Restless legs syndrome affects the quality of life negatively in individuals suffering from this disease due to increased leg pain at night, the desire to always move the legs, and the feeling of restlessness in the legs and feet. So what is restless legs syndrome? Why does it happen? How is the treatment? The answers to the curious questions are in our news…
What is restless legs syndrome?
Restless legs syndrome is one of the common border system diseases. Individuals with this disease experience discomfort in the legs, feet, and sometimes in the arms, especially at rest. As the disease can occur at any age, there is an increase in the distress caused by the disease as the age progresses. If the individual remains inactive, there is an increase in the feeling of restlessness in the affected areas. In most of the restless legs syndrome diseases, sleep problems caused by the disease can also be observed
Restless legs syndrome symptoms
The symptoms seen in individuals with restless legs syndrome are as follows:
– Feeling of restlessness in the legs and feet
– The need to move constantly due to the feeling of restlessness
– The feeling of pain and discomfort that increases during the night
– The feeling of pain and discomfort that is felt for a short time by moving the affected area
– Involuntary twitching in the legs
Causes of restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome often occurs in an unknown (idiopathic) form. In some cases, additional factors in the individual play a role in the emergence of the disease. Some of them can be listed in the following form:
– Genetic predispositions
– Dopamine instability disorder
– Pregnancy (especially last trimester)
– Anemia due to iron deficiency or other causes
– Neuropathy
– Excessive alcohol use
– Spinal cord or spinal block formation in the spinal cord
– Use of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs that increase the level of serotonin
Restless legs syndrome treatment
Underlying the disease In case of any problem such as iron deficiency or anemia, a treatment plan should be applied primarily to eliminate this problem. In other cases, massage, hot and cold compress applications, training and drug treatments can be used.
In this disease, in which nutrition is of great importance, it is beneficial to keep the dietary intake of factors such as caffeine under control. Apart from these, restless legs syndrome patients should also avoid situations such as tension, smoking, and being inactive for a long time
