Restless Legs Syndrome is a disorder that affects 5-10% of the population and usually appears after the age of forty. Its main symptom is the appearance of discomfort in the legs during inactivity, which only subsides with movement.
It usually causes sleep disorders as the symptoms worsen during the late afternoon and at night. Its course is chronic and slowly progressive. At first, it manifests itself sporadically, with discrete discomfort that does not significantly interfere with the life of the sufferers. However, over time, the intensity of symptoms becomes greater and more frequent, and it is not uncommon for these patients to report significant problems initiating and maintaining sleep. This causes drowsiness during the day and also anxiety and depression that worsen the patient’s quality of life.
Detection and treatment
If the presence of the syndrome is suspected, the patient should go to a specialized center for evaluation. RLS should be identified by the physician by making a clinical diagnosis. Nerve conduction tests and sleep tests will be performed. Also blood tests, since it has been detected that patients suffer alterations in iron and ferritin levels. In addition, in approximately 20% of cases there are other medical conditions that explain the onset of symptoms and these should be detected.
The first step in treating RLS will be to correct its causes if they have been clearly identified, such as iron deficiency. To combat the sleep disorder it is important to maintain a regular sleep schedule, exercise and reduce the consumption of coffee, tobacco and alcohol. In severe cases, treatment with medication should be considered. The most commonly used are dopamine agonists, which are used to treat Parkinson’s disease, and antiepileptic drugs.