Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome has some very specific symptoms which tend to increase when the sufferer is at rest of trying to sleep.

Thus sleeping becomes disturbed and broken which then leads to all of the other symptoms associated with not getting enough sleep.

The exact cause of Restless leg syndrome (RLS)still remain unknown but there is some evidence to show that the condition might be hereditary.

But there are many other conditions which are associated with restless leg syndrome, which simply highlight its seeming random onset.

Symptoms of Restless leg Syndrome.

The symptoms of Restless leg syndrome that sufferers usually report are:

A burning sensation in the legs.
A creeping sensation.
A sensation of tugging at the legs.
And a feeling like insects crawling inside the legs

The symptoms range from mildly irritating to extremely uncomfortable and painful.

The symptoms are more pronounced when the legs are at rest and tend to subside when the legs are in motion. And that is where the condition gets its name.

Although restless leg syndrome can occur at any age it seems to be more pronounced in the middle-ages and elderly. there also seems to be an increase in the symptoms in more elderly sufferers.

What Causes Restless leg Syndrome.

It is not known what causes restless leg syndrome, the condition seems to linked to some conditions although it is not thought the these conditions are the actual cause of restless leg syndrome.

People with low iron levels, Once iron levels are corrected, patients may see a reduction in symptoms.
Chronic diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and peripheral neuropathy Treating the underlying condition often provides relief from RLS symptoms.
Some pregnant women suffer from RLS, especially in their last trimester. For most of these women, symptoms usually disappear within 4 weeks after delivery.
Certain medications-such as antinausea drugs (prochlorperazine or metoclopramide), antiseizure drugs (phenytoin or droperidol), antipsychotic drugs (haloperidol or phenothiazine derivatives), and some cold and allergy medications-may aggravate symptoms. Patients can talk with their physicians about the possibility of changing medications.

I is also thought that caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco may aggravate or trigger symptoms in patients who are predisposed. Some studies have shown that a reduction or complete elimination of such substances may relieve symptoms, although it remains unclear whether elimination of such substances can prevent RLS symptoms from occurring at all.

So we can see that the actual causes of restless leg syndrome are not yet fully understood.

There is ongoing research into the condition.