| How do I know if I have Restless Leg Syndrome? | | | | from just an uncomfortable sensation to an irritatingly |
| Am I just nervous or do I have a serious condition? | | | | painful one. |
| Many people who move their legs about during the | | | | Being familiar and knowing the symptoms of RLS, |
| day and even at night are surprised to find out that | | | | either primary or secondary, is critical to dealing with |
| they actually have a serious condition. Still, how do | | | | it properly. For those of you who are unaware of the |
| we know if we have RLS or not? For a better | | | | symptoms but may strongly feel that you are |
| understanding of restless leg syndrome among | | | | suffering from RLS, check these symptoms in |
| common people like us, the National Institute of | | | | yourself. When you sit down or lie down, you may |
| Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) plus other | | | | have a strong desire which is almost impossible to |
| institutes such as the National Institutes of Health | | | | resist. This desire may be to move your legs to |
| (NIH) have conducted serious research. Working in | | | | remove an uncomfortable feeling. The sensation is |
| laboratories at the NIH and at different medical | | | | very uncomfortable and irritating but, once you move |
| institutions across the country, they have determined | | | | your legs, you will feel better but only for a while. |
| a set of symptoms that can help you to know if you | | | | Sometimes, even if you are awake, an involuntary |
| have RLS or not. | | | | leg movement can be experienced. You may even |
| At the NINDS and the NIH, the objectives have been | | | | find it difficult to go on with your normal daytime |
| to research on the causes of this unusual condition | | | | activities because of the embarrassment caused by |
| and to find more accurate methods in the diagnosis | | | | these symptoms. In severe cases, people with RLS |
| and treatment of this syndrome. They have also | | | | find it a very disabling condition especially during long |
| made efforts to discover certain ways to prevent | | | | stretches of inactivity such as car trips, airline travel, |
| RLS. Of course, it is very difficult to understand | | | | meetings or watching movies. Voluntarily moving the |
| something until we know all the pertinent details | | | | legs usually brings temporary relief from the |
| about it. It is especially scary to a sufferer of this | | | | unpleasant sensations but is far from being a cure. |
| condition when they cannot determine what they | | | | The bad thing is that, in most cases especially among |
| have even in the presence of a specialist. Have you | | | | children, a doctor's visit will often result in a |
| ever been in this scary situation before? If yes, it is | | | | misdiagnosis because of the unfamiliar nature and |
| precisely the reason behind the continuous research | | | | cause of this condition. |
| that is being conducted in major sleep clinics around | | | | If you can identify with most of these symptoms, |
| the US which specialize in RLS. | | | | then you may have RLS. If you do have RLS, don't |
| Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological | | | | be scared! You are not alone! Statistics show that up |
| disorder which is characterized by unpleasant | | | | to 8% of the U.S. population is suffering from RLS in |
| sensations in certain parts of the body, specifically | | | | some form or another. Many people acquire a mild |
| the legs. An uncontrollable urge to move even while | | | | form of the disorder but RLS severely affects the |
| sleeping can be felt by the person who is suffering | | | | lives of thousands of individuals especially when they |
| from this phenomenon. Once their leg begins to | | | | fail to get proper medical attention. You can do your |
| move, they may feel relief but only for a short | | | | part now by finding out everything you can about |
| period of time. The sensation repeats itself over and | | | | RLS and then determining some self-help approaches |
| over especially when the person is lying down. The | | | | to alleviate yourself of the condition. RLS can |
| sensation is described by many to be like a burning | | | | become detrimental to normal sleeping patterns over |
| feeling or a creeping or a "tugging". Others have | | | | time but it can also be treated so as to help you |
| described it like a feeling that insects are crawling | | | | return to a normal lifestyle. |
| inside their legs and the feeling varies in its severity | | | | |