![]() |
||
|
|
Do you experience painful leg muscles and an abnormally uncontrollable desire to move around just to partially relieve the pain? Beware of those symptoms for it could be a sign of a more serious illness. The following section you are about to read diligently tackles the common misconceptions facts about the restless legs syndrome and properly identify the symptoms characterizing such disease and how you can empower yourself and people suffering from them.
Facts and Symptoms Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a type of neurological sickness which is characterized by painful leg muscles which continues unless they are drawn into physical action. These distinctive symptoms are in some ways suggestive of motor and sensory malfunction in which uncontrollable urge to move is more prominent. That means, as leg musculature are relaxed, the more frequent the occurrence of symptoms are. People with this disease feel an abnormally unpleasant feeling of muscle dragging which reduces in severity as the legs are physically maneuvered as in the case of walking or jogging. It afflicts people of all ages and both genders. Given the current statistics, females and older individuals are apt to develop the symptoms. Causes Restless Legs Syndrome is of idiopathic type; meaning its exact cause and origin is not yet known. Currently, scientists are working on locating the part of the brain, which triggers the condition, and genetically identifying the gene which transmits such trait to other cells and other physiological and nutritional factors which activates the episodes of pain in the leg and foot region. The conditions peculiar to this disease usually occur when the legs are in the resting state. Idleness triggers the symptoms by which this disease is known and manifests patients suffering from this ailment. Burning and creeping sensations are just some of the most common feeling. Collating all the symptoms, we can identify them as follows: 1. The desire to move the legs due to uncomfortable pain 2. Pain becoming more pronounced and advancing at night 3. Involuntary movement of the legs during sleep 4. Onset of symptoms occurs during periods of inactivity and relieved once the legs are moved The disease affects a considerable number of people worldwide. In fact, according to the latest Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation studies, more than 8% of the US population may be harboring this neurological condition. This can be translated to more than 12 million people currently diagnosed and exhibiting such remarkable conditions. Due to the commonality of symptoms and their apparent similarity to other diseases, RLS patients are more often than not misdiagnosed which in turn result to unsuccessful medical treatment. Much to the patient’s dismay is that, little attention and funding is dispensed on this type of disease suggesting the slow progress to unveiling the mystery of restless legs syndrome and helping patients suffering on it. Treatment Perhaps, one reason for unsuccessful treatment is due to patient’s attitude over the symptoms. Typical indications of the disease are ignored due to the symptoms unpredictable pattern of attack sometimes occurring during wakefulness or at night or in the middle of the sleep. Symptoms usually last for days or weeks or usually progress to weeks and disappear for weeks or months. Pain eventually reappears with less intensity after a day or weeks and even for months. These apparent incalculable occurrences of symptoms make treatment difficult to reconcile. More so, the disease may progress due to the inappropriate treatment applied as the symptoms are ignored. Since causes remain unidentified, medical treatments are yet to be discovered. A couple of treatment is to relieve the symptoms and not specifically cure them. I personally find that lowering the room and bed temperature helped me when I suffered with RSL. Just make the temperature of the room as low as you can tolerate, and reduce the amount of bedcovers to the least you can comfortably sleep with. In addition, I also push my feet out from under the covers, so that they are the coolest part of my body. This solution has worked for the past 10 years for me. Other people find that raising their feet height by placing a pillow under their feet at night helps them. This could be related to their general blood circulation, as this would "drain" excess blood settling in the feet and also would cool them down. In summer heat you may find it essential to have airconditioning or at least a gentle electric fan to keep you cool enough to sleep without your feet jerking you awake all night long.
Additional Findings Restless sleep syndrome is usually confused with Periodic Limb Movement in Sleep Disorder (PLMD). Individuals affected by this disorder are identified with the same type of symptoms as in the case of RLS patients but the main difference is that, as the name suggest, it occurs only while asleep and is usually the main cause of insomnia in patients with sleep disorder. Kicking, flailing primarily of the legs and arms are just some of the most common stereotypical movements. While most RLS patients have PLMD, not all PLMD symptoms develop to RLS. Genetics There has been mounting evidence that RLS may be inherited. In a study conducted on 2001, 14 RLS patients among those 25 French-Canadian individuals apparently suggest the autosomal recessive mode of transmission of RLS. In autosomal recessive type of inheritance, 2 copies of gene that codes for the disease should be present in order for the effects to materialize in a living species. Now what does this mean to us? This implies that the chances of developing the disease are enhanced when either your parents have a family history of the disorder or both of them somehow exhibited the condition or are carriers of the condition. Conclusions If you experience any of the conditions above, it is best to seek the medical help of your physician so that proper treatment and guidance will be patterned should the disease was identified as RLS. Early detection and treatment is necessary early treatment and to lessen at the very least, the symptoms associated with the disease.
Restless Legs Syndrome
“About Restless Legs Syndrome” “Helping Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) With Diet” “Restless Legs Syndrome – The Management of a Serious Sleep Disorder” “What is Restless Leg Syndrome?” “Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)” “Restless Legs Syndrome condition”
Sleep aids and natural sleep aid tips about insomnia cures for Sleeping disorders natural therapies for healthy sleeping habits information and remedies for your better sleep which may also cure any mild sleep disorder you may want natural sleep aid tips or insomnia cures for better sleeping aids and herbal remedies.
Back to Top of page
================================================= The self help sleep aid tips and sleep disorder contents are solely the opinion of the author and should not be considered as a form of therapy, advice, direction and/or diagnosis or treatment of any kind: medical, spiritual, mental or other. If expert advice or counseling is needed, services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and the Publisher assume no responsibility or liability and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied for any self help sleep aid and sleep disorder products or sleep aid and sleep disorder services mentioned, or any sleep aid and sleep disorder techniques or practices described. The purchaser or reader of this self help personal development publication assumes responsibility for the use of these self help sleep aid and sleep disorder materials and self help sleep aid and sleep disorder articles and information. Neither the self help sleep aid and sleep disorder author nor the self help Publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these self help sleep aid and sleep disorder materials. Description of site contents: This site contains self help natural sleep aid tips and sleep disorder resources, free e-books and articles listed for your convenient self help sleep aid tips and sleep disorder search in the self help sleep aid tips and sleep disorder subjects of: sleep aid tips, sleep disorder symptoms, sleep quotes, sleep innovation, sleep apnea symptom, adult bed wetting, kid sleep, insomnia treatments, cause of snoring, snoring cure, pregnancy insomnia, teen sleep, insomnia cures, insomnia symptoms, talking in sleep, sleep remedy, herbal pillow, interpret dreams, sleep mask, insomnia cure, bed wetting, sleep talking, sleep walking, sleep studies and sleep aids articles and resources for better sleeping every night. |
|