Syndrome of uneasy legs

The state at which the person feels the unpleasant feelings in the lower extremities (more rare in upper) causing insuperable desire to move legs or hands is called the syndrome of uneasy legs (SUL).

The people suffering from this syndrome note that unpleasant feelings, as a rule, appear at rest in the evening or at night, in particular in a prone position or sitting. In certain cases SBN leads to serious violations of a dream and in 15% of cases is the reason of an insomniya (chronic sleeplessness) that considerably influences quality of human life.

Symptoms of a syndrome of uneasy legs can be lungs and not cause special disturbance, and happen intolerable and to drive the patient to despair. The syndrome occurs among all age categories, however much more often people of middle and advanced age suffer from it.

In 20% of cases of SBN occurs at pregnant women, the symptomatology is shown in the II—III trimester, and after delivery completely disappears.

Syndrome of uneasy legs: reasons

Emergence of SBN in 20% of cases is connected with deficit or the wrong redistribution of iron in an organism, such diseases as can be other reasons of a syndrome of uneasy legs:

• Varicosity and venous reflux;
• Deficit of folic acid, vitamins of group B and magnesium;
• Fibromyalgia and uraemia;
• Apnoea in a dream and a diabetes mellitus;
• Diseases of a thyroid gland;
• Peripheral neuropathy;
• Amyloidosis and resection of a stomach;
• Parkinson's disease and Shegren's syndrome;
• Gee's disease and pseudorheumatism.

Emergence of a syndrome of uneasy legs is not excluded and at a cryoglobulinemia, alcoholism, chronic obstructive diseases of lungs, a hypothyroidism and a thyrotoxicosis, porphyrias, an obliterating disease of arteries, a radiculopathy, damages of a spinal cord, an essential tremor, a disease of Gentington, a side amyotrophic sclerosis and fibromyalgia.

At absolutely healthy people SBN, as a result of the postponed stress, an intensive exercise stress and the use in a large number of the drinks containing caffeine is also sometimes shown.

Also as the reason of emergence or aggravation of a syndrome of uneasy legs reception of such drugs as can act:

• Antiemetics;
• Antidepressants;
• Antihistamines;
• Antipsychotic and some anticonvulsant drugs.

The significant role is played also by a genetic factor – nearly a half of the uneasy legs of people suffering from a syndrome are members of families where the disease passed from father to son.

SBN symptoms

The symptom by emergence of the unpleasant feelings pricking, scraping, itching, pressing or arching character in the lower extremities is characterized. Manifestation of symptoms generally happens at rest, at physical activity they considerably decrease.

For simplification of a state patients resort to various manipulations – extend and bend, mass, stir up and pound extremities, during sleep often turn, get up and go here and there, or shift from one foot to the other. Such activity helps to stop manifestation of symptoms of a syndrome of uneasy legs, however as soon as the patient goes to bed again, or just stops – come back.

Characteristic sign of a syndrome is manifestation of symptomatology at the same time, on average it reaches the maximum expressiveness during the period from 12 o'clock in the morning to 4 mornings, minimum it falls on time from 6 to 10 o'clock in the morning.

In the started cases, at a long absence of treatment, the day-night rhythm of a syndrome of uneasy legs disappears, symptoms are shown at any time, is even able sitting. Such situation considerably complicates life to sick – to it difficult to maintain long trips in transport, to work at the computer, to visit cinema, theaters, etc.

Because of need to constantly carry out the movements during sleep over time at the patient sleeplessness which results in bystry fatigue and drowsiness in the afternoon begins.

Diagnosis of a syndrome of uneasy legs

The specific medical analysis for diagnosis of a syndrome of uneasy legs does not exist, however, performing blood test and urine can help to exclude other diseases.

Diagnosis of SBN is carried out on the basis:

• The symptoms described by the patient;
• The answers to questions concerning health of relatives;
• The patient's poll about the medicines used earlier.

The important part is assigned to a dream – so if the patient prefers to sleep in the afternoon, because of emergence of discomfortable feelings in extremities in evening or night time, it is possible to assume the diagnosis of SBN.

Treatment of a syndrome of uneasy legs

The main treatment of a syndrome of uneasy legs is directed to reduction of symptoms, decrease in day drowsiness and improvement of quality of life of the patient.

Before starting direct treatment, it is initially necessary to define the reason which served to emergence of a syndrome. So, if it becomes clear that SBN is a consequence of reception of medicines – it is necessary to cancel them. In cases when the syndrome is a symptom of other disease – it is necessary to treat a basic disease.

Treatment of a syndrome first of all has to be directed to completion of the available deficit of iron, vitamins of group B, magnesium, folic acid, etc. The medical institution can apply both medicamentous, and non-drug treatment.

Patients are recommended to take an evening shower, to keep to the balanced diet, to refuse smoking and alcohol intake, to carry out a moderate exercise stress, to exclude caffeine - the containing drinks and products in the evening, and also to carry out foot walks before going to bed.

The syndrome of uneasy legs is a state at which the person feels discomfortable feelings in extremities because of what the patient has an insuperable desire to move legs (or hands). Timely diagnosis and treatment of a disease allow to get rid of the symptoms accompanying a disease completely.