Many of us may not even have heard of this term, but we may be infact affected by restless leg syndrome (RLS). In this article, we will see what is meant by the term restless leg syndrome, the possible causes and what are the risks associated with it.
What is Restless Leg Syndrome?
Many of us have the habit of moving the legs restlessly very often during the day. You might do this when reading a newspaper or having a cup of coffee or when sitting idle. If you one such person who moves the leg in such a manner, you are a victim of the syndrome called as Restless Leg Syndrome. For some people, this may develop into more severe symptoms like burning sensation / pulling of the legs which occurs more especially during the night. It has been found that about 5 to 10 percentage of the population suffer from this syndrome.
If you have the habit of moving the legs and throwing upon someone sleeping by your side frequently during the night, it is also a symptom of RLS. Some may experience as if some cockroaches are crawling inside the legs.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Possible Causes of Restless Leg Syndrome
The exact cause of why several people move the legs so restlessly is still unknown. Following are some possible causes that are being suspected for the cause of RLS:
Genetic factors could be one of the reasons and also heredity
Iron deficiency
Disrupted Sleep / Sleep deprivation
Cardiovascular dysfunction
Kidney related problems
Excess Alchohol consumption
Consuming certain drugs during the pregnancy period
Restless Leg Syndrome increases the risk of death
If you are of the opinon that moving legs restlessly and unconsciously does not have any health implications, you are probably wrong. In one of the researches, it was observed that people who suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome, and more especially men, have an increased risk of death compared to others who do not have RLS. It has been found that the risk / probability of death increases by 39% in such people.
It has been observed that people who have restless leg syndrome are likely to develop diseases like respiratory disorders, endocrine disease, immunity problems, metabolic disorders, etc. When infected by such diseases, the chance of death naturally increases with such people.
What should we do?
Since the causes of restless leg syndrome are not clearly defined, it is our responsibility to check if our body is healthy in all aspects whenever we face this syndrome. Following are some check points that we need to make sure:
Have sufficient deep sleep
Make sure that you have appropriate physical activity
Check if your blood pressure is under control
Reduce / cut down on alchohol intake / smoking
Make sure that you maintain appropriate BMI (Body Mass Index)
Consume dates regularly / iron supplements
It is possible that you or your family members may have this syndrome and may not be aware of it. This article should have been an eye opener for people who do not know about RLS. Next time you observe any of your family members moving their legs restlessly, make sure that you take them to a doctor or make them aware of such problems that they might be suffering, so that they can take corrective action.
What is Restless Leg Syndrome?
Many of us have the habit of moving the legs restlessly very often during the day. You might do this when reading a newspaper or having a cup of coffee or when sitting idle. If you one such person who moves the leg in such a manner, you are a victim of the syndrome called as Restless Leg Syndrome. For some people, this may develop into more severe symptoms like burning sensation / pulling of the legs which occurs more especially during the night. It has been found that about 5 to 10 percentage of the population suffer from this syndrome.
If you have the habit of moving the legs and throwing upon someone sleeping by your side frequently during the night, it is also a symptom of RLS. Some may experience as if some cockroaches are crawling inside the legs.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Possible Causes of Restless Leg Syndrome
The exact cause of why several people move the legs so restlessly is still unknown. Following are some possible causes that are being suspected for the cause of RLS:
Genetic factors could be one of the reasons and also heredity
Iron deficiency
Disrupted Sleep / Sleep deprivation
Cardiovascular dysfunction
Kidney related problems
Excess Alchohol consumption
Consuming certain drugs during the pregnancy period
Restless Leg Syndrome increases the risk of death
If you are of the opinon that moving legs restlessly and unconsciously does not have any health implications, you are probably wrong. In one of the researches, it was observed that people who suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome, and more especially men, have an increased risk of death compared to others who do not have RLS. It has been found that the risk / probability of death increases by 39% in such people.
It has been observed that people who have restless leg syndrome are likely to develop diseases like respiratory disorders, endocrine disease, immunity problems, metabolic disorders, etc. When infected by such diseases, the chance of death naturally increases with such people.
What should we do?
Since the causes of restless leg syndrome are not clearly defined, it is our responsibility to check if our body is healthy in all aspects whenever we face this syndrome. Following are some check points that we need to make sure:
Have sufficient deep sleep
Make sure that you have appropriate physical activity
Check if your blood pressure is under control
Reduce / cut down on alchohol intake / smoking
Make sure that you maintain appropriate BMI (Body Mass Index)
Consume dates regularly / iron supplements
It is possible that you or your family members may have this syndrome and may not be aware of it. This article should have been an eye opener for people who do not know about RLS. Next time you observe any of your family members moving their legs restlessly, make sure that you take them to a doctor or make them aware of such problems that they might be suffering, so that they can take corrective action.
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