It feels like bugs are crawling on your legs, especially on the calves. Your legs tickle. They itch. You move them, trying to alleviate the sensation. You have the urge to keep moving your legs as you seek relief. Unfortunately, all the restlessness doesn't help. The sensations may vary from person to person, but the results are the same. You get up and you walk the floor, massage your calves or try a few exercises. And all you get is another night without proper rest.
These symptoms are a fact of life for anyone suffering from a sleep disorder called Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Restless Legs Syndrome usually makes its presence known when a person reaches the age of fifty or sixty, but some of the symptoms were probably present much earlier. Some patients can trace the onset of the syndrome back to childhood when it was misdiagnosed as growing pains or childish imagination.
CAUSE IS ELUSIVE
The direct cause of Restless Legs Syndrome is elusive. Few answers are available. There could be a hereditary link; some families have multiple sufferer. Because of this link, your risk of contracting Restless Legs Syndrome rises if one of your parents has it. Other chronic conditions such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis can cause or aggravate the condition. But often doctors can find no cause, although research continues. Treatment depends on the patient and any other health problems he or she may have. It is often a case of finding the medication that has the most benefits and causes the least unpleasant side effects. Dopaminergic agents , such as those used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, have been somewhat successful. However, a condition known as augmentation may develop wherein the syndrome begins appearing during the day, and the sensations may become more intense and irritating. It's as though the syndrome is attempting to compensate for the suppression during the night.
