What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Restless Legs
Syndrome?
The four key signs of restless legs syndrome (RLS)
are:
- A strong urge to move your legs. This urge often,
but not always, occurs with unpleasant feelings in your legs. When the disorder
is severe, you also may have the urge to move your arms.
- Symptoms that start or get worse when
you’re inactive. The urge to move increases when you’re sitting
still or lying down and resting.
- Relief from moving. Movement, especially walking,
helps relieve the unpleasant feelings.
- Symptoms that start or get worse in the evening
or at night.
You must have all four of these signs to be
diagnosed with RLS.
The Urge To Move
RLS gets its name from the urge to move the legs
when sitting or lying down. This movement relieves the unpleasant feelings that
RLS sometimes causes. Typical movements are:
- Pacing and walking
- Jiggling the legs
- Stretching and flexing
- Tossing and turning
- Rubbing the legs
Unpleasant Feelings
People who have RLS describe the unpleasant feelings
in their limbs as creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, tingling, burning,
aching, or electric shocks. More severe RLS symptoms may cause painful
feelings. However, the pain usually is more of an ache than a sharp, stabbing
pain.
Children may describe RLS symptoms differently than
adults. Sometimes children with RLS are misdiagnosed as having ADHD.
The unpleasant feelings from RLS often occur in the
lower legs (calves). But the feelings can occur at any place in the legs or
feet. They also can occur in the arms.
The feelings seem to come from deep within the
limbs, rather than from the surface. You usually will have the feelings in both
legs. However, the feelings can occur in one leg, move from one leg to the
other, or affect one leg more than the other.
People who have mild symptoms may only notice them
when they’re still or awake for a long time, such as on a long airplane
trip or when watching TV. If they fall asleep quickly, they may not have
symptoms when lying down at night.
The unpleasant feelings from RLS aren’t the
same as the leg cramps many people get at night. Leg cramps often are limited
to certain muscle groups in the leg, which you can feel tightening. Leg cramps
cause more severe pain and require stretching the affected muscle for relief.
Sometimes arthritis or
peripheral
arterial disease (PAD) can cause pain or discomfort in the legs. Moving the
limbs usually worsens the discomfort instead of relieving it.
Periodic Limb Movement in Sleep
Most people who have RLS also have a condition
called periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS). PLMS causes your legs or arms to
twitch or jerk about every 10 to 60 seconds during sleep. These
movements cause you to wake up often and get less sleep.
PLMS usually affects the legs, but it also can
affect the arms. Not everyone who has PLMS also has RLS.
Related Sleep Problems
The symptoms of RLS can make it hard to fall or
stay asleep. If RLS disturbs your sleep, you may feel very tired during the
day.
Lack of sleep may make it hard for you to
concentrate at school or work. Not enough sleep also can cause depression, mood
swings, or other health problems such as diabetes or
high
blood pressure.
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