The Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome
How do I know if I have Restless Leg Syndrome? Am I just nervous or do I have a serious condition? Many people who move their legs about during the day and even at night are surprised to find out that they actually have a serious condition. Still, how do we know if we have RLS or not? For a better understanding of restless leg syndrome among common people like us, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) plus other institutes such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have conducted serious research. Working in laboratories at the NIH and at different medical institutions across the country, they have determined a set of symptoms that can help you to know if you have RLS or not.
At the NINDS and the NIH, the objectives have been to research on the causes of this unusual condition and to find more accurate methods in the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome. They have also made efforts to discover certain ways to prevent RLS. Of course, it is very difficult to understand something until we know all the pertinent details about it. It is especially scary to a sufferer of this condition when they cannot determine what they have even in the presence of a specialist. Have you ever been in this scary situation before? If yes, it is precisely the reason behind the continuous research that is being conducted in major sleep clinics around the US which specialize in RLS.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder which is characterized by unpleasant sensations in certain parts of the body, specifically the legs. An uncontrollable urge to move even while sleeping can be felt by the person who is suffering from this phenomenon. Once their leg begins to move, they may feel relief but only for a short period of time. The sensation repeats itself over and over especially when the person is lying down. The sensation is described by many to be like a burning feeling or a creeping or a “tugging”. Others have described it like a feeling that insects are crawling inside their legs and the feeling varies in its severity from just an uncomfortable sensation to an irritatingly painful one.
Being familiar and knowing the symptoms of RLS, either primary or secondary, is critical to dealing with it properly. For those of you who are unaware of the symptoms but may strongly feel that you are suffering from RLS, check these symptoms in yourself. When you sit down or lie down, you may have a strong desire which is almost impossible to resist. This desire may be to move your legs to remove an uncomfortable feeling. The sensation is very uncomfortable and irritating but, once you move your legs, you will feel better but only for a while.
Sometimes, even if you are awake, an involuntary leg movement can be experienced. You may even find it difficult to go on with your normal daytime activities because of the embarrassment caused by these symptoms. In severe cases, people with RLS find it a very disabling condition especially during long stretches of inactivity such as car trips, airline travel, meetings or watching movies. Voluntarily moving the legs usually brings temporary relief from the unpleasant sensations but is far from being a cure. The bad thing is that, in most cases especially among children, a doctor’s visit will often result in a misdiagnosis because of the unfamiliar nature and cause of this condition.
If you can identify with most of these symptoms, then you may have RLS. If you do have RLS, don’t be scared! You are not alone! Statistics show that up to 8% of the U.S. population is suffering from RLS in some form or another. Many people acquire a mild form of the disorder but RLS severely affects the lives of thousands of individuals especially when they fail to get proper medical attention. You can do your part now by finding out everything you can about RLS and then determining some self-help approaches to alleviate yourself of the condition. RLS can become detrimental to normal sleeping patterns over time but it can also be treated so as to help you return to a normal lifestyle.
