You are peacefully in slumberland and suddenly you are awakened by a piercing sensation in your leg. You have the classic sign of NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMPS, also known as CHARLEY HORSE. These involuntary contractions of calf muscles, and occasionally muscles on the soles of the feet, are very common in older people. In fact, about 70% of adults older than 50 are occasionally jolted out of sleep by these tightening sensations. People with flat feet seem to get them more often, too. While no one is quite sure what brings these night visitors on, they can be a sign of overexertion or dehydration. Although harmless, nocturnal leg cramps can sometimes signal diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, anemia, and thyroid problems.
If you have tenderness, swelling, redness, or warmth in one leg and then begin to have chest pain or trouble breathing, these can be a signs of a pulmonary embolism, a potentially fatal complication of a deep vein thrombosis.
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