7 Possible Causes of Burning Sensation in your Feet
The sensation of burning feet is a common disorder that can occur as an isolated issue or as an indication of another condition. These often cause the feet to become uncomfortably hot and painful. The symptoms can be mild or severe, depending on the cause. These sensations are most common in older adults and might get worse at night. This condition affects the top of the feet, ankles and the lower leg along with the soles of the feet. The most common cause of burning feet can be diabetes. However, this burning sensation is also a symptom of a number of other conditions.
The pain from burning feet can be intermittent or constant and range from mild to severe. You may feel hot, prickling, tingling, or numb in your feet. The pain is usually worse at night. The treatment for burning feet depends on the underlying cause.
Top 7 Causes of Burning Sensation in Feet
The burning sensation can even be painful. Here are the causes for experiencing this sensation:
Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholism can induce nerve injury, which results in burning feet.
Kidney Disease
When the kidneys are damaged, waste is not properly filtered from the body, resulting in peripheral neuropathy, which causes a burning sensation in the legs.
Athlete’s Foot
This is a fungal infection that manifests itself first as rashes between the toes. A burning sensation on the feet could be caused by the rash.
Hypothyroidism
In this condition, the thyroid gland do not produce enough hormones and might manifest as a burning sensation on the feet.
After Bariatric Surgery
A few weeks after bariatric surgery, some people experience a burning sensation on their feet. This can be due to vitamin B malabsorption after a gastric bypass.
Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS
CRPS is a painful condition that develops after an injury, stroke, or heart attack, while the cause is unclear. Symptoms of CRPS include burning feet.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
The sensation can occur when the posterior tibial nerve in the foot is squeezed.
Other causes are:
- Nerve Damage Due to Diabetes
- HIV/AIDS
- Chemotherapy
- Vitamin Deficiency and Anaemia
- Charcot Marie Tooth Disease
Diagnostic Tests for Burning Feet
Additional testing is usually not required to diagnose burning feet caused by neuropathy. However, in some cases, the underlying causes may not be clear and require diagnostic testing. The test may include:
- Electromyography
- Nerve Conduction Test
- Nerve Biopsy
Home remedies for pain relief
You can get temporary relief from the burning sensation. Here are some home remedies for pain relief:
- Soak your feet in cold water. However, this may damage the skin of people with erythromelalgia. Soak your feet in Epsom salts or an apple cider solution. Before trying this therapy, consult the doctor if you have diabetes.
- Use turmeric supplement to get relief from nerve pain. Curcumin is known to have protective anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial effects and antioxidants.
- Apply a lidocaine or capsaicin-containing topical cream. A ginger or turmeric solution made at home might also work in relieving pain.
- Massage your foot to improve blood flow and circulation.
The pain from burning feet can be worse at night. Consult our expert doctors and get relief from the burning sensation in the feet.
