Restless legs syndrome
| Restless legs syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Willis–Ekbom disease (WED), Wittmaack–Ekbom syndrome |
| Sleep pattern of a person with restless legs syndrome (red) compared to a healthy sleep pattern (blue) | |
| Specialty | Sleep medicine |
| Symptoms | Unpleasant feeling in the legs that briefly improves with moving them |
| Complications | Daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability, sadness |
| Usual onset | More common with older age |
| Risk factors | Low iron levels, kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, certain medications |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms after ruling out other possible causes |
| Treatment | Lifestyle changes, medication |
| Medication | Dopamine agonists, levodopa, gabapentinoids, opioids |
| Frequency | 2.5–15% (US) |
Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis–Ekbom disease (WED), is a neurological disorder, usually chronic, that causes an overwhelming urge to move one's legs. There is often an unpleasant feeling in the legs that improves temporarily by moving them. This feeling is often described as aching, tingling, or crawling in nature. Occasionally, arms may also be affected. The feelings generally happen when at rest and therefore can make it hard to sleep. Sleep disruption may leave people with RLS sleepy during the day, with low energy, and irritable or depressed. Additionally, many have limb twitching during sleep, a condition known as periodic limb movement disorder. RLS is not the same as habitual foot-tapping or leg-rocking.