Restless Legs Syndrome - An Irritating Condition

Restless Legs Syndrome is a condition that causes a person's legs to feel very uncomfortable while they are sitting or lying down. Restless Legs Syndrome will make you want to get up and move about, which eases the feeling. Affecting both sexes, Restless Legs Syndrome occurs mostly in middle-aged and older adults, but people of any age can be afflicted with it. Although not a dangerous condition by any means, Restless Legs Syndrome can cause much disruption to an individual's sleep patterns, making them tired and drowsy throughout the day.

Those that are bothered with Restless Legs Syndrome describe the annoying sensations in their lower legs as being a crawling, tingling, aching, burning, or just plain jittery feeling. Restless Legs Syndrome can also be felt in a person's feet and arms, and there are times when the sufferer cannot accurately describe the sensation, making it that much more infuriating. Symptoms manifest themselves when the person is lying down or sitting for any length of time. This obviously would present itself while driving or trying to fall asleep. To relief the feeling, the affected person will simply get up and move about, which causes the symptoms to disappear. The desire to do so is so overwhelming that they cannot resist the urge. These feelings most often come later in the day, and Restless Legs Syndrome is also connected with limb movements while the person is sleeping. This involuntary flexing and stretching of the legs while the person is asleep used to go under the name of myoclonus, but doctors now call it Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep, or PLMS. More than 80% of those diagnosed with Restless Legs Syndrome also have PLMS, where a multitude of these kicking motions occur as the person sleeps during the night.