Most common symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a strong urge to move legs with unpleasant feeling.
RLS Symptoms
- A stronger urge to move the legs, this urge often (not always) occurs with unpleasant feelings in the legs. Severe cases may have the urge to move arms too. These unpleasant feelings are tingling, creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, aching, burning, or electric shocks.
- Symptoms begin or worsen during rest, sitting ideal, lying down or inactive.
- Symptoms of unpleased feeling are relieved from movement especially walking.
- Symptoms are starts or worsen in the evening or night.
One must have all these signs and symptoms to diagnose as RLS.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) gets its name from the urge to move the legs. Typical movements that relieve the symptoms are:
- Pacing - walking with slow regular strides
- Jiggling - move or rock lightly up and down or back and forth in an unsteady, jerky manner.
- Stretch, bend, deform, twist and turn
- Rubbing the legs
Children may describe RLS symptoms in a different way than adults, so they are sometime misdiagnosing as ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
The RLS symptom of unpleasant feelings often occurs in the lower legs. However, it can also occur at any place in the legs or feet or arms.
People with mild symptoms may not notice it until the symptoms occur during awake to a long time, such as lengthy trip or watching TV.
RLS should not confuse with leg cramps at night; leg cramps are limited to certain muscle groups with feeling tight also, and it causes more severe pain and requires continuous stretching of the affected muscle for some time to get relief.
In addition, RLS should not confuse with arthritis or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) that causes pain or discomfort in the legs. However, the movement tends to worsen the discomfort instead of relief.
RLS symptoms make it difficult to fall or stay asleep, so does not get enough good-quality sleep. Thus, feel very tired during the day and problem concentrating at school or work. Sleep dept also can cause depression, mood swings, or other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.