Burning pain is a sensory perception that can be felt like cold, heat or touch. Pain can take many forms. Here, however, we will focus on a general definition of the term and give examples of burning pain and stabbing pain.
What are burning pains?
Burning pain refers to a type of pain that can occur throughout the body. Burning pain is the term used to describe a type of pain that can occur throughout the body and is manifested by a specific, distinctive sensation of pain. Patients describe their sensation as burning, meaning that the pain is manifested by an extremely sharp sensation, tingling or stinging, which is associated with burning. Heat sensations may occur, but they are not a necessary condition for burning pain. In any case, the sensation makes the patient aware that he needs medical attention. Thus, if pain is understood broadly, it is always an indication that something is wrong with the body. A special form of pain is chronic pain, which does not occur secondarily, but is there at regular intervals or even always.
Causes
The causes of pain are not always physical. In some cases, pain can also occur in the context of mental illness, such as depression. In this case, no physical factors are decisive. A milder form of burning pain can occur with diseases of the musculature. Tears, overstretching and other mechanical problems cause burning pain in the affected area. They usually occur during sports and signal a serious injury. Burning pains can also result from impacts or blows: They signal bruises, capsular tears and, in extreme cases, broken bones. They are often accompanied by other symptoms such as severe nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Organic causes also trigger burning pains – but they are much more severe than those of the above-mentioned causes. These very rarely come on suddenly; in most cases, they are preceded by warning symptoms. A burst appendix causes burning pain, but announces itself by pain in the right abdomen. Stroke or heart attack are also felt by the patient as such pain, but they can be detected early and averted by preliminary examinations. Migraine, on the other hand, is an exception: burning pain is felt in the head, but it is triggered and therefore cannot be detected at an early stage. If, on the other hand, acute pains such as burning pains or stabbing pains occur, a disorder of the body is usually present. Examples of diseases with burning pain include shingles and hemorrhoidal diseases. Examples of stabbing pain also include herniated discs.
Acute pain
Acute pain is a sign of dangerous changes on or in the body. Exemplary here would be pain from burns or injuries. In this case, the pain can usually be accurately diagnosed and treated by a doctor.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is already considered a disease in its own right. The causes are often not immediately identifiable. This is often due to the nerve impulses that continue to act as pain impulses despite the absence of a pain stimulus. One speaks of a memory of the affected nerve cells. The most important cause here is often psychological problems.
Diseases with this symptom
- Frostbite
- Poisoning
- Heart attack
- Burn
- Rabies
- Insect venom allergy
- Chemical burn
- Appendicitis
- Migraine
- Herniated disc
- Cystitis
- Vaginitis
- Stroke
- Shingles
- Hemorrhoids
- Sun allergy
- Prostatitis
- Vaginal fungus
When should you go to the doctor?
Burning pain can occur anywhere on the body. To the sensation of a burning pain comes from the stinging or tingling characteristic of it. Not always, but often burning pain is accompanied by a sensation of heat. The occurrence of burning pain can have many causes.A visit to the doctor is always recommended in this case. Anyone who suffers from burning pain is best to see their family doctor first. A common cause of burning pain are injuries or diseases of the muscles. Sports in particular are a known trigger for this. Mechanical impacts such as blows and jolts also often result in burning pain including injuries that require treatment such as bruises, capsular tears and broken bones. The burning pain often associated with migraines is also notorious. Patients with heart attacks and strokes also frequently complain of burning pain. Other very different causes of burning pain include conditions such as hemorrhoids, shingles, and herniated discs. Burning pain can be an acute or chronic pain event, although chronic pain is now considered a disease in its own right. Depending on the suspected cause of the burning pain, the primary care physician will refer his patient to specialists, for example, internists, orthopedists, cardiologists or neurologists.
Treatment and therapy
Acute pain can usually be recognized and felt immediately and can therefore be treated specifically. Elimination of this pain refers to its causes. However, if the pain persists for a period of about three months, it is referred to as chronic pain. In this case, therapy is always oriented to the pain itself. Progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training and hypnotherapy have proven to be effective. Burning pain is therefore always a reason to see a doctor immediately or, if necessary, to call an ambulance. In most cases they signal that tissue has been destroyed or is being irreparably damaged. Since they occur spontaneously in most cases, one should pay attention to where they are located and how the patient behaves – first aid measures should be initiated accordingly. Sports injuries that cause burning pain are not yet a life-threatening emergency. If possible, the patient should be sat down. If he cannot move or feels dizzy, he may lie down on the spot, but the legs should be raised. The pain will subside-often before help arrives. If no obvious injury has preceded, it is safe to assume that organs or internal tissues have been damaged. The patient must be immobilized. In most cases, immediate surgery is required to at least stop the damage – after which the exact cause is sought.
Outlook and prognosis
The outlook for burning pain depends greatly on the causes of the pain. Therefore, no universal prediction is possible as to what the further course of the disease will be. In most cases, for example, burns can be treated relatively well. It is only important that the patient seeks treatment immediately. Therefore, if burning pain occurs, a doctor should be consulted immediately or an ambulance should be called. This can prevent secondary damage such as wounds and scars. Burning pain often also occurs during sports. As long as it is not a life-threatening situation, the affected person should first be calmed down. Usually, the burning pain passes after a short time and does not lead to further discomfort or complications. If the burning pain involves damage to internal organs or internal tissue, an emergency physician must be called immediately. In this case, surgical intervention is sometimes necessary to correct this pain. The success of the treatment depends on the cause of the pain and the damage. In the case of mild burning pain caused by insect bites, for example, the patient can apply cream to the affected area. Usually, the pain disappears on its own after a few hours.
Prevention
Burning pain from sports injuries cannot always be prevented, but the risk can be significantly reduced. Sports should only be performed with warmed-up muscles, and the required safety clothing must be worn. Demanding exercises should only be performed if you feel safe doing them. Burning pain from physical causes can also be prevented – mild, unusual complaints should be examined by a doctor to rule out more serious conditions.In most cases, the pain announces itself, for example through slight pain or general discomfort, which should be taken seriously. Acute pain cannot be prevented directly. It can only be minimized by avoiding accidents and leading a generally healthy life through sufficient exercise and good nutrition. Similarly, chronic pain cannot be treated in advance. Here, too, the causes, such as psychological suffering, must be recognized and treated in time to rule out long-term consequences.
What you can do yourself
The symptom of burning pain can have versatile causes and can therefore also be treated in different ways yourself. For burning pain caused by an insect bite, healing earth is recommended in natural medicine. The earth, which is available in pharmacies and health food stores, is mixed with water or cold chamomile tea and applied to the skin. Once the earth has dried, it is carefully washed off with lukewarm water. Burning pain due to a mild sunburn is best cooled and treated with a protective foam spray from the pharmacy. For severe sunburns, a dermatologist should always be consulted. If the burning pain is due to a chemical burn, the affected area must be cleaned immediately with water and then a doctor consulted. It is essential to refrain from self-therapy, especially in the case of severe burns. For burning pain in the ear, nose and throat area that is due to a cold, various home remedies can help. Patients can get relief by drinking sage tea, for example. Nasal rinses with warm salt water are also helpful. Special nasal douches are available for this purpose in pharmacies and health food stores. Burning pain in the throat that originates in the stomach is almost always heartburn. Simple home remedies can also help here. For example, taking healing clay or kitchen soda (baking soda). In the case of prolonged discomfort or severe pain, however, the doctor should definitely be consulted.
