Learn More About Restless Legs Syndrome

Fact Checked

Restless legs syndrome is a medical condition that has a relation with the nervous system which affects the legs of the victim causing an urge to move them. Due to its nature, the problem interrupts sleep making it to be classified as a sleep disorder.

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ztX95KRA8″ width=”200″ height=”220″]

Symptom of restless legs syndrome

There are several symptoms of restless legs syndrome that can be noticed very easily. Most of the symptoms can also be felt in other parts of the body. The discomfort makes the patient feel awkward, leading to feelings of itchiness or creepy craws. These are the symptoms that make a victim keep on moving his or her legs. In case a patient tries to keep the legs from moving, the feelings become worse.

The symptoms experienced range from mild to severe. In most cases, the symptoms seem to go away and come back again. The severity on how the symptoms are felt, also vary. They manifest themselves more in the evenings and nights.

Causes

The major cause of restless legs syndrome is still not known to doctors, although it is suspected that genes play a great role to the manifestation of the problem. In most cases, half of the victims with this problem have a member of their family with the same condition. Chronic illnesses and medical conditions such as lack of enough iron, kidney failure, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and peripheral neuropathy are also viewed as major causes this health condition.

There are some medications that affect patients suffering from this condition. Some of the medicines include antipsychotic drugs, anti-nausea drugs, cold allergy medicines and antidepressants. The medicines tend to make the condition worse. Pregnant women also tend to experience the symptoms of this problem during pregnancy although the symptoms get away one month before delivery.

Use of alcohol and sleep deprivation also trigger and worsen the symptoms. By reducing the amount of alcohol intake and improving sleep can help relieve the symptoms.

Diagnosis

There are yet no medical tests to diagnose restless legs syndrome. However, doctors use blood samples and eliminate other conditions, therefore making it easier to determine if this is the condition the patient may be suffering from.

Treatment

This health condition is treated using different medications prescribed by the doctor. Some of the medications include gralise, gebantin, gralise and horizant. There are several stores that sell these medications, but it is important to take the medicines only after advice from a doctor.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • All standardfirstaidtraining.ca content is reviewed by a medical professional and / sourced to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

  • We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable websites, academic research institutions and medical articles.

  • If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact us through our contact us page.

The information posted on this page is for educational purposes only.
If you need medical advice or help with a diagnosis contact a medical professional