Definition – What is meant by burning in the fingers?
A burning sensation in the fingers can be understood in very different ways. It can be a superficial sensation on the skin, which is similar to a burning pain after an insect bite or nettle netting. A deeper burning sensation can also occur in the fingers. This is often used to describe a sensation that is based on a malfunction or damage to the nerves. A tingling sensation when the hand or fingers have fallen asleep can also manifest itself as a burning sensation in the fingers.
Causes of burning in the fingers
The causes of burning in the fingers can be very different. Typically, discomfort due to damage to the nerve fibres is experienced as a burning sensation. – The nerves can be damaged by a disease of the nerves themselves.
- But also a constriction or injury of the nerves can be the cause. – Circulatory disturbances are usually manifested by a tingling or burning sensation. Circulation can be disturbed by a blood clot or even injuries to the vessels.
- Various metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, a blood sugar disease, can also affect vessels and nerves, leading to a burning sensation in the fingers. Polyneuropathy (poly = many, neuro = nerves, pathos = disease) is a disease of the nerves which affects many nerves at once. Most polyneuropathies occur mainly in regions remote from the body, i.e. especially on the hands and feet.
It is named because several nerves (i.e. several fingers, often on both sides) are always affected. The causes of polyneuropathy are manifold. Many metabolic diseases but also drug and alcohol consumption can lead to nerve damage due to the deposition of toxins.
Due to this damage, information about temperature, pressure, touch and pain can no longer be adequately transmitted to the brain. Instead, every touch on the fingers, for example, is interpreted by the brain as a burning or strongly burning pain. These articles may also be of interest to you: Symptoms of Polyneuropathy or Diagnosis of PolyneuropathyIn the metabolic disease diabetes mellitus (diabetes) the body is not able to sufficiently metabolize the sugar we take in with food.
This leads to an accumulation of sugar in the blood. This leads to calcification of the blood vessels over a longer period of time, which promotes circulatory disorders and the formation of blood clots. Such a circulatory disorder usually initially affects the smallest vessels and is therefore also called microangiopathy (micro = small, angio = vessel).
The poor blood circulation in the fingers leads to a malfunction of the nerves, which is why a burning sensation can be felt in the fingers. The high blood sugar levels can also damage the nerve fibres themselves. Thus polyneuropathy is a typical consequence of diabetes.
This can also cause burning pain in the fingers. Vitamin B deficiency is a typical cause of polyneuropathy. The most common is vitamin B12 deficiency.
But a deficiency of vitamin B1 is also associated with polyneuropathy. The cause of this deficiency can be a reduced supply of the vitamin in food or a reduced absorption of vitamin B in the intestine. A disease specifically caused by vitamin B12 deficiency is funicular myelosis.
This causes damage to the central nerve tracts (initially mainly in the spinal cord). There, at the beginning of the disease, the nerve fibres that transmit sensitivity to the hands and feet are affected. Damage to these nerve fibres typically causes sensations in the form of a burning sensation in the fingers, for example.
The carpal tunnel is an anatomical structure on the wrist. Several tendons and the median nerve pass through it. In carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative changes usually cause the tunnel to narrow, resulting in damage to the median nerve.
This nerve is important both for the movement of the hand and for sensation, so that the mobility of some fingers and the feeling of touch, pressure, temperature and pain are disturbed. As a result, the thumb, index and middle finger of the affected hand can no longer be bent. In addition, the sensitivity of these fingers is disturbed, so that touching or cold and heat on the fingers can cause burning pain.
Circulatory disorders can cause a burning sensation in the fingers both in the case of an acute reduction in blood circulation and in the case of chronic circulation problems. The classic example is the very unpleasant feeling when the hand or fingers have fallen asleep. This is due to a short-term pinching or kinking of a blood vessel.
If the blood now flows back into the fingers, a strong burning sensation occurs. Chronic circulatory problems are often due to deposits of toxins. Particularly noteworthy are circulatory problems caused by nicotine, alcohol or calcification due to poor blood lipid values or diabetes. The permanent lack of blood circulation damages various tissues. If nerves are affected, this can cause a burning sensation.
