Medical News Summary: Restless Leg Syndrome still difficult to diagnose
About: Restless Leg Syndrome still difficult to diagnose
Date: 17 December 2004
Source: The Courier-Journal
Author: Darla Carter
Medical News Summary (summary of medical news story as reported by The Courier-Journal): Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological disorder that occurs in about 12 million (or 5 to 15% of the population) people in the US. Symptoms include creepy-crawly feelings or sensation in legs (usually between knees and ankles) that causes them to continually move their legs to alleviate the feeling. Others don’t necessarily have the sensations but have an irresistible urge to move their legs. Symptoms are often worse during inactive periods or at night resulting in poor sleep. The condition is more common in women during the third trimester of pregnancy and in people with chronic conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The condition is often associated with sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea and narcolepsy and often causes periodic limb movement disorder where patients experience involuntary leg twitching during sleep. There is no simple test to diagnose the condition and lack of awareness of the condition makes it difficult for patients to describe their symptoms. Symptoms may be mild or sever and the condition is sometimes misdiagnosed as arthritis, depression, anxiety or lower-back trouble. The cause of the condition is unknown but a study in 2002 by German researchers suggests that a single gene may be the cause in sufferers under 30 and gene combinations and environmental factors may be the cause in older sufferers. A more recent study indicates that the cause may be due to poor iron processing by some brain cells which causes these cells to mix up central nervous system messages to the limbs. Different therapies work for different people. Some have found success with iron supplementation; others make lifestyle changes or avoid triggers such as caffeine or red wine. Medication treatment may include drugs used for Parkinson’s disease (Requip, Mirapex, Sinemet) and the epilepsy anticonvulsant drug Neurontin. Folate and magnesium supplementation, regular, moderate exercise, hot baths, massage, heating pads or ice packs may also help.
URL: http://www.courier-journal.com/features/health/2004/12/H1-legs1216-7636.html
Related Disease Topics: Restless Legs Syndrome, Neurological disorder, Pregnancy, Chronic disease, Kidney disease, Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sleep disorder, Insomnia, Sleep apnea, Narcolepsy, Periodic limb movement disorder, Arthritis, Depression, Anxiety, Lower-back trouble, Epilepsy
Related Symptom Topics: Creepy crawly feelings in legs, sensation in legs, irresistible urge to move legs, involuntary leg twitching during sleep, iron deficiency, folate deficiency, magnesium deficiency
Related Medical News Channels: This medical news summary article refers to the following medical channel categories:
- Diagnosis
- Diagnosis and Restless Legs Syndrome
- Diagnosis and neurological disorder
- Diagnosis and pregnancy
- Diagnosis and chronic disease
- Diagnosis and kidney disease
- Diagnosis and diabetes
- Diagnosis and Parkinson’s disease
- Diagnosis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Diagnosis and sleep disorder
- Diagnosis and insomnia
- Diagnosis and sleep apnea
- Diagnosis and narcolepsy
- Diagnosis and periodic limb movement disorder
- Diagnosis and arthritis
- Diagnosis and depression
- Diagnosis and anxiety
- Diagnosis and lower-back trouble
- Diagnosis and epilepsy
- Diagnosis and creepy crawly feelings in legs
- Diagnosis and sensation in legs
- Diagnosis and irresistible urge to move legs
- Diagnosis and involuntary leg twitching during sleep
- Diagnosis and iron deficiency
- Diagnosis and folate deficiency
- Diagnosis and magnesium deficiency
- cause of Restless Legs Syndrome
- Cause of nuerological disorder
- Cause of sensation in legs
- Cause of creepy crawly feelings in legs
- cause of iron deficiency
- cause of folate deficiency
- cause of magnesium deficiency
- Medication
- Medication and Restless Leg Syndrome
- Medication and neurological disease
- medication and iron deficiency
- medication and folate deficiency
- medication and magnesium deficiency
- Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
- misdiagnosis and periodic limb movement disorder
- misdiagnosis and arthritis
- misdiagnosis and depression
- misdiagnosis and anxiety
- Misdiagnosis and lower-back trouble
- misdiagnosis and epilepsy
- Underdiagnosed
- Underdiagnosed and Restess Leg Syndrome
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