Some Basic Facts About Restless Leg Syndrome
Recent news stories and television commercials have brought home the discomfort of Restless Leg Syndrome sleep disorder (often known as simply RLS) to all of us. While of course those people who have suffered with the disorder for years know all too well the ways in which RLS can disrupt everyday life. As information about RLS becomes more widely known people may discover the cause of their mystery symptoms and begin to ask questions of their physician. Perhaps more importantly they will come to see their symptoms as real and not merely imagined and they are far from alone.
Probably the easiest description of how RLS affects a person is to say that it is a condition in which you are quite simply unable to relax. Whenever an individual sits down or lays down at night their legs begin to feel like pins and needles are being stuck into them or suffer a creepy or crawling sensation and the need to continually move, making it almost impossible to sleep. This in itself explains why one of the main results of RLS is insomnia.
As research data has become available it has been seen that many RLS sufferers also have other family members with the disorder and that there is therefore undoubtedly a genetic component to RLS. The genetic link is an important one when diagnosing RLS in children because they generally do not vocalize their discomfort or pain in the same way as an adult and the condition is often misdiagnosed, as muscle cramps, stress, arthritis and insomnia and focus is often put on the child’s irritability,restlessness and inattentiveness as what is said to be merely growing pains.
Also, pregnant women will at times find themselves suffering from the symptoms of RLS throughout their pregnancy with the worst symptoms of the condition appearing during the final trimester. However, because of the pregnancy, medication is usually not recommended except during the last two or three months when the effects on their unborn baby are going to be minimal.
The first concern of anyone suffering from RLS must be diagnosis because it is only after you have been diagnosed that treatment can start and relief begin.
Treatments for RLS can vary widely from one individual to the next and with the severity of the restless leg symptoms being experienced. Medication is frequently used for severe cases with Mirapex and Requip being two of the most well known used medicines. For individuals who do not like to take medication there are alternative treatments like acupuncture and a variety of homeopathic remedies. In addition, changes in lifestyle like relaxation, exercise and using hot and cold packs can also be used to relieve symptoms.
While it might seem appropriate to find the best relief for your symptoms on your own you should check with your doctor first as RLS can sometimes be a secondary condition and result from another condition or disorder as, for instance, when it appears during pregnancy. Making use of your own treatment plan might well cause further problems and therefore not bring about the relief you are looking for.
Because each person is unique individual so too are our symptoms and an understanding of this fact is central when it comes to a disorder like RLS. It is only with sound knowledge of this condition that proper restless leg syndrome treatment can begin and the leg pain which accompanies RLS will be a memory.