Have you ever had this happen to you? When you go to bed at night after a hard day, or when you sit down to watch TV or read a book, you feel a strange discomfort coming from the inside of your legs. It's like something is moving inside your legs, like it's crawling, or like it's tingling... So you have to shake your legs, get up and walk around to get rid of this discomfort. While many people think this is normal, this may actually be a condition that requires medical attention. Today we're talking about Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), or Willis-Ekbom disease.
What are the main symptoms of RLS?
The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group has identified some of the main symptoms of this condition. Let's take a quick look at what they are. See if you have one or more of these.
| Symptom | How does that feel? |
|---|---|
| A strange sensation coming from the legs | A tingling, numbness, or crawling sensation that comes from deep in the legs, specifically from the muscles. Sometimes this sensation can also occur in both arms. This is not pain, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling. |
| The urge to move the legs | Because of that uncomfortable feeling mentioned earlier, there is a strong desire to move your legs to get rid of it. When you move your legs, get up and walk, the pain is reduced to a certain extent. |
| Restlessness | This discomfort makes it impossible to stay in one place. At night, they toss and turn in bed, rub their legs together, or get out of bed and walk back and forth around the room. |
When do these symptoms increase?
The most unique thing about RLS is that these symptoms usually begin or worsen when you are at rest .
Just think, when you go to bed at night, or when you're on a long bus or car trip, or when you're sitting down to watch a movie in a movie theater... That's when these leg pains often arise.
Simply put, when your body tries to relax, your legs start to twitch.
But the good thing is that these symptoms can be temporarily reduced by walking, doing some leg exercises, or massaging your legs. However, for some people, if the disease is at a more severe stage, the symptoms may not completely disappear even after such activities.
Are there any other symptoms besides this?
Yes. RLS is not just a problem with the legs. It can have other effects on our lives.
- Sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness: This is the biggest problem with RLS. You can't sleep well at night because of the restless legs. You wake up frequently. So when you don't get enough sleep at night, you feel very tired and sleepy the next day. You can't get anything done, and you lose focus.
- Involuntary leg movements: This is also something that is seen in many RLS patients. We call this Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). This is when the legs (and sometimes arms) move involuntarily or kick at regular intervals, without the patient realizing it, while sleeping or at rest.
Importantly, it has been found that up to nine out of ten (90%) people with RLS also have PLMD. Perhaps your bed partner has told you that you move your legs in your sleep at night.
Are these symptoms always present?
No, it doesn't happen to everyone. For some people, these symptoms don't come every night. They come and go. Sometimes, they can go weeks or months without any problems, and then suddenly the symptoms come back. We call this period of symptom-free time 'remission'.
Therefore, don't assume that you've completely recovered from these symptoms just because they've gone away for a few days. It's possible that they'll reappear.
Should I see a doctor?
Definitely yes.
If you have any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, especially if it is interfering with your sleep, daily activities, or enjoyment of life, please do not ignore it. See your family doctor (GP) and discuss this clearly.
Because, there can be other reasons for these symptoms. For example, iron deficiency, diabetes, and kidney disease can also cause these symptoms. Therefore, your doctor will conduct the necessary tests and find out exactly what the real cause is. There are now very good treatments for RLS. So, there is no need to suffer with this.
Take-Home Message
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is not something you have imagined, it is a real medical condition.
- The main symptom is discomfort in the legs, especially when resting, and the resulting uncontrollable urge to move the legs.
- These symptoms worsen at night and while resting, and temporarily decrease with movement.
- RLS can severely affect your sleep and daily life.
- If you have these symptoms, please see your doctor and talk about it. Proper diagnosis and treatment can help you find relief.
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