What if RLS Strikes your Child?

In This Issue: What if RLS Strikes your Child?

How to Treat and Help Your Child Cope with RLS

RLS and Children – How Common is it and What are the Implications?

Diagnosing and Treating Pediatric RLS

Helping Your Child Adjust to a Chronic, Lifelong Condition

What’s the Outlook?

Rested Legs™, an All-Natural Nutritional Supplement for Fast, Effective Relief

RLS and Children:

*Is it Rare?  And what are the Implications?

Pediatric Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is more common than you think.  Experts estimate that it affects between 5 to 10% of the adult population in some countries. And while the incidence among kids is not as prevalent, the best guess is that approximately 1.5 million children and adolescents are RLS victims. In fact, RLS strikes more kids than does pediatric diabetes and epilepsy, two better-known conditions that can affect children.

RLS Causes Major Disruptions in Children’s Lives

RLS often causes major problems in the lives of adults; affecting careers, relationships and lifestyle issues. In children, the uncomfortable and sometimes painful disorder can be particularly devastating as it affects their lives at critical times in their emotional and physical development. Because RLS causes sleep deprivation, often results in depression and can make children feel like they are different from everyone else, the condition can make it difficult for the child to thrive in school or cultivate interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, it’s an irritating and often painful disorder whose symptoms alone can make your child’s life miserable.

Diagnosing and Treating RLS in Children

There’s no specific diagnostic test for RLS, whether it strikes adults or children. A practitioner must rely on the patient’s description of the symptoms rather than blood work or other objective means of evaluation. Often children are unable to adequately describe their symptoms, making the already difficult task of diagnosing RLS even more challenging. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that kids often have what are commonly known as growing pains in their legs, which are confused with RLS symptoms.  One important difference exists between growing pains and RLS.  Although both cause kids to have great leg discomfort, usually at night, RLS symptoms are relieved when the child moves.  Growing pains are more constant.  Prior to bringing your child in for diagnostic evaluation of his or her symptoms, take note of the duration of the symptoms, their severity, and whether they are relieved when the child moves around.

Treatment for Kids with RLS

Researchers have found a strong connection between low iron levels and the incidence of RLS.  Health care providers often will test for deficient iron level once they’ve concluded the child likely has RLS.  Pharmaceutical interventions are often used, with varying success and in some cases specific prescription drugs often precipitate what is known as augmentation, an increased severity of symptoms. Therefore, it’s best to in

Drug-free Treatments for Pediatric RLS

Health care providers recommend a number of safe RLS treatments for children which can greatly relieve symptoms and make your child’s life more manageable.  Thee safe, effective treatments include:

*Massage

*Moderate (but not extreme) exercise

*A monitored sleep regimen that should include regular bed time, comfortable climate control, removal of noise distractions and proper diet that doesn’t include high fructose, difficult-to-digest foods and caffeinated or carbonated soft drinks and diet sodas.
What’s the Outlook?

Unfortunately, it’s likely your child will always have RLS. However, you can take positive steps, including non-drug interventions, certain nutritional supplements and psychological counseling to help your child adjust to having a chronic condition that can interfere with his or her life, if not approached vigorously.

Rested Legs™, an All-Natural Nutritional Supplement for Fast, Effective Relief

Rested Legs™, a nutritional supplement that comes in a once-a-day capsule containing

scientifically tested, all-natural ingredient is one of the safest and, most effective ways to relieve

the symptoms of Rested Legs Syndrome, Rested Legs™ is safe, not habit forming and will help

you get a good night’s sleep. It carries no risk factors that can exacerbate your condition. You’ll

awaken clear headed and refreshed.  For more information about Rested Legs™, please visit

RestedLegs.com.

!