The symptoms of restless legs syndrome sound like the plot of a horror movie.
An irresistible urge to move your legs wont allow you any peace.
If you dont have restless legs syndrome (RLS for short), this may sound unimaginable.
Getty / David-Prado
But for people with intense cases of RLS, this might be just another typical night.
Fast forward to 1945, when a doctor named Karl-Axel Ekbom came up with the name restless legs syndrome.
Restless legs syndrome causes unusual physical sensations and movement.
Sometimes RLS sensations are so weird that people have trouble describing them, according to theMayo Clinic.
It can begin at any age, but RLS becomes more common as people get older, theMayo Clinicsays.
However, RLS typically becomes more frequent and severe with age.
Moving the legs can temporarily tame these odd feelings.
RLS can make it almost impossible to sleep well.
(This is because RLS appears to follow a personscircadian rhythm.)
It can also harmmental health.
RLS can cause another sensory issue called periodic limb movements of sleep.
Primary RLS happens with no known cause.
There are no simple explanations.
Some experts think malfunctions in the dopamine pathway can create the uncontrollable movements involved in disorders like RLS.
It also appears that there is a hereditary element.
Additional research is needed to understand the link between these genes and the biological component of RLS.
Secondary RLS is tied to specific risk factors.
For instance, doctors believe that an iron deficiency may predispose a person to RLS.
Thisiron connectionmay be part of why pregnancy is a major risk factor for RLS.
Taking specific medications is yet another risk factor.
All of these mechanisms appear to be tied to those critical dopamine pathways.
RLS diagnosis primarily hinges on symptoms.
There is no lab test to detect RLS, theMayo Clinicexplains.
Treatment for RLS revolves around relieving symptoms.
To start, your doctor may recommend non-pharmaceutical tactics to ease your RLS.
Then there are the medical treatments.
Anti-seizure drugs that can calm muscle movements are also gaining prominence in RLS treatment.
And people with proven iron deficiencies may find some relief in doctor-approved supplementation.
Theres hope on the horizon for people with RLS.
In the past, many people with RLS had no idea what was happening, Dr. Winkelman says.
Now, Dr. Winkelman says, awareness continues to increase due to more research and newer treatments.
