Restless Leg Syndrome & Venous Insufficiency
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Varicose Veins have many symptoms in common:
Urge to move your legs
Itching
Tingling
Creepy-crawly feeling
Restlessness
These symptoms may be an indication of poor circulation, even though you have no visible varicose veins. RLS is common in patients with both saphenous and truncal varicose vein disease and can respond frequently and rapidly to EVLT and sclerotherapy.
Venous insufficiency can be the underlying cause of multiple other conditions, including Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clots in your legs), lower extremity cellulitis (life-threatening skin infections), variceal bleeding, and venous ulcers, restless legs syndrome, and leg cramps just to name a few. Physicians often only check some of the obvious explanations for the leg cramps like electrolytes imbalance (potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels) neuropathy, or endocrine conditions and do not explore the possibility of venous reflux as an underlying cause.
Restless leg syndrome is a condition marked by unpleasant leg sensations at bedtime. Restless leg syndrome frequently leads to insomnia. The cause of restless leg syndrome is unknown in most individuals, but many conditions have been associated with it.
RLS is common in patients with both saphenous and reticular varicose vein disease (unsightly veins). All this subpopulation of RLS sufferers should be considered for phlebological evaluation of venous insufficiency as a possible cause.