The syndrome of restless legs and the quality of life

The coordinator of the study group of vigil and sleep disorders of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), Celia García Malo, has highlighted the Impact on the quality of life of restless legs syndromepointing out that up to 60% of patients have difficulties to sit or relax. This has been pointed out on the occasion of World Syndrome Day Day (SPI), a neurological disease that SEN estimates that they suffer More than two million people in Spainwith a percentage of people without diagnose that could reach 90%.

The SPI is characterized by a need to move the lower limbs due to tingling sensations, itching, pain or discomfort. These symptoms usually appear or intensify for periods of inactivity, especially when sitting or lying down, and They are relieved temporarily with the movement. In addition, they tend to appear in the afternoon, which difficult to reconcile sleep and achieve a repairing break. Celia García has detailed that she is a It causes “extremely common” of insomnia or poor quality of sleepwhich does not improve with classic hypnotic treatments, and in which even The use of certain drugs can cause worsening of symptoms.

This disease can manifest at any agealthough it is more prevalent between adultswhere it affects even a 10% of the population. Symptoms can be easily confused with rheumatic diseases or circulatory disorders. In fact, In Spain cases of delays of more than 10 years have been documented in the diagnosis. In children, Its prevalence is about 4%although it is the group where there is a greater infradiagnosis, since Symptoms usually appear very discreetly And sporadic in the initial phases, so, until they are aggravated, They are usually attributed to growth or other disorders such as ADHD.

This syndrome is associated with iron deficit

In all age groups, The prevalence in women is double that in mensince the SPI is especially frequent in situations that generate iron deficit or metabolic alterations, as is the case during the pregnancy or in the context of menstruation abundant. Despite this, the specialist has stressed that iron is not the only determining factor.

Although The exact cause of the SPI is not yet completely understoodaround the 65% of patients have family history. In addition, it has been associated with other diseases such as chronic renal failure, diabetes and certain neuropathies.

As for the treatmentthe expert explained that there are various kinds of Effective medicationsamong them the Iron supplementationwhen justified. “Most patients experience a Notable improves both in your quality of life and in nighttimewhich impacts very positively on his general health, “he said. Being a Chronic pathologyGarcia has pointed out that Patients need follow -up, with successive visits to the neurologist to reasseval how the disease evolveswhich is also fluctuating, so the medication must be adjusted depending on the needs.