What are Burning feet?
This is what individuals describe as the sensation of the feet when they are agonizingly hot and this sensation can be either mild or severe. In several cases, the sensation of burning feet can be so very painful that this pain inhibits sleeping at night. There are also some conditions where burning feet will also have a feeling of “pins and needles”. The sensation is known as parasthesia or numbness or both. Burning feet can also be described as tingling feet.
Burning feet Causes
This sensation of burning feet often is merely due to the fact that the feet are fatigued. Athlete’s feet also can cause the sensation of burning feet. This sensation also can be a sign or indication of damage to the nerves, also known as peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy can be owing to diabetes, chronic use of alcohol, exposure to definite toxins, HIV or some cases of B vitamin insufficiencies.
Possible causes for burning feet:
- Athlete’s foot
- Alcoholism
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth (group of genetic illnesses that distresses the nerves of the legs and arms)
- Long-lasting kidney failure
- Chemotherapy
- Complex regional pain (lingering pain because of a nervous system that is dysfunctional)
- HIV/AIDS
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
- Diabetic neuropathy (diabetic-associated nerve damage)
- Vitamin deficiency anemia
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
Burning feet Remedies
Some self-care remedies to be tried include:
- Rest/elevate the feet
- Change to shoes that are extra comfortable
- Bathe the feet in water that is cool
- After walking, change socks and shoes, allowing them to dry
- Use aspirin or acetaminophen as pain relievers
- Rotate socks and shoes, not just between walking sessions but each day
Often this can be sensitivity to the leather dye or fabric in the socks or shoes, or even the detergent that is being used to wash the socks. These need to be varied to see if this could be the some of the cause. Choose mesh shoes instead of leather so that your feet have a chance to breathe. Often insoles in shoes can cause the sensation of burning so different types of insoles need to be tried.
Also fibers that are natural are not really good for walking. Use socks made of artificial fibers that takes sweat away from the feet and can cool them down.
If you are a diabetic, you should have a self-care plan for daily caring for your feet. This includes cleaning the feet, checking for any cuts, lesions, or other skin openings, as well as any signs of infections.
Burning feet Treatment
An individual should seek medical care immediately if:
- Sensation of burning in the feet comes on abruptly, especially if there is some toxin that the individual has been exposed to.
- There is an open wound on the foot which appears to be infected, particularly with diabetics
An individual can schedule an office appointment if:
- Have the burning feet experience sensation continuously after numerous weeks of self-care
- The symptom or sensation is getting more painful and intense
- The sensation of burning has begun to migrate up into the legs
- There is the loss of feeling in the feet or toes
If this sensation of feet burning continues, or there are absolutely no obvious causes, then your primary care physician will need to do test in order to decide if any of the many conditions that can cause peripheral neuropathy are the reason for the problem.
In order to help the doctor with a diagnosis, a full medical history will be taken as well as a physical and neurological exam in order to check the reflexes of the tendons, muscle strength and tone, and the ability to feel some sensations as well as the coordination and posture.
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Blood test may be requested to check the following:
- Levels of vitamins
- Functioning of thyroid
- Levels of blood sugar
- Functions of the liver
- Functions of the kidneys
Peripheral Neuropathy is an area that begins to be scary because this is damage to the nerves and can be very serious. Burning of the feet, or pins and needles sensation, numbness, tingling or tickling can all be symptoms of this nerve condition.
One aim of treatment is to manage what condition is causing the neuropathy. If there is an underlying cause that can be treated, the neuropathy will usually improve on its own. Another goal of treatment is also to relieve the symptoms themselves. There are many types of medications that can be used to treat the pain of peripheral neuropathy and these include:
Pain relievers
Symptoms which are mild can be help by over-the-counter pain medicines. More severe symptoms may need a prescription for strong pain management by a physician. These prescription medications can contain opiates, such as codeine often leading to addictions, sedation or constipation. Therefore these medications normally are only used when other therapy has failed.
Anti-seizure drugs
These include Neurontin, Topamax, Lyrica, Tegretol and Dilantin and have been successful in treating pain caused by nerves. Drowsiness as well as dizziness can be possible side effects.
Antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressant medications such as nortriptyline or amitriptyline sold as Pamelor have been showed to help with treatment of pain by interference with chemical processes in the brain as well as spinal cord. Also the norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor Cymbalta also has shown good results for peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes.
Patches with lidocaine
These are patches which contain the topical anesthetic lidocaine. They are applied to the area where the pain is severe and up to 4 patches a day can be used. These patches seem to have no side effects except an occasional rash.
Exercise for instance walking is good for peripheral neuropathy as it can improve the circulation to the feet.
Other conditions that cause peripheral neuropathy that a physician may test an individual for include:
- AIDS
- Abuse of alcohol
- Vitamin B-13 deficiency also known as pernicious anemia
- Poisoning by heavy metals
