Burning Feet Syndrome
definition
Burning feet syndrome is a combination of symptoms that result in pain in the feet that people experience as a burning sensation. These usually occur at night and are usually associated with redness, flaking, increased sweating and itching.
It is based on a disease of the nerves running in the feet. This is usually caused by a lack of vitamins and can be aggravated by excessive alcohol or cigarette consumption. When treating the burning feet syndrome, the vitamin deficiency is compensated accordingly.
In contrast to this, burning feet, i.e. burning feet in general, can also be caused, for example, by a temporary pinching or pinching of a nerve.
Also read our article: Burning feet - these are the causes.
causes
Burning feet syndrome is usually caused by a lack of vitamins. This is where the vitamin B5 is, too Pantothenic acid best known as it is particularly important for nerve conductivity.
Furthermore, the nerves can also be damaged by long-term consumption of alcohol or cigarettes as well as diabetes mellitus. This causes disturbances in the blood circulation, which means that both the foot tissue and the nerves located there are undersupplied. In some cases, the cause is a combination of several factors.
Burning feet (not the specific syndrome, but the burning sensation in the feet in general) can have many other causes, such as the temporary pinching of a nerve.
diagnosis
In order to make the diagnosis of Burning Feet Syndrome, a detailed anamnesis, i.e. a doctor-patient discussion, should first take place in order to record the exact symptoms.
A physical examination with the sensation of temperature, touch and vibration on the feet is an important part of the diagnosis.
A blood test can provide information about a possible causative vitamin deficiency.
In addition, further tests should be carried out, for example to identify a Diabetes mellitus to exclude.
I recognize burning feet syndrome by these symptoms
Burning Feet Syndrome is usually accompanied by a very painful burning sensation in the feet. Often the pain can only be relieved by cooling with the help of ice. They typically occur primarily at night, when the feet are not moved for a long period of time.
The feet are often reddened and severe itching can sometimes occur, especially on the soles of the feet.
In addition, there is often a feeling of numbness and other possible abnormal sensations in the area of the feet, such as a changed temperature sensation.
Perspiration can also be affected, and people often have sweaty feet.
Scaly skin or even small wounds can also develop, as the oxygen supply to the feet is often restricted.
This unpleasant sensation on the feet leads to muscle cramps or muscle tension in some people affected, often in the area of the feet themselves. The calves can also be affected by the cramps. As a result, some sufferers get sleep disorders because they sometimes wake up several times in one night from the painful burning sensation in their feet.
therapy
Treatment of Burning Feet Syndrome depends on the underlying cause.
In most cases, the most effective method of instant pain relief is the application of cold in the form of cool packs.
The most common cause of Burning Feet Syndrome is a lack of vitamin B5. This can be compensated for by taking vitamin tablets regularly. Other minerals can also be reduced and can be balanced out with tablets and a balanced diet.
In the case of severe pain, other treatment methods can be considered, depending on the severity and type of symptoms. These include, for example, antispasmodic drugs, also called anticonvulsants, such as Carbamazepine or Gabapentin.
Targeted acupuncture of pressure points, also called trigger points, can also release the cramps and loosen the tissue that surrounds the nerves.
Furthermore, in advanced stages, a local anesthetic, i.e. local anesthesia, can be given with the help of a syringe to temporarily relieve the affected area of the pain.
Duration of Burning Feet Syndrome
As a rule, no precise statement can be made about the duration of a Burning Feet Syndrome, as this depends on the underlying cause and the severity of the symptoms. If burning feet syndrome is detected early, it can sometimes still receive sufficient therapy to achieve a cure. In this case the duration can be a few months.
In most cases, however, the burning feet syndrome is recognized late, which is why the duration is usually very long. Depending on the severity, the therapy then consists more of pain relief than pain relief.
forecast
The prognosis of Burning Feet Syndrome depends heavily on the time of diagnosis.
Unfortunately, the syndrome is usually only recognized late, which is why the disease of the nerves is already advanced and a complete cure is no longer possible. This is because the symptoms of burning feet syndrome do not appear until the nerves are already damaged. Therefore, the focus of treatment is trying to prevent nerve damage from progressing.
