Medical Questions » Legs Questions » Question No. 570
| Question: | Could you please explain what causes restless legs? |
| Answer: | The restless legs syndrome is the simple name for what doctors technically call the Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome. A patient' s legs feel as though they want to exercise when body is trying to rest, and they can' t get to sleep because they feel that they have to keep moving their legs.
The cause is unknown, but it is more common in women, made worse by pregnancy and heat, and sometimes is aggravated by antihistamine medications. It is not related to previous exercise.
It may be a distressing problem but is not serious, and tends to occur episodically for years. It is usually well controlled by tteatment.
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