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Do you sometimes feel your feet have gotten painfully hot with tingling sensations? If yes, then you have burning feet condition, also known as paresthesia or neuropathy. Burning feet can happen due to a number of reasons. It could be that your feet are plain tired or a sign of a more serious health problem. Burning feet can also be accompanied by familiar pins and needles feeling, or even numbness. And the pain can vary from being mild to excruciating, going to the extent of even interfering with your sleep. Either way, if this condition occurs frequently, it might be time to get it checked by a medical health professional.

Burning feet occurs due to nerve damage in the legs. Other reasons could be due to athlete’s foot, alcoholism, chemotherapy, diabetic neuropathy, hypothyroidism, HIV/AIDS, Chronic kidney failure, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, complex regional pain syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome and anemia due to vitamin deficiencies. Burning feet also occur during pregnancy. A pregnant woman might also experience hot and burning sensations in the feet due to a sudden increase in weight as well as hormonal changes. Erythromelalgia can also cause you to experience symptoms similar to those of ‘burning feet syndrome’. The hands and feet here go through periodic episodes of pain, swelling and redness. A more severe form of erythromelalgia can impede everyday activities like running, walking and even wearing shoes.

Self care and home remedies usually help treat burning feet syndrome, but if the symptoms don’t go away after weeks of treating it naturally, you should consult a doctor. Some home-care as well as natural remedies for burning feet syndrome are:

• Diet: Increase your intake of essential fatty acids. Eat fish, nuts, flaxseed oil and avocados. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, quality protein sources, organic dairy products and simple sugars. Staying hydrated is very important to help treat burning feet syndrome as lack of sufficient fluids can cause circulatory sluggishness and decrease the rise in body temperature.

• Comfortable Shoes: Wear shoes that don’t compress your feet and slow circulation. Make sure you have footwear that has supports your arches well and most importantly your shoes should be comfortable.

• Health Issues: Get yourself checked for liver congestion or kidney deficiencies. Both disorders can affect circulation and increase heat in the body. Also, get your blood sugar and thyroid levels checked.

• Hydrotherapy: Soak your feet in cold (not icy) water for 15 minutes. This will help provide relief to the tingling, numbness and swelling.

• Elevation: After a day’s work or even at work, try and lay on the floor or the couch with your feet raised. Use cushions to elevate your feet, keeping them above the level of your heart for about 15 minutes. This will help in clearing the congestion of blood pooling in the feet due to gravity, during the day.

• Lifestyle Changes: Apart from your diet, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Start gentle exercises and activities that you like doing.

• Herbs and Vitamins: B vitamins help to improve blood circulation and to address any potential nutrient deficiencies. Fish oil is a good source for of a potent anti-inflammatory for the cardiovascular system to decrease capillary congestion and support circulation.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.