The body is asleep, but the legs are "awake"? No wonder people with this problem can't sleep well!

There are many reasons why you can't sleep

And many people have encountered this kind of thing

At night when sleeping

The legs suddenly "woke up"

Numbness, swelling and pain come in waves

I feel like there are ants crawling

It’s not easy to get a good night’s sleep

After all this trouble, people are going to be crazy!

This is probably

Restless Legs Syndrome!

Restless legs syndrome is a very common sleep disorder. During sleep, patients will experience unbearable discomfort such as limb soreness, numbness or tingling sensation , and their legs will move constantly and they cannot get rest.

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Typical symptoms include:

1. Discomfort in the limbs, especially in the lower limbs, such as insect bites, pins and needles, and ants crawling;

2. Desire to move the lower limbs, which may be accompanied by paresthesia and dysesthesia;

3. The patient is restless and has difficulty falling asleep;

4. Symptoms occur at rest and are temporarily relieved after activity;

5. Symptoms are more obvious in the afternoon, at night, and before bedtime.

Many people may not have heard of restless legs syndrome, but it is not a rare disease!

Its prevalence rate in the adult population worldwide is approximately 2.5%-15% , with women being slightly more common than men, about twice as common as men, and the incidence rate increases with age.

Restless legs syndrome can significantly reduce the patient's sleep quality, especially in terms of time to fall asleep, sleep continuity, total sleep time and sleep quality.

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This disease not only affects oneself, but may also affect the person who sleeps with oneself.

Some patients with mild symptoms are often urged by their partners to seek medical treatment... After all, their "bedmates" keep kicking their legs when they fall asleep, and may even kick themselves a few times, which is a bit unbearable.

That’s a huge difference!

In order to avoid making mistakes, let us teach you how to distinguish the symptoms of these diseases.

Difference from cramps

Restless legs syndrome patients can partially or completely relieve the discomfort symptoms by stretching their limbs, walking back and forth, etc. , and the urge to move can disappear when moving;

If you have cramps at night, it’s a different story. Apart from enduring it, it’s almost impossible to relieve the symptoms of cramps by other means.

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Difference from arthritis

The pain symptoms of restless legs syndrome are rarely localized to a specific location, whereas arthritis is usually localized to a specific joint area with tenderness and pain.

Exercise can quickly and effectively relieve the discomfort of restless legs syndrome, but it is not as effective in relieving leg pain caused by arthritis.

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As for the relationship between rheumatism and restless legs syndrome, it is a bit complicated. Rheumatism combined with restless legs syndrome is relatively common.

Some scholars believe that rheumatism is a possible cause of secondary restless legs syndrome.

However, the specific connection between the two diseases is still unclear. If related symptoms are found, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time.

Primary restless legs syndrome has a lot to do with genetics, and patients usually have a family history.

Secondary restless legs syndrome is usually associated with various neurological diseases (such as Parkinson's disease, spinal cord lesions, etc.), pregnancy, uremia, poor local blood circulation in the lower limbs, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, some drugs or substances may also induce or aggravate restless legs syndrome symptoms, such as antipsychotics, antiepileptic drugs, histamine receptor antagonists, alcohol, caffeine, etc.

It matters!

Studies have shown that iron deficiency or iron metabolism disorders can damage the substantia nigra neurons and affect the function of the dopamine system.

Restless legs syndrome is directly related to underlying dopamine dysfunction in the brain , so iron deficiency can lead to the occurrence of restless legs syndrome.

Therefore, when treating restless legs syndrome, taking an appropriate amount of iron supplements can effectively relieve symptoms.

Usually not!

Restless legs syndrome usually does not affect walking function or even cause disability. Most patients have mild symptoms, which only occur during rest or sleep and have little impact on daily walking function.

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However, for some patients with severe conditions, leg discomfort may continue during the day, causing a certain degree of discomfort in walking.

The main impact of restless legs syndrome is that it affects the patient's sleep quality , causing physical fatigue and decreased energy, making it impossible for the patient to work, study or carry out daily activities normally for a long time, affecting the patient's physical and mental health and reducing his or her quality of life.

Timely medical treatment is the first choice!

In terms of drug treatment , the most effective treatment for restless legs syndrome is dopamine receptor agonist, but it has certain side effects, so please use it according to your doctor's advice.

Other medications include levodopa, pregabalin, gabapentin, benzodiazepines, antianxiety drugs, cloniidine, the anticonvulsant drugs baclofen and carbamazepine, the opioid tramadol, and appropriate iron supplements.

Secondly, symptoms can be improved through non-drug treatments , including drinking less coffee and caffeinated beverages, drinking less alcohol, taking a hot bath or massage before going to bed, etc.

Although restless legs syndrome is not life-threatening, it does affect the patient's quality of life.

I hope more people will know about it, and both the patients themselves and the people around them will no longer feel unfamiliar with it.

If relevant symptoms occur, they can be discovered and treated in time to get rid of the troubles caused by restless legs as soon as possible and regain a peaceful and comfortable night.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Author

Li Jiaqi, Five-year Clinical Medicine Program, West China School of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University

Sichuan University West China School of Clinical Medicine Five-Year Program Yang Shiqi

Five-year program in clinical medicine at West China School of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University Zhou Xiaoya

Wang Xinruo, five-year clinical medicine program at West China School of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University

This article is guided by the teacher

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Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty