I slept last night with my wife but those crazy legs of hers are driving me crazy.

Did she kick you in her sleep?

Sometimes,but that's not the half of it.She's got this thing called Restless leg syndrome and it makes the legs sort of itch, and the only thing that relieves the itch is to move them. If that weren’t bad enough, the itching gets worse at night;so she can’t stop moving her legs around all night long.

You will be glad to know that recent researches have found that there seem to be no pathological changes in the brains of people with Restless Leg Syndrome. That is, there is no loss or damage of brain cells, as is the case in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

That's good, but what causes this thing?

It appears that cells in a section of the brain are simply not getting enough iron. These patients’ brains are lacking a specific receptor that transports iron. They get enough iron to keep the brain cells alive, but not enough to keep them functioning well, hence the itching sensation that gives the patient the urge to move his or her legs. Because it’s a matter of the receptor for iron malfunctioning, iron supplements are not the answer. While scientists are still working on developing a definitive treatment, there are medications your doctor can prescribe that may help ease the symptoms.

itch:痒

Alzheimer:老年痴呆症

receptor:感受体

prescribe:开处方