The Symptoms, Risks, Causes and Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome

Who Gets Restless Legs Syndrome? It affects about 36 million Americans to the point that it sometimes disrupts their lives to some degree. Men and women can both suffer from the disorder, but women tend to experience it more often. Although it can start at any age, perhaps even in infancy, it usually becomes apparent in middle age or later. There is some uncertainty about much of this because RLS is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Symptoms can be intermittent and may disappear entirely for weeks or even years. When it is properly diagnosed, however, conventional treatments usually greatly reduce or eliminate the symptoms permanently.