Leg sensations, often uncomfortable, can significantly impact daily life and sleep quality. While numerous factors contribute to leg discomfort, a specific question often arises: can varicose veins cause restless legs? This article explores the relationship between these two conditions.
What Are Restless Legs Syndrome and Varicose Veins
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, often accompanied by unpleasant sensations like aching, throbbing, or crawling. Symptoms worsen during rest or inactivity, particularly in the evening or at night, and are temporarily relieved by movement.
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear swollen and blue or purple just beneath the skin’s surface. They occur when valves inside the veins weaken or become damaged, allowing blood to pool. Common symptoms include aching, heaviness, throbbing, muscle cramps, swelling in the legs and ankles, and sometimes itching or skin discoloration.
How Varicose Veins Can Cause Restless Legs Symptoms
The connection between varicose veins and restless legs symptoms stems from underlying venous insufficiency, where leg veins struggle to return blood to the heart. This leads to blood pooling in the lower extremities, increasing pressure within the veins and surrounding tissues. This elevated pressure can irritate or compress nearby nerves, triggering uncomfortable sensations that mimic RLS.
Chronic blood pooling can lead to inflammation in the leg tissues. This inflammation contributes to nerve overactivity and discomfort, manifesting as the restless, crawling, or tingling sensations characteristic of RLS. Poor circulation from venous insufficiency can also result in an insufficient supply of oxygen to leg muscles, intensifying these sensations. While RLS is a complex neurological disorder, venous insufficiency is a recognized, treatable cause of secondary RLS.
Identifying the Connection Through Diagnosis
To determine if varicose veins are contributing to restless legs symptoms, a healthcare professional begins with a thorough physical examination and a detailed discussion of the patient’s symptoms and medical history. This evaluation helps differentiate RLS symptoms from other conditions that might cause leg discomfort. A key diagnostic tool is a venous ultrasound, a non-invasive and painless imaging test.
This ultrasound uses sound waves to visualize the veins in the legs, allowing assessment of blood flow and identification of weakened or damaged valves indicating venous insufficiency. Real-time images show if blood is pooling or flowing backward, which can be the root cause of RLS-like sensations. Identifying venous insufficiency through this method is important for accurate diagnosis, guiding appropriate treatment, and ruling out other potential causes of RLS.
Managing Symptoms Through Treatment
When varicose veins are identified as the cause of restless legs symptoms, addressing the underlying venous issue leads to improvement. Minimally invasive procedures treat venous insufficiency. These include endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which use heat to seal off diseased veins, redirecting blood flow to healthier pathways. Sclerotherapy, another common procedure, involves injecting a solution into the affected vein, causing it to collapse and fade.
These procedures are performed under local anesthesia with minimal downtime. Studies have shown that treating varicose veins can reduce or resolve RLS symptoms for patients. Conservative measures such as wearing compression stockings and elevating the legs can also help manage symptoms by improving blood circulation and reducing pressure in the veins.