Restless Leg Syndrome and 6 causes

It's important to get enough sleep. It helps you focus and feel your best, and it also helps your body heal and battle common ailments like heart disease. It's for this reason that restless legs syndrome (RLS) may be so troublesome. Sleep might be difficult to come by if your legs are painful everytime you lie down.

Restless legs can be treated by our professional specialists at Vascular & Interventional Associates in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. We aim to assist you understand this disease as well as relieve your symptoms so you can get the rest you need. Let's take a look at six of the most frequent RLS causes.

A lack of iron

RLS has been linked to low iron levels. This is due to dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of muscular action in the brain, among other things. Dopamine levels can decline when you're iron deficient, decreasing muscle control in your legs and leading to RLS.

Chronic venous insufficiency - is a kind of venous insufficiency that occurs over about one-third of persons with restless legs syndrome have venous insufficiency. When the valves in the veins of your legs don't operate properly, chronic venous insufficiency develops. Weak or broken valves enable some blood to travel backward and deposit in your veins instead of managing blood flow and ensuring blood returns to your heart.

If dysfunctional veins are causing your RLS symptoms, our Vascular & Interventional Associates staff can close those veins to relieve your symptoms. Your body then redirects blood flow to other, healthier veins, restoring regular blood flow and calming your restless legs.

Diabetes

When your blood sugar levels are excessively high for an extended period of time, it can harm your nerves, especially those in your feet and legs. Restless legs syndrome can be exacerbated by nerve injury, often known as neuropathy.

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D has a role in sleep quality, and new research has linked low vitamin D levels to restless legs syndrome.

Problems with the kidneys

Renal disorders, such as kidney failure, increase your risk of low iron levels, which can lead to a decline in dopamine levels, which can exacerbate RLS symptoms.

Fibromyalgia

Restless legs syndrome affects around one-third of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Researchers aren't sure why RLS is more frequent in people with fibromyalgia, but they believe that treating RLS can help those patients sleep better and battle the weariness that comes with the disease.

We are just a call or click away. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with PeachState Advanced Cardiac & Endovascular. We have several locations in Georgia: Newnan, Atlanta, & Griffin.

Author

Kelly Miles Current Director of Business Development & Operations at PeachState Advanced Cardiac & Endovascular- PACE. Kelly has a passion for helping others navigate the healthcare industry and ensuring quality outcomes. She lives in Newnan, GA with her husband and children.