A survey conducted by The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation found that many people who responded had never heard of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) by name, but, when the disorder was described, realized that they had experienced the symptoms.
"The disorder remains largely under-diagnosed," says Bob Waterman, chairman of the RLS Foundation's board of directors and himself a sufferer. "People whose lives and families are disrupted by the symptoms of RLS should talk to their physician."
A new study reveals that pregnant women, a group often troubled by sleep problems, may be at higher risk for RLS, especially during the third trimester. Luckily, the symptoms disappear after the birth of the baby.
Teens often suffer from insomnia and changers in their sleep patterns. Insomnia is a common cause, as is delayed sleep phase syndrome. Some also complain of discomfort in their legs, perhaps from growing pains, as this is a period of growth spurts, but it could also be related to RLS.
There's good news on the horizon as well. A multi-institution research team has been awarded a $7.9 million dollar grant from the National Institute on Aging, a branch of the National Insatiate of Health to study the causes of RLS and the effectiveness of using iron therapy to treat it.
September 23 has been designated Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day. this is the birth date of Swedish neurologist Karl Ekbom who first described RLS in the 1940s.
Hopefully, using this grant, researchers will be able to discover more about this troublesome disorder and help hundreds of people get a better night's sleep.
