Duration | Burning feet

Duration

The duration of the complaints cannot be precisely defined and varies greatly with the underlying cause. Usually, burning feet are a harmless symptom of temporary local complaints. The burning may subside after a few hours or days.

However, if there is a chronic disease behind the complaints, the duration of the individual symptom cannot be predicted. Polyneuropathy, for example, cannot be cured in most cases. Although the symptoms can be alleviated symptomatically, they can recur at any time. Orthopaedic complaints, for example those arising from a slipped disc, can last for days or months. If the cause of the complaints is surgically removed, the burning sensation can subside within a few hours to days.

Causes

The so-called “real burning feet syndrome” in medical terminology represents a very rare clinical picture. It is caused by a vitamin deficiency and in addition to burning and aching feet, it also causes other deficiency symptoms, sensations and muscle complaints in the legs. The underlying cause is a lack of pantothenic acid, which is a vitamin of the B complex.

However, burning feet are much more common as a symptom of other diseases. Before thinking of a disease of the entire body, external influences on the feet must be excluded. Burning feet can often be caused by irritation and friction, fungal diseases of the feet, uncleanliness, allergic reactions to ointments, etc.

etc., as well as an increased tendency to sweat. All this can result in burning, itching and aching feet. If these causes are excluded, diseases of the nerves and vessels can be the cause.

Important widespread diseases that include burning feet as a long-term symptom are diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, arteriosclerosis or gout. Many of these diseases are due to risk factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol consumption or unhealthy nutrition. Rarer causes can be nerve tumours, restless leg syndrome, Raynaud’s syndrome and other rare diseases of the nerves.

  • Vitamin deficiency
  • Fungal diseases
  • Allergic reaction
  • Excessive sweating
  • Diabetes mellitus

Polyneuropathy includes a number of nervous disorders involving several nerves. The most important cause of polyneuropathy is diabetes mellitus. Inadequate treatment and frequently elevated blood sugar levels lead to changes and damage to smaller vessels, which can result in consequential damage to the kidneys, eyes or nerves in arms and legs.

Polyneuropathy usually starts at the toes and manifests itself as a sensation with tingling, burning and pain. In addition, there is numbness, altered sensation of heat and cold and later coordination problems. Typical for polyneuropathy is that the sensations are limited in the shape of socks and continue to progress towards the trunk if left untreated.

The treatment consists merely in controlling the underlying disease. In addition to diabetes mellitus as the most important trigger, hormonal changes during pregnancy, alcohol abuse, poisoning or certain drugs can also cause polyneuropathy. Slipped discs are very common nowadays.

The lumbar spine in particular is often affected by disc-related complaints. This is often based on a combination of many years of incorrect loading, overweight, lack of movement and low muscle development of the back. In the case of particularly strong compression, the outer ring of the intervertebral disc can tear, allowing the fluid inside to escape.

In many cases, the protruding disc can press on nerves as well as the spinal cord and lead to pain and discomfort along the course of the nerves. Herniated discs in the lumbar spine regularly cause pain and tingling along the leg and into the feet. If numbness or partial paralysis of muscles occurs, it may be necessary to perform surgery to relieve the nerves.

Otherwise, a herniated disc can in most cases be treated conservatively with pain medication and muscle building. The tarsal tunnel syndrome is a possible orthopaedic cause of sensations in the sole of the foot. The tarsal tunnel describes a narrow area that runs from the lower leg behind the inner ankle to the sole of the foot.

Vessels, nerves and tendons of several muscles run through this area. As the tarsal tunnel is already anatomically very limited and restricted, nerve compressions can already occur in the event of fractures of the inner ankle, sprains and swellings. The nerve running through the tarsal tunnel supplies the sensitivity of the sole of the foot and various muscles, which can, however, be compensated by other muscles.

Therefore, only tingling, pain and burning of the sole of the foot are typical, which usually subside as the swelling subsides or after the fracture has been treated. The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormone thyroxine, which is essential for survival. It is important that this hormone is always balanced in the body, as both over- and undersupply cause symptoms.

For this reason, thyroid dysfunction is very common. An overactive thyroid, for example, can increase circulatory activity, which in turn increases blood circulation and sweat secretion in the legs and feet. A poorly adjusted or untreated hyperthyroidism can, in addition to numerous symptoms such as palpitations and trembling, also manifest itself in a strong tendency to sweat and burning feet.

In addition to the urgent treatment of thyroid dysfunction, good foot hygiene as well as cotton socks and airy shoes should be used to prevent irritation and further irritation of the skin. Burning feet can also be the result of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Such a deficiency is caused by insufficient absorption of the vitamin or poor processing by the body.

The most important risk factor for a reduced intake is vegan nutrition, as vitamin B12 naturally occurs only in animal foods. However, inflammation of the gastric mucosa or a number of rare diseases can also lead to processing problems with vitamin B12. As a consequence, a so-called “funicular myelosis” can develop.

This leads to damage to the nerve cords, which can manifest itself in a similar way to polyneuropathy. Typical symptoms are paresthesia, numbness, tingling and burning sensations in the feet, which can rise up and are roughly limited to a stocking shape. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord, which is chronic and progressive.

In both the brain and spinal cord, damage occurs to the so-called “myelin sheaths”, which correspond to a kind of insulation of the nerve fibres. This causes an enormous reduction in the conductivity of the nerves, which can lead to symptoms in many parts of the body. Typical symptoms at the beginning of the disease are impaired vision, pain when moving the eyes, sensations in the feet and legs in the form of burning, pain, numbness and unusual exhaustion.

New symptoms usually come in relapses with pauses. Recovery of previous symptoms also occurs in between. The burning sensation in the feet can subside after a relapse, but in the long term damage often remains.

The disease cannot be cured by therapy but can often be stopped or slowed down. Both forms of diabetes mellitus cause damage to the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. As a result, the body lacks insulin, which is normally secreted during meals and supplies the cells of the body with the energy it absorbs.

As a result, the cells receive too little sugar, while too much sugar circulates in the blood. The therapy aims to keep the sugar level at a normal level, as both too high and too low sugar levels can be dangerous for the body. An incorrectly adjusted treatment often leads to permanently high sugar levels in the blood, which in the long term can lead to damage to various organs such as the eyes, nerves or kidneys.

Burning feet are a frequent early symptom of polyneuropathy, which is one of the most important secondary diseases of diabetes mellitus. Burning feet as well as diabetes itself can only be treated by optimal blood glucose control. The menopause can also be a reason for burning, itching and painful feet.

During this time the body experiences many hormonal changes and an imbalance in oestrogen production. This also changes the blood circulation and the physical condition, and there are more hot flushes. During the menopause, therefore, one should not initially think of a disease such as diabetes or a severe circulatory disorder.

Especially a specific symptomatic therapy can help women in the menopause to relieve burning feet. In addition to cooling, creams that cool the feet over a longer period of time can also be applied to the feet. Deodorants for the feet, cotton socks and shoes that are not too tight also greatly alleviate the symptoms of sweaty and burning feet.

Although the hot flushes and thus also the burning feet are unpleasant, they will pass eventually. The symptoms are particularly pronounced at the beginning of the menopause, when the hormone fluctuations are at their greatest. A heavy strain on the feet can also promote burning feet in healthy people with pre-existing complaints.

The symptoms can occur after long walks and hikes or after an evening in high shoes. This is due to water retention and oedema caused by the strain, pressure points caused by the shoes, uneven pressure distribution on the foot and friction of the feet in the shoe. All this puts a lot of strain on the feet, which can cause a burning sensation.

At the same time, the blood supply in the foot and lower leg also changes due to the severe exhaustion. The fluctuations in blood flow can also cause an unpleasant burning sensation in the feet. Hot feet during pregnancy are not a rare symptom.

Especially at night, they are a problem for pregnant women, who suffer a poorer night’s sleep with the growing baby belly anyway. During pregnancy, the burning sensation is mainly caused by fluctuations in blood circulation. By taking care of the baby, the maternal circulatory function increases, which also increases the blood circulation in the legs. In addition to burning feet, these fluctuations are noticeable in hot flushes and sweating. Cool packs, cold water baths or cooling creams can temporarily relieve the symptom.