Health
Is your sleep interrupted by leg cramps? Here are some of the most surprising causes
If painful leg cramps have woken you up in the middle of the night, the condition can be both scary and confusing.
You may think it’s due to the position you’re sleeping in — but there’s more to know about nighttime leg cramps than that.
In original interviews, two physicians gave a “leg up” on the causes and treatments of nighttime leg cramps.
NEW YEAR, NEW ROUTINE: A GUIDE TO BASIC STRETCHING FOR BETTER OVERALL HEALTH
Here’s what to know.
What are nighttime leg cramps?
More commonly known as a charley horse, a nighttime leg cramp is when the muscles in a leg quickly tighten up.
A charley horse is a sudden, painful and involuntary muscle spasm or cramp, noted health.com. While it usually happens in your leg, especially the calf, it can actually happen in any muscle.
“Sometimes the cramps last a few minutes, but I have had patients whose leg cramps lasted longer than that,” said one doctor. (iStock)
A person can be woken up as a result of painful leg cramp symptoms, said Mike Sevilla, M.D., a family physician with Family Practice Center of Salem in Salem, Ohio.
“Sometimes the cramps last a few minutes, but I have had patients whose leg cramps lasted longer than that,” he said.
Who gets nighttime leg cramps?
Nighttime cramps become more common as people get older and unfortunately, can become more frequent, Sara Austin, M.D., an associate professor of neurology at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told Fox News Digital.
OZEMPIC AND WYGOVY COULD LEAD TO MUSCLE LOSS, EXPERTS SAY, BUT PREVENTION IS POSSIBLE
She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
If you experience frequent leg cramps, your primary care doctor should test to make sure your thyroid hormone level is normal.
Most of the time, nighttime leg cramps just happen — but there are some causes, she said.
Being human. “That’s the most common cause. We all get them sometimes,” she said.
“If you notice that the cramps are associated with weakness in the extremity, or if they consistently interfere with the way you walk, you should bring that to your doctor’s attention.” (iStock)
Hypothyroidism. If you experience frequent cramps, she said, your primary care doctor should test to make sure your thyroid hormone level is normal.
Dehydration or very intense exercise. “Make sure if you sweat excessively or are dehydrated that you drink more fluids, preferably with some electrolytes,” she cautioned.
BURNOUT AND OVERTRAINING ARE FORCING YOUNG ATHLETES TO DROP OUT OF SPORTS, NEW REPORT REVEALS
Restless leg syndrome. Those who have restless leg syndrome seem to describe some of their symptoms as cramps, she said.
“If you consistently feel like you wake up after being asleep for several hours and you feel symptoms in your leg — cramping, tingling, burning, aching — that are relieved by getting up and walking around, you might have restless leg syndrome,” Austin said.
“If you find that you’re having two to three cramps every night for weeks to months, you should check in with a neurologist.”
Speak with your doctor for further evaluation.
Can leg cramps be a sign of serious conditions?
Some neuromuscular diseases are associated with more frequent muscle cramps, but this is not common, said Dr. Austin.
“They are very rare,” she said.
There are also prescription medication options for nighttime leg cramps, “but patients should check with their family physician before considering prescription meds.” (iStock)
“But if you find that you are having two to three cramps every night for weeks to months, you should check in with a neurologist,” she advised.
10 HEALTHY HABITS TO PRACTICE EVERY DAY THAT TAKE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES EACH
“Or, if you notice that the cramps are associated with weakness in the extremity, or if they consistently interfere with the way you walk, you should bring that to your doctor’s attention.”
How can someone treat leg cramps?
When leg cramps begin, start with a gentle stretching of the muscles, said Sevilla of the Family Practice Center of Salem.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“In addition, what may help symptoms include massage of the area and application of a heating pad.”
When leg cramps begin, start with a gentle stretching of the muscles. (iStock)
Also, he said, “consider over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.”
There are also prescription medication options, “but patients should check with their family physician before considering prescription meds.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
Health
Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
US cigarette smoking drops to record low, vaping and nicotine pouch use surges
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses a New England Journal of Medicine study reporting US adult cigarette smoking rates dropped to a record low of 9.9% in 2024. Siegel warns about the addictive nature of vaping and nicotine pouches, which contain high levels of nicotine. He expresses concern over potential GI tract and heart issues, stressing social media’s role in promoting these products to younger generations.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that smokeless alternatives could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service, according to a press release.
All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and then quit smoking by 2018 or 2019, they reported.
SINGLE WORKOUT CUTS CRAVINGS, OFFERING NEW HOPE FOR SMOKERS TRYING TO QUIT
To ensure a fair comparison, the researchers paired up participants who shared similar backgrounds, including their age, gender, medical history, existing health conditions and general lifestyle habits.
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a large study suggests it could pose a risk to eye health. (iStock)
This process created a balanced group of 32,316 matched participants, who were divided into two categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products and those who transitioned to smokeless nicotine products, such as vapes.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.
5 WAYS TO PRESERVE YOUR VISION AS YOU AGE, ACCORDING TO AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST
Over the tracking period, the group experienced a total of 6,328 major eye disease events. People who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate in the study, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years (a measure that accounts for both the number of people in the study and how long they were followed).
In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes.
The people included in the study were divided into two main categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products, and switchers who transitioned to smokeless tobacco or nicotine products, like vapes. (iStock)
Ultimately, the data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
FOOD CHOICES THAT CAN BOOST YOUR VISION AND PROTECT AGAINST EYE DISEASE
Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted.
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted. (iStock)
The authors did point out a few limitations of the research. Because this was a study looking back at health insurance data, it cannot definitively prove that vaping directly causes eye damage.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Additionally, the study relied on people filling out questionnaires about their own smoking and vaping habits, which can sometimes lead to underreporting or simple memory errors.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Still, the researchers concluded the findings suggest that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans.
New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.
MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include hospitalization for heart failure.
VACCINES FOR FLU AND COVID: SHOULD YOU GET BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?
Using health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the researchers compared two groups of veterans — one that received the COVID and flu vaccine on the same day (nearly 350,000 people) and another group that received only the flu vaccine (nearly 700,000 people).
For people older than 75, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE was 50.7%. (iStock)
Out of more than one million veterans studied, the average age was about 70 and 92% were male, according to a press release.
Within about eight months, the results showed that those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events, with a relative vaccine effectiveness of 37.7%.
The COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, 38.5% lower risk of heart attack and 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the researchers stated. The result for stroke was not statistically significant.
SCIENTISTS PINPOINT WHY COVID VACCINE MAY TRIGGER HEART INFLAMMATION IN CERTAIN PEOPLE
The benefit was greatest among adults ages 75 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In people over 75, the vaccine was 50.7% effective at preventing COVID-associated MACE.
As the study was observational, it could not prove cause and effect between the COVID-19 vaccine and lower risk of cardiovascular events, but only highlighted an association.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Dr. Glenn Hirsch, cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, called these results “not overall surprising” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
After eight months, those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events. (iStock)
“This result is consistent with previous studies of the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines against infectious diseases [in] preventing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiovascular cause of death or hospitalizations,” he said.
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular events and can cause further complications, according to the doctor.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“This can lead to a higher risk of blood clotting, but can also make arterial plaques susceptible to rupture, which then leads to clot formation to heal a ruptured plaque,” he said. “This clotting can cause a near-total or complete occlusion of an artery, leading to these cardiovascular events.”
“Vaccines either prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection and subsequent inflammation, lowering the cardiovascular risk.”
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, the study suggests. (iStock)
Despite the positive outcome, the overall benefit of the vaccine in this study was less than in previous studies, according to Hirsch, who was not involved in the research.
This could be due to the lower severity of illness seen in more recent COVID-19 variants, as well as immunity from prior infections among unvaccinated people, he noted. There has also been a decline in COVID testing, making it more difficult to link cardiovascular events to the virus.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“The bottom line [is] that there is still evidence of benefit from COVID-19 vaccination like many other infectious disease vaccinations, and people should be encouraged to discuss these with their healthcare team annually,” Hirsch advised.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“This is an observational trial and there can always be some confounding after necessary statistical adjustments and other potential benefits or harms, including adverse effects from vaccines that were not investigated in this study,” he added.
-
Rhode Island3 minutes ago32 photos capturing Rhode Island Pride’s nighttime magic
-
South-Carolina6 minutes agoSouth Carolina adds to America250 time capsule set to be buried July 4
-
South Dakota11 minutes ago17 Republican attorneys general, including South Dakota’s, sue California over plastics law
-
Tennessee19 minutes ago‘Oppressive’ heat is on the way. How long will heat dome last in Tennessee
-
Texas21 minutes agoGiraffe that escaped Texas ranch spotted by helicopter, manager says
-
Utah27 minutes agoUtah weather conditions trigger historic red flag warning as wildfires rage in state
-
Vermont33 minutes agoArlington Common, Albert Construction recognized by Preservation Trust of Vermont
-
Virginia36 minutes agoVirginia Cannabis: Will Retail Finally Start In 2027?
