What is RLS?
People with restless legs syndrome have an illness that impacts their muscles and nervous system. The legs feel bad when you’re wearing it. These are the feelings that are described:
- Creeping
- Crawling
- Tingling
- Pulling
You might feel these things in your thigh or your ankle, but most of the time they happen in your leg. It could happen to one or both of your legs. It might feel like that in the arms for some people. If you have RLS, you can’t help but move the limb that hurts when the symptoms happen. Moving the arm around a lot helps ease the pain for a short time.
What causes RLS?
Unfortunately, no one knows what causes RLS yet. Some cases might be passed down from parent to child. Nerve damage in the legs from diabetes, kidney problems, iron deficiency, some drugs, pregnancy, sleep problems, and alcoholism have all been linked to some cases.
What are the symptoms of RLS?
Sensations occur when you lie down or sit for a prolonged time. This causes:
- The need to move the legs for temporary relief of symptoms by:
- Stretching or bending
- Rubbing the legs
- Tossing or turning in bed
- Getting up and pacing
- Worsening symptoms when lying down, especially when trying to fall asleep at night, or during other forms of inactivity, including just sitting
- A tendency to feel the most discomfort late in the day and at night
How is RLS diagnosed?
Your doctor can tell if you have RLS by looking at your signs and symptoms, your full medical history, and a physical test. It’s also possible to do tests, like lab tests or a sleep study. At the moment, there isn’t a surefire way to identify RLS.