The symptoms and side effects of restless leg syndrome can be a hazard to your job in two very important ways. The consequences of restless leg syndrome can not only put you in harm’s way, it can also compromise the safety of all those working around you.
Here is an overview of the two primary concerns about restless leg syndrome:
Lack of Sleep
The symptoms of RLS often cause people to have their sleep disrupted. Waking often during the night to walk around and relieve the symptoms of RLS means you are not getting adequate or proper quality sleep. This can cause mistakes and confusion during your work day. If you lack sleep, you may not be able to think clearly or react to dangers on the job. This puts you and your co-workers at risk for accidents, injuries, and even death.
Medication Treatment
There are some medications which doctors have been using to treat restless leg syndrome and alleviate the symptoms of the medical condition. However, many of these medications can cause risks to the patient because they promote drowsiness and have the ability to cause dependency among users. Drug use on the job can seriously impact how you work and can even be cause for termination, especially if something goes wrong. Even sleep aids can disrupt your life, leaving you tired or prone to oversleeping and missing work time. Being late or missing work can be infractions that are cause for termination.
If you are being treated for restless leg syndrome with prescription drugs, you need to evaluate the effect it will have on your job. It is certainly recommended that you speak with your doctor and get a letter informing your employer about your diagnosis. Depending on what kind of job tasks you perform, you may not be able to stick with your regular work schedule, especially if the health and safety of the workforce is in question. Report medications you are taking under a doctor’s care to prevent you from being fired for drug use and its side effects.
