Health Tip: Why Do I Get Muscle Cramps?

(HealthDay News) -- A muscle cramp is a painful contraction that may make the muscle feel hard or bulging.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this list of common triggers:

• Drinking too much alcohol.

• Not drinking enough water.

• Exercising heavily or having muscles that are fatigued from overuse.

• Having hypothyroidism, a thyroid gland that doesn't produce enough of a certain hormone.

• Having kidney failure.

• Taking certain medications.

• Being pregnant.

• Consuming insufficient amounts of calcium or magnesium.