Heavy legs, cramps, swallowing, a hot and crawling sensation in your legs? Sometimes, even varicose veins or varices? These are symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). And here are some habits you should change and some foods and plants may help you.
Restless Leg Syndrome is produced when veins have difficulty sending the blood back to the heart from the lower parts of the body. Usually, the muscle contraction impulses the blood up against gravity and a valve system inside the veins stops the blood from going down. It is when this system fails that discomfort starts appearing. Blood gets stuck, veins dilatate and some fluids are filtered to bodily tissues.
Women are more probably affected by this syndrome, due to hormonal factors. As one gets older, the symptoms of RLS are more frequent, as veins lose their elasticity. The syndrome is not summer-only, but its incidence rises due to high temperatures.
Your enemies:
Sedentary lifestyle: physical
activity is the bomb that activates the circulatory system to help the blood
return to the heart. Swimming, walking or running make the muscles from
the lower body ease the heavy sensation of the legs. Careful at work!Spending too much
time sitting or standing causes the venous return to be difficult.
Overweight: this
increases the venous pressure. The increase in adipose tissue in the legs
compress the capillary vessels.
Hot weather: high temperatures provoke vasodilation in
the veins. This causes fluid retention and for blood to get stuck easier. What
should you avoid? Putting your legs next to stoves and heaters and to
expose your legs to the sun.
Helping habits:
Massage your legs: a massage with
creams or cold gels made from plants will ease the discomfort. The massage
should be given when your legs are lifted and always in this direction:
from the ankle to the knee.
Showers. This stimulates your
veins. Start with hot water and finish with a shot of cold water along tour
legs; always going from down to up.
Lift your legs. When sitting, place
your legs above hip level and try not to cross them. While sleeping, lift
your legs up to 15 cm.
Comfortable clothes and shoes. Do
not use tight clothes nor tight rubber band socks. Avoid using heles and
do use wide, comfortable and closed shoes.No hay que utilizar ropa ajustada ni
calcetines con una goma estrecha.
Look out for you diet:
Salt. Increases
fluid retention and slows down blood circulation. Pay attention to processed
food, as they usually contain more sodium. Instead of salt, use some spices.
Fibra.Take more fiber to
avoid constipation. Constipation increases abdominal pressure and can
contribute to hindrance venous return.
Liquids. Apart from water, consume
liquids through natural infusions, juices, and broth; as well as water-rich
fruits and vegetables.
Potasium. It helps reduce
water levels in the body. It is present in fruits and vegetables.
Treatment for RLS:
Pressotherapy.It is a lymphatic
drainage with a duration of about 30 minutes per session. The patient wears
a trouser-like device, covering the legs, gluteus and abdomen. El paciente se coloca una especie de
pantalón que cubre piernas, glúteos y vientre. This device is connected
to a machine that applies upstream pressure, from feet to up the abdomen. Thanks
to these pressure waves, circulation and blood stream improves; it helps
purifying liquids, fats and toxins as well as reducing swelling and edema.
Also, it eases led tiredness.
Phytotherapy. Among the plant more
used to facilitate blood circulation, we can find: Witch Hazel
(Hamamelis. With flavonoids and tannins. Vasoconstruction and anti-inflammatory
properties), Horse Chestnut (with saponins. It has anti-inflammatory
and anti-edema activity), butcher's-broom (increases the resistance
of capillary vessels and its permeability), Cypress (with active
principles to increase resistance) or wine grape (decreases
permeability ad edema and have antioxidative properties).
