Restless legs syndrome progresses at any age and usually worsens with advancing age. It can cause difficulties in daily walks spent at levels that will disrupt sleep patterns.
A few simple self-care measures may be enough to ease the restrictions of restless leg syndrome. However, there are several medications available that can help people with RLS.
What Part Does Restless Legs Syndrome Involve?
Restless leg syndrome is diagnosed clinically. Restless leg syndrome can be controlled with various medications. For restless leg syndrome, you can make an appointment with the neurology or psychiatry departments.
What causes restless leg syndrome?
In many cases, the exact cause of restless leg syndrome cannot be determined. Researchers think the condition is caused by an imbalance of dopamine, which is released by the brain to control muscle movements.
Restless legs syndrome can occur without any known reason, or it can occur due to disorders in iron metabolism, some chronic diseases, or the side effects of various drugs.
Restless leg syndrome can occur at any age, including childhood. The disease is more common with age and is more common in women than men.
Restless leg syndrome is thought to come from the family, especially in cases under the age of 40. However, pregnancy or similar hormonal changes can temporarily exacerbate restless leg syndrome symptoms.
Some women may experience the symptoms of restless leg syndrome for the first time during their pregnancy, especially in the last three months. In such cases, the symptoms usually disappear after delivery as the hormonal balance returns to normal.
Restless legs syndrome is not usually associated with a serious underlying medical problem, but in some cases it can accompany other conditions:
Sometimes, nerve damage can occur in the hands and feet of individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes and alcoholism. This damage leads to peripheral neuropathy.
Even without anemia, iron deficiency can cause restless leg syndrome or aggravate an existing condition. A person may have an iron deficiency if they have a history of stomach or intestinal bleeding, have heavy menstrual periods, or donate blood frequently.
If the individual has kidney failure, there may be an iron deficiency along with anemia. When the kidneys are not working properly, iron stores in the blood can decrease. These and other changes in body chemistry can cause restless leg syndrome or aggravate an existing condition.
Lesions that occur in the spinal cord as a result of damage or injury have been associated with restless leg syndrome. Medical interventions that numb the spinal cord can also cause restless leg syndrome.
What are the symptoms of restless leg syndrome?
As the name suggests, the main symptom of restless leg syndrome is the urge to move the legs. Among other characteristic symptoms that accompany this urge, the most common are listed below:
Feelings that begin after a certain period of rest or inactivity are among the common symptoms. These sensations usually begin after sitting in a car seat, on an airplane, or in a movie theater for a long time, or after lying still for a while.
Symptoms usually worsen in the evening and are usually most severe at night.
Restless leg syndrome tends to relax with movement. RLS symptoms are relieved by yawning, shaking, or walking.
It can cause leg twitching at night. Health professionals think restless leg syndrome is related to a more common condition called periodic limb movement during sleep. This causes the individual's legs to wiggle during sleep and possibly a kicking motion during the night.
People with restless leg syndrome typically describe their symptoms as abnormal, unpleasant sensations in their legs or feet. These sensations are usually seen in both legs. In rare cases, these sensations also affect the arms.
Emotions are generally observed to occur in the skin, not in the limb. Emotions include crawling, pulling, throbbing, pain, itching, or electrifying sensations.
In some cases, it is difficult for individuals to describe exactly what these feelings are. People suffering from restless leg syndrome often do not describe the condition as muscle cramping or numbness. However, the desire to move the legs is consistent in almost every situation.
It is also common to see fluctuations in the severity of symptoms. The symptoms of restless leg syndrome may disappear for a period of time but will return in almost all cases.
Which Doctor Calls for Restless Legs Syndrome, and How Is It Diagnosed?
In some cases, individuals under the influence of restless leg syndrome (RLS) do not seek medical help for fear of not being taken seriously. However, sleep disturbances and daytime drowsiness due to Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) can affect individuals' quality of life. It is recommended that you consult a neurologist for restless leg syndrome.
The neurologist applying for the examination will first obtain information about the person's medical history and ask for an explanation of the symptoms.
Restless legs can be diagnosed when the strong, often irresistible urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations, begins and worsens during rest, such as sitting or lying down, and becomes progressively worse at night and cannot be explained by the condition. another medical or behavioral condition.
A physical and neurological examination will be performed by the doctor. However, the doctor may order a blood test specifically to measure iron deficiency to rule out other possible causes.
In rare cases, the doctor may also refer the individual to a sleep specialist. If another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea is suspected, an overnight stay in a clinic where doctors will perform a sleep examination may be required, but a separate sleep study is not required for the diagnosis of restless leg syndrome.
How is restless leg syndrome treated?
If a medical condition such as iron deficiency is detected as a result of the examinations performed by the doctor under restless leg syndrome, treating this condition will greatly alleviate the symptoms. For this, the correct treatment method will be notified to the person after the examination by the doctor.
Unless the person has a separate medical condition associated with restless leg syndrome, treatment usually relies on lifestyle changes as the first step. If these changes do not produce the desired results, the doctor may prescribe medication.
The drugs used to treat restless leg syndrome are usually drugs developed to treat other diseases and can be used to reduce restlessness in the legs. These are drugs that increase dopamine levels in the brain, drugs that affect calcium channels, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, and various opioids.
Almost all of these drugs have different side effects and should not be used without a doctor's supervision. Impulse control disorders such as compulsive gambling, daytime sleepiness, and drowsiness are among the side effects, while uncontrolled use of some types of drugs is known to cause addiction.
Most medications used to treat restless leg syndrome are not recommended for use during pregnancy. The doctor may instead recommend self-care techniques to relieve symptoms.
It may take several tries before the doctor finds the right drug or combination of drugs that works best for the individual. In some cases, the drugs used may be insufficient after a certain period of time. In this case, your doctor will recommend suitable alternatives for you.
Some types of medication, especially those used to solve other medical problems, can exacerbate restless leg syndrome symptoms. These include some antidepressants, some antipsychotic medications, some anti-nausea medications, some cold medications, and various allergy medications.
The treating doctor will recommend which drugs should be avoided. However, if taking these medications is necessary, discuss with the doctor additional medications to help manage restless leg syndrome.
