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