If you are suffering from burning sensations in feet soles, then this ultimate guide on how to cure it using home remedies is must read for you.
Walking is one such work which everyone is bound to do in his or her daily life.
Do you feel any discomfort while walking? Are there any red and bulged lesions happening under your feet? Or do you feel a much-augmented sensation of temperature?
If your reply is yes, then the following discussion could be very useful for you.
These symptoms mentioned above could be of burning feet, and anguish which can be found in a person of any age.It brings a lot of mess in your daily life and makes you feel like a handicap. But there is nothing to be bothered about.
Whenever there is a problem, there is always a solution. There are scores of solution’s which can give you relief from this trouble.
But let’s first understand about “Burning feet” before getting into its remedies.
Table of Contents
What Is Burning Feet?
Burning Feet refers to the burning sensation in the feet. They are scorching and painful along with some pins and needles sensation.
The severity of the problem can range from mild to severe nature. These could be short-term(acute) or long-term (chronic).
As mentioned earlier, it can happen to a person of any age group but most people of age above 50 complaints about it. In medical terms, this condition is said as Paresthesia.
Symptoms Indicative Of Burning Feet / Hot Feet
Apart from the symptoms stated above like burning sensation, redness or swelling some of the other conditions which indicate burning feet are a dull ache, change in both color and texture of skin, peeling the skin and increased sweating.
Prickling under the feet is another sign of burning feet. If you are having any of these symptoms then immediately consult a doctor and get the diagnosis done. Neglecting this could lead to serious trouble for you.
Causes Of Burning Feet
There are several reasons which can lead you to this problem. Some of these reasons may be minor while others can be serious which needs immediate medical attention.
Some of the causes of burning feet are as follows:
1. Diabetic Neuropathy
This is the most common cause. Long-term uncontrolled blood sugar can damage the blood vessels and nerves which can reduce the transmission of signals from the nerves. This can further reduce the sensation in various body parts especially feet.
This nerve damage is called neuropathy. Around 70-80% of diabetic people suffer from neuropathy. You might be at risk of neuropathy if you suffer are obese, high blood pressure, smoking cigarette, and drink alcohol.
When this nerve damage occurs in legs and feet is called diabetic neuropathy.
It has symptoms like:
- Numbness in the feet
- You feel tight like you are wearing socks
- sharp pain
- sweating
- weakness in legs
2. Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy
This is another form of painful nerve damage in which you feel burning sensation in the feet soles. It happens as a result of a loss in the myelin sheath which covers the nerve fibers.
3. Alcohol Abuse
Drinking lot of alcohol can cause another type of nerve damage called an alcoholic neuropathy. In this condition, you will feel burning sensation in the feet, muscles weakness, dizziness, impaired speech, and improper bowel movement.
If you face this, completely stop alcohol abuse.
4. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
This one is the most common inherited nerve diseases. It occurs in the nerves of control muscles. The diseases worsen with time. The most common symptoms of CMT is a burning sensation in the feet soles.
The disease is highly prevalent in U.S. This diseases is called muscular atrophy or sensory neuropathy.
5. Hypothyroidism
When the thyroid gland in your body alters the balance of hormones in your body, hypothyroidism occurs. This further causes swelling that puts pressure on the nerves of the body.
The abnormal pressure on the nerves, in turn, leads to burning sensation in feet, fatigue, and weight gain.
6. Infectious Diseases
At times, infection if the legs or feet can cause burning sensation if the feet. The few common diseases that cause it are Lyme diseases, HIV, Syphilis, and Shingles.
If you suffer from an infection it’s always best to get it treated.
7. Athlete’s Foot
This is a common infection seen in Athletes. Athlete’s Foot generally affects toenails and hand. The most common symptom of this disease is tingling or burning sensation in the feet soles.
The others signs which you will notice are itchy blisters on the foot, cracking and peeling of skin on feet sole, dry skin, and toenail coming out from the nail bed.
If you come across any of the symptoms mentioned above due to these causes, then once again I am saying, do consult an appropriate doctor and start proper treatment.
8. Chemotherapy
if you are undergoing chemotherapy, this could be a cause of burning sensation on feet. The chemicals used in chemotherapy to kill cancer cells can damage the feet nerves and cause a burning sensation.
The burning sensation is often accompanied with shaky tired feet, slowed reflexes, balance, issues, and muscles weakness.
9. Excess Of Toxins In The Body
If you work in a factory than it is usual that you must be exposed to a lot of industrial chemicals and that too for a long time. Exposure to the heavy chemical can cause peripheral neuropathy and bring up the burning sensation to a larger extent.
10. Peripheral Artery Diseases
This is a condition in which the arteries that bring blood to the legs and hands are narrowed. it is very similar to peripheral neuropathy in which the foot nerve damages.
In this condition, there is a lot of burning sensation of the foot, pain, and weakness legs.
11. Kidney Disease
When there is a chronic kidney issue or when they stop working properly, there is a build-up of toxins in the body.
The toxin buildup is often a major reason for swelling and burning sensation in the feet and hands. Along with the sensation, you might also feel reduced urine, seizure, fatigue, confusion, nausea, and respiratory issues.
12. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
It is a condition in which the nerve in the leg is squeezed as a result of swelling or injury. This nerve generally runs from the ankle to the feet.
The damage to this nerve cause burning and pain in the feet and leg. A proper treatment of this condition is very necessary as otherwise, it can be permanent.
13. Nutritional Deficiency
Malnutrition was a common cause of burning feet in early times. However, as of now the burning sensation in elder people occurs due to Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin-B.
In short, studies, suggest Vitamin B as the main cause of burning sensations in the feet.
14. Erythromelalgia
This is a very rare disease which causes red, tingling, hot painful feet. The condition worsens when you walk, stand, or perform any strenuous exercise.
15. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
This syndrome occurs mainly in a limb. Often it occurs after a surgery or chronic injury. This causes damage to the nerve that comes to the leg after receiving signals from brain and spine.
In this condition, you feel burning pain, irritation, change in skin color, and swelling.
16. Morton’s Neuroma
In this condition, the soft tissues soft tissues surrounding one of the nerves in your foot thickens up. it occurs due to excessive prolonged pressure on the foot, high impact activities, improper footwear etc.
With this, you feel burning pain and tingling in your feet soles especially if you stand.
17. Metatarsalgia
It is the irritation and inflammation of the bones present in the foot sole and in the surrounding tissues of the foot sole.
It occurs due to improper shoes, muscles weakness, excessive pressure on legs, and repetitive stress. The burning sensation is accompanied by pain which increases when you walk stand or do some physical work.
18. Burning Feet Syndrome
It is a moderate medical condition which is commonly known as Grierson-Gopalan Syndrome. In this a small nerve fiber in your feet damages.
The condition is linked to Vitamin B deficiency, renal failure, arthritis, thyroid, and diabetes. The main symptoms are burning ad tingling feeling in the feet followed by numbness.
All the above causes may vary from person to person. The burning sensation in the feet can be due to any of the above reason. it is always best to consult a doctor if the sensation is persistent and intolerable.
Home Remedies Of Burning Feet
experience with this issue will obviously depend on how severe the problem is. The treatment can be very simple like changing your footwear or could be an oral medication or even surgery.
However, there is no significant reason to take much stress if you are facing any of such issue.
Some of the home remedies which will surely reduce your discomfort are discussed below:
1. Cold Water
It is one of the best and the most common remedy practiced for burning feet sensation at night. This aids in speedy relief from problems like swelling, tingling and numbness of the feet.
All you need to do is put your feet in a tub filled with cold water and soak it for few minutes. After few minutes give some rest to the feet and then soak it again. You shall repeat this several times a day for better result.
You shall keep in mind not to put ice or ice pack directly on your feet. One more thing should be kept in mind is soaking for more than few minutes can worsen the symptoms.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
This solution helps in balancing the pH level of the body. Thus, making it an effective treatment for Burning sensation problem.
All you need to do is mix one or two tablespoons of the raw and unfiltered solution in a glass of warm water. Drink this prepared solution.
You should drink it once a day for better result.
You could also mix two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a tub of hot water. Also, mix some sea salt or Epsom salt to it. Now soak your feet for about 20 mins twice daily in this water.
3. Turmeric
It contains a curcumin compound in fine quantity, which makes this item an adequate remedy. It helps in improvement of blood circulation and blood flow throughout the body.
Curcumin also has the anti-inflammatory property which helps in reducing burning sensation and also the pain in the feet.
All you need to do is mix one or two teaspoons of turmeric powder in a glass full of warm water and drink it.
You could also prepare a paste by mixing two tablespoons of turmeric and required an amount of water. Apply this paste to the affected area once or twice a day.
But, you shall keep in mind that this medication (turmeric paste) can cause a yellow stain on your feet.
4. Epsom Salt
It is another item which can soothe your feet and thus provide instant relief from the trouble of burning feet in summer. As the article contains magnesium sulfate as one of its components, it assists in reducing the inflammation and pain.
It can improve the working of the nervous system.
All you need to do is put half cup of Epsom salt in a tub and pour some warm water into it. Mix it well. Soak your feet in this solution for about 10-15 mins. Do it once on a regular basis.
This method may not be suitable for people having diabetes, heart problem or issue of high blood pressure. So, you must consult your doctor before trying this remedy.
5. Ginger
This is another item which is very useful in providing relief from this problem. There are several active components in it which help in the improvement of blood circulation.Due to this Ginger provides quick relief from burning sensation.
You can prepare an Ayurveda Tea or Ginger Juice using it. Drink it twice a day. It’ll help you.
You can also make a mixture of ginger juice with some warm olive oil or coconut oil. Massage your legs or feet with this mix. Do it for around 10-15 mins once daily. For sure, you will get relief from the burning sensation.
6. Bitter Gourd
It is something which is being traditionally used as an answer for burning feet. This Ayurvedic solution is tried and tested. It will surely give relief from the trouble. All you have to do is, to grind some bitter gourd leaves with water to prepare a smooth paste.
Apply this paste on the problematic area and soon you will feel the positive result. Repeat the course as needed.
7. Thyme
Likewise, Bitter Gourd, thyme is another item which is very useful in the treatment of burning feet. This herbal product can boost your blood circulation and also can ease the constricted blood vessels.
As it is having the antimicrobial characteristic, it is a very brilliant home remedy for hot feet & treating athlete’s foot.
All you need to do is firstly soak some Thyme in two separate bowls. Now take hot water in one tub and cold water in another. Add soaked Thyme in each water container from the bowls. Soak your feet in water hot tub first for 3-5 mins and then switch to the cold water tub.
Repeat the same course for about 20 mins and then you will surely feel the difference.Follow this procedure once daily.
8. Vitamin B3
As Vitamin B3 deficiency is one the chief causes of the problem of burning feet, its ingestion will help in dealing with this issue.
Vitamin B3 which is also known as Niacin has several benefits to the body. It improves blood circulation, prevents the nerves to rupture when exposed to some pressure and even strengthens the nerves.
Items like milk, egg yolks, yogurt, wheat germ, green vegetables, wheat bran, whole grain products, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, peas, beans and more have ample amount of Vitamin B3. You can also have Vitamin B3 supplements in consultation with your doctor.
9. Massage
A gentle massage on your feet with any oil (whether it’s coconut, olive or mustard) is one of the best ways of relieving the discomfort caused by the problem of burning sensation.
Massage not only has a soothing effect but also improves the blood circulation of the body. While massaging, make sure that you have strokes upward and do this daily in the morning and before going to the bed at night.
10. Exercise
ExerciseFrom the above discussions, you must have noticed that every remedy has one thing in common, i.e. all of them improves the blood circulation. And this can be best done by being physically active. To be physically fit and active, you need to do exercise regularly.
If you are facing the problem of burning sensation, then you must try to walk barefoot on soft grass or sand for few minutes. This will help to relieve you of the problem.
Also, keep doing exercises like jogging and running on a regular basis.
Additional Prevention Tips For Burning Feet
- Always use the footwear of proper fitting and which is comfortable.
- Always use socks. Never use shoes without socks.
- After a long day work, it is advisable to stretch and also to ice your feet.
- Provide rest to your feet as much as you can.
- Avoid the use of alcohol or any narcotic items.
- Acupuncture or magnetic therapy shall be done whenever possible to keep the nerves active.
- Follow all the instructions as given by the doctor.
Final Talk
This Burning foot is such a problem which can affect your whole lifestyle. If you are uncomfortable while walking because of this, then literally you can be considered as a physically challenged.
Thus, it is critical to control the same and follow all instructions of the doctor. The home remedies mentioned above are very useful and will surely alleviate your discomfort. It is crucial to know the exact cause of the problem and then do the appropriate treatment.
Till now you must have understood the importance of correct diagnosis. Hence, keep yourself surrounded by persons you could trust so that you can give you the right advice.
Also, consulting a good doctor is equally important. As this is a sensitive issue (related to the nerve), a little error can lead to a bigger mishap.
Both Allopathy and Ayurveda have solutions for almost all sort of health issues. The only thing required is to have a correct identification of the problem. Just ensure proper diagnosis and have suitable treatment. All the very best!
Also Read:
How To Get Rid Of Fat Feet Effectively
How To Stop Feet From Sweating
If you are facing this problem or is recently cured this issue, then share your problem or experience with us. Leave a comment below.
