People with restless legs syndrome find their legs becoming very uncomfortable when they lie or sit down. The discomfort is so intense, people often will need to get up and walk around to relieve the feeling. This condition can begin at any age, but generally gets worse with age. Simple lifestyle changes can help, but medical treatments are sometimes necessary.
Significance
Since lying down and relaxing activates the symptoms of restless legs syndrome, most affected people have trouble falling or staying asleep. This causes exhaustion and fatigue during the daytime hours, which makes functioning at work, school or home very difficult. Personal relationships and productivity suffer as a result.
Causes
Many cases of restless legs syndrome do not have a known cause. The Mayo Clinic website states that a dopamine imbalance, heredity and pregnancy might cause restless leg syndrome. Medical conditions, including diabetes, alcoholism, an iron deficiency or kidney failure, may also cause it. However, many cases of restless legs syndrome have no known cause.
Symptoms
Aching, tingling, crawling, pulling, uncomfortable, itching, tugging, gnawing or burning are some of the words affected people use to describe the sensation in their legs due to restless leg syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic website. This uncomfortable sensation usually occurs inside the calf, but might also occur in the feet, thighs, arms and hands. It often affects both sides of the body, but some affected people may only experience the sensations on one side. The feeling typically starts during a period of relative activity, and is usually worse in the evening than during the day. It disappears when the affected person gets up and moves around.
Diagnosis
A doctor diagnoses restless legs syndrome by considering descriptions from patients about their symptoms. The doctor looks for four specific criteria: the strong or irresistible urge to move the legs due to discomfort, symptoms are worse when resting, symptoms decrease or disappear with activity and symptoms are worse at night. He also performs a number of tests, including blood tests or muscle or nerve studies, to rule out other medical causes for the symptoms. Sleep study evaluations might also prove useful, but are not always necessary.
Lifestyle Changes
Making some lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms of restless legs syndrome, especially for those people with mild cases. Affected people can take a warm bath, massage their legs, use an ice pack or take a pain reliever to lessen the sensation in the legs. Stress and fatigue tend to worse symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic website, so remaining calm and relaxed and establishing routine sleep habits is important. Regular exercise during the day can help, but working out too hard or too close to bedtime intensifies symptoms. Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco use can trigger or aggravate symptoms, so it is important to avoid these substances.
Medications
If lifestyle changes are not enough to effectively manage restless legs syndrome, medications may help. Medications for Parkison's diseases affect dopamine levels in the brain to treat moderate to severe restless legs syndrome. Opiods and medications for epilepsy also work in treating some cases. Doctors also might prescribe sleep medications or muscle relaxants, but these medications only help affected people sleep better at night and do not eliminate the sensations in the legs from restless leg syndrome. It may take a trial-and-error approach before finding the right medication or combination of medications
Misconceptions
Although the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS, states that as many as 12 million Americans have restless legs syndrome, that number may actually be higher because many people with restless legs syndrome do not report the condition and get the appropriate treatment. This may be because they fear not being taken seriously by a doctor, or because they weren't sure how to describe the symptoms. In addition, the Mayo Clinic website states that many doctors mistakenly associate the symptom with stress, insomnia, nervousness or muscle cramps, and do not properly diagnose the condition in some circumstances. However, people may be more likely to come forward and doctors can make more accurate diagnosis as awareness about the condition continues to grow.
