A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. It often occurs in the legs. A muscle cramp is also called a charley horse. Nighttime leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf. The muscle cramps can sometimes happen in the thigh or the foot.
When the adrenal glands begin to act âdysfunctionalâ due to prolonged stress, they first go into a hyper (overactive, stressed) state. As they are pushed further and not given the opportunity to recover they go into an âextremeâ stressed/overactive state and eventually reach the hypo (under active, exhausted) mode.
In amyloidosis, proteins are deposited in organs and tissues. As they build up, they prevent normal function of various parts of the body, causing the adrenal glands to swell or become enlarged. Chronic Infection and Enlarged Adrenal Glands # Chronic infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia or other infections that compromise the respiratory system, can cause the adrenal glands to become overworked and fatigued, which may make them enlarged or swollen.