Have you ever had a burning sensation in your feet? It may feel as though your feet are on fire, so you ditch the socks and the shoes in hopes of finding relief, but no relief comes. It can become rather hard to deal with.
There are those people who have this issue who then cannot focus on everyday activities because this burning sensation is so powerful.
Other people find that this could affect just where they go, what they wear and the like. It is not something that you should dismiss quickly.
You should always listen to your body, as it will tell you when there is a problem that you need to address. If you are dealing with a burning sensation in your feet, then it is time to look into what may be causing this.
What Causes “Burning Feet”?
There are several issues that can be present when you have “burning feet”, as most people call this. The most common reason for this is neuropathy.
This an issue in which there is nerve damage within the body. Damaged nerve fibers are going to become overactive and then misfire.
These damaged nerves are going to send the pain signals to the brain, even though there is really no open wound or the like. This can be extremely complicated and painful for those who are dealing with this.
In most people, they may have noticed that their legs become numb, or tingle first, then this travels down into the feet.
Along with the burning sensation, those who have neuropathy often complaint about having a sensitivity to touch on their feet along with the burning sensation. This can make it even harder to function on a daily basis.
There are several reasons why a person may have developed the neuropathy that is causing the burning sensation in the feet.
In addition, these same conditions are known for causing the burning sensation as well.
Thus, it is important that you know all the conditions that could be causing this:
- Having diabetes is one of the most common reasons for neuropathy developing
- Drinking excessive alcohol can lead to diabetes and then lead into neuropathy
- Having chronic kidney disease
- Small fiber neuropathy
- Having a vitamin deficiency in Vitamin B12, folate or Vitamin B6
- Low thyroid hormone levels
- Having Lyme disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyloid polyneuropathy
- Having side effects from a drug that has been taken. These drugs could include chemotherapy drugs, Vitamin B6 overdose, HIV/AIDS drugs, isoniazid, amiodarone, metformin and so forth.
- Having heavy metal poisoning from lead, mercury or arsenic
- Erythromelalgia
- Having an inflammation of the blood vessels known as vasculitis
- Sarcoidosis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
There are also those cases in which a person may have inflammation that is just in the feet or they have an infection that are in the feet.
For example, having athletes foot could also cause this burning sensation. Many people also find that they have poor circulation of the blood that causes the burning in their feet when they are moving, especially.
How is Burning Feet Diagnosed?
The good news is that those who are dealing with burning feet often find this super easy to get diagnosed.
In most cases, the person already has a preexisting condition such as diabetes that will give the doctor a good idea of what is causing this.
Additional testing is not really needed to determine the cause of this condition. However, in those cases that the burning sensation appears suddenly, there are several tests that can be performed in order to diagnose what the issue is causing.
These tests include:
- Performing an EMG (Electromyography), that is going to test the functioning of the muscles.
- A nerve conductive study that looks at how well the nerves are transmitting the nerve impulses.
- Blood tests, urine tests or even tapping the spinal fluid can give a great idea of whether
- A nerve biopsy is often the last resort as this cuts out a piece of nerve tissue and then examine this under a microscope.
Treating the Burning Sensation in your Feet
The treatment that you can utilize for the burning sensation in your feet is going to really depend upon the reason for this burning sensation.
However, treatment is a must. No one should let these sensations continue. Why? You want to stop an ongoing nerve damage that is going to continue to happen as long as you have not received any treatment.
If these nerves continue to be damaged, it can cause even more issues later down the line.
So, what treatments can you utilize? Here are some of the main treatments that doctors recommend:
- If you have diabetes, get your blood sugar levels under control. You may be required to take insulin and you will have to watch your diet to get this fully in control.
- Stopping drinking alcohol exclusive to allow the nerves to heal.
- Be sure to take a multi-vitamin, and you may have to get injections of some vitamins if you have been found to be low in these areas.
- Taking medication for thyroid hormone issues.
- Utilize over the counter medication for the pain such as Advil, Motrin IB, Aleve or even Tylenol, as this has been shown to help some people.
- Athletes foot can be stopped with utilizing fungal infections and relieving the burning. You will find that there are several antifungal drugs that can be utilized such as miconazole or terbinafine. If this does not clear up, then prescription medications can be given for this issue.
Remember, having a burning sensation is not something that is normal in the feet. If you are experiencing this it could be a sign that there is something more serious going on, and you will need to ensure that you are getting this taken care of as soon as possible.
