Complete Guide to Restless Legs Syndrome

Primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder characterized by an overactive urge to move the legs while resting. It can also cause itching, pulling, crawling, or throbbing sensations. Unfortunately, RLS has no known cure, but the symptoms can be managed.

 

How can Restless Legs Syndrome(RLS) be described?

 

Restless legs syndrome is a disorder that affects the nerves of the legs, causing irresistible impulses to move them.

RLS is a neurological, movement, and sleep disorder characterized by an urge to move your legs, worse with rest, and at least somewhat improved by movement. These show themselves mostly when your body is least active, especially in the evening. Of course, this often accompanies other painful feelings in your legs, such as pulsing or aching. It becomes challenging to stay still and sleep when you have such a high energy level that you always want to be running around.

 

Your healthcare provider may refer to it as RLS, restless leg syndrome, or Willis-Ekbom disease.

 

There are two significant kinds of restless legs syndrome: primary and secondary.

There are two types of RLS:

 

• Early onset: A diagnosis is made before 45; the tendency is inherited from your biological family system and is a slow-progress illness.
• Late onset: This progresses more so in RLS and gets a diagnosis after celebrating a 45th birthday.

 

How common is restless legs syndrome?

Estimations show that 7-10% of people in the United States are affected by restless legs syndrome. White people and women, and those who were assigned female at birth, are affected by it more often than other groups. As with most conditions, your risk of getting this disease rises as you age.

 

Symptoms and Causes

Restless legs syndrome(RLS) is a condition that gives you an urge to move your legs when you are at rest. How again can it change your sleep and bring complications along with it?

RLS, or restless legs syndrome, has a variety of symptoms that may include the following.

Symptoms of restless legs syndrome include:

 

• Cramping sensations, tickling or itching, twitching, or restless sensations in the legs.
• Sensations get worse when you are resting.
• Stopping your legs’ movement eases pain (if only for a while).
• Peripheral or period trembling or leg twitches in the evening and during a sleeping cycle.

 

Restless legs syndrome has or can impact your sleep cycle/ Here are some symptoms. This can cause:

• Interference with either the onset or duration of sleep.
• The compelling desire to get out of bed to move around the legs.
• Tiredness or sleep during the day.
• Behavior or mood changes.
• Inability to focus or to pay attention to something, remember information, and concentrate.
• Depression or anxiety.

 

Restless legs syndrome produces a tingling, creeping, or pulling that propels you to move the legs. These sensations usually occur in your leg but might also happen in your arm or entire body. You may experience the following feelings:

 

• Crawling.
• Itching.
• Aching.
• Burning.
• Throbbing.
• Pulling.
• Tugging.

Sensations can occur on a single part of the body, but often, both sides are affected, albeit to the same degree, such as both legs.

 

How do you get restless legs syndrome?

In many cases, restless legs syndrome is unexplained because scientists have yet to find its root. It may be associated with operations of the basal ganglia – the part of your brain responsible for movement. Dopamine plays a direct role in explaining how the basal ganglia control your body movements. If your brain is not producing enough dopamine, this part of your brain will not be able to restrict your movements as you ought to be. This may cause RLS symptoms to appear.

 

Research suggests the following may contribute to RLS:

 

• Genetics: You can inherit RLS. It is an autosomal dominant disorder, meaning that during conception, one of your biological parents passes this to you.
• Iron deficiency: Low iron levels in the brain may be possible even when blood levels are normal.
• Underlying medical condition: Some diseases and conditions can lead to secondary RLS, in which case RLS develops alongside another condition.
• Medications: Some medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, or anti-nausea drugs,s can lead to RLS or aggravate it.

 

What are the factors of restless legs syndrome?

Some medical conditions can happen in addition to RLS, including:

 

• Iron deficiency.
• Anemia.
• Pregnancy.
• Diabetes.
• Kidney disease.
• Peripheral neuropathy.
• Substance use disorder.

 

What causes restless legs syndrome?

Worsening factors are what makes such a condition of RLS worse. Possible triggers can vary but could include:

 

• Alcohol.
• Caffeine.
• Nicotine.
• Certain medications.
• Stress.

These triggers, especially if taken before you rest or go to bed, will cause your symptoms. Poor sleep may also worsen the symptoms. This means that your symptoms can worsen other connected symptoms. See a doctor if unsure what causes your symptoms to flare up.

 

Which age group is most commonly affected by restless legs syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome(RLS) occurs in all age groups, including children, adolescents, and adults. It is frequently observed in people over fifty years old but can be seen at any age from childhood. Symptoms are said to be more severe when one is old or as one grows older.

 

Diagnosis and Tests

How is restless legs syndrome diagnosed?

It has been determined that a healthcare provider will diagnose RLS after examining your symptoms physically. During the exam, they will review the patient’s and immediate family’s complete medical history.

 

Since nobody knows the causes of RLS or has been able to develop a tool for testing for it, a doctor can conduct a neurological exam in addition to blood tests to eliminate other diseases or to find out the cause of the symptoms. Your provider may guide you to undergo an overnight polysomnographic test to check out sleep disorders. Nevertheless, RLS is a clinical diagnosis and does not involve a sleep study.

 

To confirm a diagnosis of RLS, a healthcare provider will look for the following criteria:

 

• This causes you to crave flexing your legs, often with painful feelings such as pain or a pulling sensation.
• Often, the symptoms appear during rest or inactivity or get worse at such a time.
• You experience decreased or complete relief when stretching, walking, or exercising the involved muscles.
• They are aggravated or limited to the evening or nighttime alone.
• They said another medical condition is not the reason for those symptoms.

 

Management and Treatment

How is restless legs syndrome (RLS) managed?

A therapy to deal with RLS may be administered with the help of certain medicines or a change of routine within your home. They may lower their symptom prevalence if they cooperate with their doctor regarding therapy for other ailments. Both you and your healthcare provider will decide on the treatment that might suit you and the signs to watch for concerning the side effects of the medicine to be used.

 

Treatment for restless legs syndrome:

Some drugs deemed helpful in treating RLS have been advanced to help lessen the symptoms associated with the condition. Your healthcare provider may recommend or prescribe the following:

 

• Iron preparations with vitamin C additives.
• Neuropathic agents (gabapentin, pregabalin).
• Dopamine agonists: Examples are- pramipexole and ropinirole.
• Levodopa: dopamine precursors or drugs that are metabolized into dopamine.

Only if all other forms of treatment have been exhausted shall the patient be prescribed clonazepam, zolpidem, methadone, or buprenorphine medications for a severe form. The side effects that are associated with these medications my be detrimental and may consequently result in dependency on the drug.

 

Today, many kinds of iron preparations are available. However, you can learn the type of oil favorable for you through blood tests. Iron infusions may be administered if it is thought that the iron in your brain is very low, particularly in combination with severe RLS symptoms.

 

Conventional medications that augment dopamine have been observed to worsen the RLS symptoms in the long term (augmentation). Close monitoring is required.

 

Restless legs syndrome home treatment

If you are one of those many who suffer mild RLS symptoms, here is what your medical practitioner may suggest when developing an effective action plan to help a patient with restless legs fall asleep.

• Aerobic exercise, cycling/riding or walking, swimming/diving, or any other moderate exercise for not less than thirty minutes daily. Do not exert yourself with rigorous exercises such as training or playing football within a few hours of bedtime.
• Maintaining positive sleep practices includes avoiding reading, watching television, or using a computer or phone in bed. It was also established that lack of sleep can exacerbate RLS symptoms.
• Bathe your legs in warm water, and apply a heating pad or cold compress. These may temporarily relieve your pain.
• Reducing your overall stress is essential, which is why it’s necessary to have a mental health professional assist you with this.
• Not taking foods containing caffeine, such as coffee, before bed.

 

What helps restless legs immediately?

Stretching your legs can provide an instant remedy, as the sensations that characterize RLS disappear soon after the movement. However, once you stop moving your legs, the sensations come back. You can also try rubbing your legs, getting up and walking around, or stretching.

 

Prevention

Can restless legs syndrome be prevented, and how effective is prevention?

At the time of writing, there are no known ways to prevent restless legs syndrome(RLS). However, you can minimize your chances of having a worsening of these symptoms by either addressing any preexisting medical conditions or avoiding productive stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol.

 

Outlook / Prognosis

1- Is restless legs syndrome dangerous?

Restless legs syndrome is not fatal, but it can impact your well-being. The symptoms may not be of significant intensity or can be severe. Sometimes, even the mildest symptoms may seriously affect your day-to-day functioning. Symptoms of a given disease fall into a serious medical condition if they meet specific situations, depending on your definition.

 

2- Does this disorder have a cure?

RLS has no cure; however, several approaches can be used to treat the situation.

 

3- When should I go and seek the services of a healthcare provider?

Visit a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of RLS that:

• Do not show improvement through home-based treatment.
• Get worse.
• Affect your ability to sleep.

 

4- What are the recommended questions a patient should ask their healthcare provider?

• What caused my symptoms?
• What sort of therapy do you suggest?
• Do they have side effects of the treatment?

 

5- Can one improve one’s sleep while having RLS?

Yes, it is possible to improve sleep while managing RLS. Implementing lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, engaging in moderate exercise, and practicing relaxation techniques, can help reduce symptoms.