Is Restless Leg Syndrome Caused By Vein Disease?
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a condition in which a person finds it difficult to resist moving his legs. It is regarded as a neurological problem. People suffering from restless leg syndrome usually have unpleasant feelings in their legs and an urge to move the legs. Restless leg syndrome usually occurs around bedtime and hence can affect the quality of sleep and the quality of life. On its own, restless leg syndrome is not life-threatening, but because it affects the quality of life, it may lead to more serious problems like depression.
If you are unable to sleep at night, then it will certainly affect your day. Hence daytime sleepiness is one of the major effects of RLS. It also causes fatigue. If your work requires a high level of alertness like the operation of heavy machines, driving, or dealing with chemicals, daytime sleepiness and fatigue may put your life in danger.
Data from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke show that one in every ten citizens of the United States suffers from restless leg syndrome. Unfortunately, it is a lifelong disease that has no cure, but people suffering from it sometimes experience a time that the ailment will cease. In most cases, it becomes worse with age, although it can start at any age. Also, it is more frequent in females than in males.
What Are The Symptoms Of Restless Leg Syndrome?
The first and most important symptom of restless leg syndrome is the irresistible urge to move your leg. This may be caused by an unpleasant sensation in the leg. The sensation may include tingling and pulling. Generally, both legs are affected. In most cases, moving the legs will relieve the sensation.
RLS symptoms may vary from mild to severe. In a mild case, you may experience symptoms occasionally. But in a severe case, it occurs every night and will certainly affect the quality of life. It may hinder you from participating in many activities. But what exactly causes this condition, and how can it be cured?
Causes Of Restless Leg Syndrome
In many cases, the exact cause of restless leg syndrome is not known. However, it is believed to be hereditary as about half of the people suffering from it also have a family member experiencing a similar condition. Also, it could be triggered by other chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus and kidney problems. Also, it has been discovered that people suffering from RLS usually have a low level of iron in their brains.
People suffering from Parkinson’s disease also have a higher chance of suffering from RLS. Caffeine and alcohol are also believed to exacerbate the condition. However, as restless leg syndrome affects the legs and most of the diseases associated with the veins affect the legs, can restless leg syndrome be a vein disease? Or can a problem with the vein lead to restless leg syndrome?
Is Restless Leg Syndrome A Vein Disease?
The term primary RLS is used for a form of restless leg syndrome that has no known cause, while secondary RLS described RLS with a known cause. Although, in most cases, the cause of RLS is not known, some can be linked with different causes. Among the causes of secondary restless leg syndrome is a varicose vein.
From the symptoms, it is easy to link varicose veins with restless leg syndrome. But have similar symptoms. Both varicose veins and RLS usually cause itching, pains, and cramping.
If you have restless leg syndrome, then you should also check your body for varicose veins. If you are not sure how to check yourself for varicose vein and other vein-related diseases, you can contact a vein doctor for a proper examination.
How To Treat Restless Leg Syndrome Caused By Varicose Veins
Most cases of restless leg syndrome are not treatable; doctors will only try to relieve or manage the symptoms. However, it has been confirmed that treating varicose veins of a person suffering from RLS caused by varicose veins is very effective. To treat varicose veins, there are many options. Common methods include
Surgery: Through surgery, a doctor will tie up the varicose vein so that blood will no longer flow through it again.
Laser Therapy: Laser therapy uses heat to burn off and shrink the varicose veins so that it gradually goes away from your body.
Endovenous Procedure: In this method, the doctor will use a probe and catheter and close up the dilated vein from the inner part.
Sclerotherapy: In this procedure, chemical substances are used to make the dilated veins shrink and disappear.
However, in most cases, treated varicose veins usually come back. Therefore after varicose treatment, you must be observant to be sure the condition has not reoccurred. If it does, you may need to carry out the treatment again.
Other Treatment Of Restless Leg Syndrome
Other cases of restless leg syndrome can also be treated. But as stated earlier, most of the cases of restless leg syndrome are primary, hence have no known cause or treatment. Medication can be prescribed to lessen the symptoms. However, you must note that the medication that works perfectly for a particular patient may not work for another patient. In fact, it may cause more problems in another patient. In some cases, the medication will be effective when first introduced but later cease to treat the disease.
We Can Help You
Whatever the cause of your restless leg syndrome, you must not leave it untreated. Even if it is a primary RLS and there is no cure for it, we can help you relieve the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, if you have any form of restless leg syndrome, schedule an appointment with our expert today, and we will be available to examine you and also advise you on the best lifestyle for your specific case.
Summary
Restless leg syndrome is a lifelong disease that affects about ten percent of the population of the United States. It usually involves an unpleasant sensation at the legs accompanied by an irresistible urge to move the legs. It can start at any age and get worse as the patient gets older. Restless leg syndrome usually occurs around bedtime; therefore, it affects the quality of sleep. In severe cases, it also affects the quality of life.
In most cases, the cause of restless leg syndrome is not known, but in some cases, the causes are known. Among the common causes of the disease are heredity, lack of iron, Parkinson’s disease, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, and varicose veins.
For patients whose varicose veins led to the development of restless leg disease, it can be cured by treating the varicose veins. Available treatments for varicose veins today include surgery, laser therapy, Sclerotherapy, and Endovenous Procedure. It has been observed that treating varicose veins is very effective in treating RLS if the varicose vein is the cause. However, varicose veins usually have the tendency of reoccurrence after successful treatment. Therefore, you must watch out for this, and if it indeed reoccurs, then you should retreat it.
