoli, and avocados can enrich the body with potassium.
Therapeutic exercises will help cope with problems such as seizures, but it is important to carry them out regularly and in moderation. It is advisable that a set of exercises be prescribed by a doctor, but if this is not possible, you can do the following:
Physical therapy should be carried out barefoot; between exercises, take short breaks, during which it is advisable to walk barefoot on the floor or on a relief surface.
Such activities will help restore blood supply to the legs and relieve tension after a working day.
The condition of blood vessels and the nervous system can be improved using non-traditional methods - magnetic therapy procedures, therapeutic electrophoresis, electro- and pulse therapy. However, these activities should be carried out with caution and only with the permission of a doctor.
To get rid of seizures, you can turn to traditional medicine, which is based on the use of natural ingredients for medicinal purposes. The following measures are taken to eliminate muscle spasms:
It is important to understand that seizures could be caused by other diseases, so therapy with folk remedies should only be carried out with the consent of a doctor.
People with diabetes should constantly monitor their health, because this disease has a number of complications. Preventive measures should be aimed at:
One of the consequences of diabetes is hypertension, which can also be accompanied by muscle spasms. In this case, the first steps to prevent recurrent seizures include the patient’s diet. In your daily diet, you need to stick to the amount of calories that a diabetic’s body can consume, since excess weight can cause an increase in blood pressure, which can result in muscle contractions in the arms or legs.
Preference should be given to foods of plant origin. It is better to divide the meal into 5 servings, the third of which should consist of cereals in order to saturate the body with fiber, which is so necessary for the good functioning of the digestive organs. Dinner should be a few hours before bedtime, and it should contain easily digestible food.
If the patient's blood pressure increases during or after exercise, they should switch to an easier sport, such as yoga. It is good because all the exercises are static and are accompanied by special breathing, which includes a deep breath and a slow, full exhalation. In general, such exercises will improve the condition of a diabetic, saturate the body with oxygen, calm the nervous system, relieve muscle tension in the limbs and help lower blood pressure.
If you have diabetes, it is important to follow a daily routine: sleep at least 8 hours, fall asleep and wake up at the same time, and be sure to take a short walk in the fresh air once a day.
All types of drinks that may contain caffeine should be avoided. You also need to stop smoking and drinking alcohol, because it can not only increase blood sugar, but also provoke a hypertensive crisis.
It is worth paying special attention to shoes - they should not fit tightly and put pressure on the foot, the instep should be high, but you can choose a smaller heel, but so that it is stable.
Diabetes is not a death sentence, but a way of life, a large part of which is paying attention to your health and well-being. Therefore, if seizures begin to bother a diabetic, you need to inform your doctor about this and find out the essence of their occurrence. It’s better to get checked again than to develop a disease that a person doesn’t even know about.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects almost all internal organs. Often, this disease affects peripheral nerves, which is accompanied by pain in the legs, calves and feet.
Cramps in diabetes occur when there is a sharp, involuntary contraction of the muscles, causing severe and sudden pain. The duration of such spasms varies - from a few seconds to 2-3 minutes. Moreover, after a painful muscle contraction, the affected area of the body remains very sensitive for some time.
Often the muscles in the legs cramp, and sometimes there is spasm in the abdomen, hips and back. In this case, only one muscle or an entire group of muscles can contract.
The occurrence of pain is determined by the fact that the muscle releases many toxins in a short period of time. Waste products irritate the nerve endings, resulting in unpleasant sensations.
In general, every person experiences muscle spasm more than once during their life. However, in diabetics, their appearance indicates the occurrence of some pathological processes in the body.
Tight muscles with constantly elevated blood glucose levels indicate the presence of complications. Therefore, it is important to adhere to a diet and take medications on time, avoid stress and exercise. You also need to promptly treat all diseases associated with diabetes, give up cigarettes, alcohol, and observe a work-rest regime.
But why do muscles begin to cramp in diabetes? Cramps occur when the body is dehydrated, because glucose attracts a lot of fluid.
Also, cramps appear with a lack of magnesium, sodium and potassium. Even with diabetes, nerve conduction is disrupted, against the background of this, the interaction of relaxing and excitatory nerves is disrupted. In this case, the reflex component of the relaxation-contraction cycle also suffers, which also provokes convulsions.
In addition, in diabetes, ATP synthesis is disrupted. Against the background of chronic hyperglycemia, its adenosine triphosphoric acid content decreases, which leads to metabolic failure in the muscles and they lose the ability to relax.
Pathological processes, in particular poor blood supply to the muscles, in the vessels during diabetes provoke the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. As a result, the muscles become overworked and contract.
If your leg cramps after prolonged physical activity, then without proper rest this condition will recur. At the same time, cramps will become more frequent and more painful.
Night cramps prevent the patient from getting proper rest. And their combination with other unpleasant pathogenic factors of diabetes causes additional depletion of the body. Therefore, for some diabetics, even a slight touch of the foot to the sheet can cause a burning sensation and severe pain, depriving him of sleep.
Failure in nerve conduction may also be accompanied by other unfavorable symptoms:
The progression of neuropathy leads to ongoing pain, and due to a failure in muscle innervation, it is difficult for the patient to walk.
If neuropathy interferes with the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, then cardiac arrest may occur due to an abnormal heart rate.
Constant cramps in diabetes mellitus can only be eliminated through therapeutic measures aimed at compensating for the underlying disease.
In case of night cramps, you need to sit on the bed, lower your legs and carefully stand on the floor with your bare feet. In this case, the body must be kept straight, bringing the limbs together.
If your leg cramps while walking, then you need to stop, then take a deep breath, squeeze the contracted muscles and pull them towards you with your hand. A light superficial massage will also be useful for diabetes.
For diabetic seizures, symptomatic therapy is carried out, which involves adjusting the diet, taking trace elements, vitamins and anticonvulsants. And your diet should include foods rich in vitamin C, magnesium and calcium.
If frequent muscle spasms are accompanied by unpleasant symptoms, then such symptoms are treated with anti-inflammatory and painkillers. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants or antidepressants that have a beneficial effect on the peripheral nervous system.
Physiotherapy will also help improve the condition of the nervous and vascular systems:
Reflexology may also be prescribed, during which needles are injected into the patient. The latter affect reflex areas, activating the body’s healing mechanism. But it is worth noting that physiotherapeutic treatment must be carried out extremely carefully, since some diabetics may lack sensitivity to mechanical and temperature indicators.
One of the effective methods for eliminating seizures in diabetes is physical therapy. It is advisable that a set of exercises be developed for each patient individually with the assistance of a therapeutic exercise instructor and the attending physician.
Diabetics are also advised to wear special knitted compression garments. In addition, you should avoid wearing synthetic, uncomfortable shoes, which can put pressure on your feet and contribute to the development of corns. Ideally, purchase specialized shoes for diabetics.
The causes and methods of treating seizures in diabetes are described in the video in this article.