Aching Legs at Night
Leg pain at night can disturb your sleep completely. Here are a few reasons why you may be experiencing aching legs at night. Read on…
Aching legs at night can cause serious discomfort and can give you sleepless nights for a prolonged period. There is no particular age criteria for aching legs at night. Children, teenagers, adults and elderly people can all suffer from legs aching at night. However, it is the reason that causes the ache, which decides the severity of the leg pain. Tingling, prickling like sensations, burning sensation and fatigue are commonly felt by victims of aching legs at night. Your aching legs at night may or may not be a medical condition. Let’s try and understand what are reasons for aching legs at night. Read more on leg pain in children.
Causes of Aching Legs at Night
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins is a condition of veins, wherein the veins pop out of the outer surface of the skin, due to swelling.
Varicose veins usually occur in the calves, at the back of the legs. However, this condition can be seen in the other parts of the body too. As the veins become swollen, or varicosed, its valves become dysfunctional. Due to this, the blood flow becomes obstructed, allowing the blood to flow backwards, and it is this that causes excess swelling and severe leg pain
, in fact, a person suffering from varicose veins will not only experience, pain in the night, but in the day time too. Aging, obesity, pregnancy, menopause, hereditary, prolonged standing, physical exertion and leg injury are some of the reasons for varicose veins. Read more on chronic leg pain in children.
Peripheral Artery Disease Peripheral artery disease is caused due to atherosclerosis. Due to accumulation of fats in the walls of the arteries, the arteries become narrow. This restricts the supply of blood flow to the legs and the feet, making them stiffer and preventing them from dilating. Thus, when you are walking or exercising, or pulling the muscles of your legs to work the extra mile, the lack of blood flow and oxygen, tires them out. You may even experience chronic leg pain at night
, when you are resting, as your legs will be deprived of oxygen and blood, leading to aching sensations in legs at night. Your legs may appear pale, and may feel cool to touch. Balance your rest and exercise, massage your legs and feet, avoid eating high cholesterol food and stop smoking to recover from such a condition.
Muscle Cramps Muscle cramps are always unexpected and very painful. Leg cramps at night are experienced, when muscles contract involuntarily and cannot relax. Skeletal muscles, like the ones in our calf, thighs and in the arch of the foot are the most prone areas for muscle cramps. These abrupt bouts of pain, including muscle cramps at night, can be resolved within a few seconds, or can last for a couple of hours. Lack of oxygen, or drop in electrolytes can also cause cramping. Muscle cramps in the legs at night, are excruciating painful, puzzling and unwelcomed. Read more on leg pain behind knee.
Restless Leg Syndrome Restless legs syndrome or RLS, is a constant movement of legs or feet, in response to tickling, tingling, burning and annoying feeling in the muscles of the legs. Persistent fidgeting or making jittery movements with lower limbs at night, in the bed, are common symptoms of RLS. For a few people, the severity of the case, must be such that, it may disturb their partner. There are no particular reasons for RLS. However, studies have shown that lack of iron and vitamin B12 may cause RLS. Nerve damages, may also be the underlying reasons for this condition.
The most important part about aching legs at night, is knowing what the cause is. Wearing improper footwear and stress can also be reasons for leg pain at night. If you can nail the cause, then taking proper treatment will be possible. In the beginning though, avoid physical exertion in any form and take long hours of rest to get rid of aching in the legs at night.
