How To Stop Burning Feet From Diabetes

Treatments For Diabetic Nerve Pain

Damaged nerves cant be replaced. However, there are ways that you can prevent further damage and relieve your pain.

First, control your blood sugar so the damage doesnt progress. Talk to your doctor about setting your blood sugar goal, and learn to monitor it. You may be asked to lower your blood sugar before meals to 70 to 130 milligrams per deciliter and your blood sugar after meals to less than 180 mg/dL.

Use diets, exercise, and medications to decrease your blood sugar to a healthier range. Monitor other health risks that can worsen your diabetes, such as your weight and smoking. Ask your doctor about effective ways to lose weight or quit smoking, if necessary.

Shooting Pain And Painful Cramps

This type of neuropathy affects the motor nerves and is commonly associated with muscle weakness. Painful cramps that are felt in the legs, particularly when walking that cease when at rest, may need a further workup from a vascular surgeon. This doctor specializes in surgery to correct problems with blood flow.

This symptom, referred to as intermittent claudication, can be a symptom of peripheral vascular disease, in which an artery supplying the limb is partially blocked.

Wash And Dry Your Feet Daily

Keep your feet clean. But donât soak them for a long time. This can dry your skin.

Use mild soaps and warm water.

Pat your skin dry do not rub. Thoroughly dry your feet.

After washing, put lotion or petroleum jelly on them to prevent cracking. But not between your toes — this can lead to an infection! Sprinkle on a nonmedicated powder before putting on your socks and shoes to help keep your feet dry.

In winter, cold weather and central heating can dry out your skin. Take extra care to moisturize your feet and keep them warm. Wear socks to bed if your feet get cold.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetic Neuropathy

The most common symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are numbness, tingling, a burning sensation, aching, cramps and weakness. Most people find symptoms usually begin in their hands or feet. These symptoms may later spread to their arms and legs.

Diabetic neuropathy can also cause:

• pain and discomfort in yours arms or legs, especially at night
• not being able to feel sores or cuts
• sleep problems
• problems with walking
• dry skin

If you suspect you might have diabetes, talk to your doctor or call the National Diabetes Services Scheme Helpline on 1800 637 700.

When Should I See A Doctor

If the burning or tingling sensation persists or worsens over time, and does not respond to home treatment, visit a physician or podiatrist to determine the cause.

Burning feet can be a warning sign of a more serious medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, peripheral nerve damage, or malnutrition. Undiagnosed or untreated diabetes can result in irreversible damage to the peripheral nerves.

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I What Are Burning Feet

First of all, it has to be said that burning feet are one of the popular problems which everybody can suffer from. When someone is suffering from burning feet, they may find it difficult to sleep properly. In addition, burning feet can happen to anyone at any age. However, people who are 50 years old or older usually complain about this disease. As you or someone else suffers from this disease, you may feel painful, scorching as well as burning sensation.

Now you may want to know the factors cause burning feet, right? Lets find out in the next part.

How Can Diabetes Affect My Feet

Over time, diabetes may cause nerve damage, also called diabetic neuropathy, that can cause tingling and pain, and can make you lose feeling in your feet. When you lose feeling in your feet, you may not feel a pebble inside your sock or a blister on your foot, which can lead to cuts and sores. Cuts and sores can become infected.

Diabetes also can lower the amount of blood flow in your feet. Not having enough blood flowing to your legs and feet can make it hard for a sore or an infection to heal. Sometimes, a bad infection never heals. The infection might lead to gangrene.

Gangrene and foot ulcers that do not get better with treatment can lead to an amputation of your toe, foot, or part of your leg.A surgeon may perform an amputation to prevent a bad infection from spreading to the rest of your body, and to save your life. Good foot care is very important to prevent serious infections and gangrene.

Although rare, nerve damage from diabetes can lead to changes in the shape of your feet, such as Charcots foot. Charcots foot may start with redness, warmth, and swelling. Later, bones in your feet and toes can shift or break, which can cause your feet to have an odd shape, such as a rocker bottom.

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Try A Prescription Strength Capsaicin Patch

Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers that causes the vegetable to be hot and spicy, and it believe it or not, it can go a long way in reducing neuropathic pain. Studies have shown that wearing an 8 percent capsaicin patch reduces pain levels by as much as 30 percent after just a couple of weeks. You could also try applying a topical capsaicin cream like Zostrix or Capsagel to your sore limbs, but because they contain much lower doses of the active ingredient , their pain-relieving power isnt as intense as the prescription-strength capsaicin patches.

However, capsaicin isnt tolerable for everyone. Capsaicin works, but it is very hard for people with a burning pain from neuropathy because it really stings and burns. It just magnifies the pain,” Robert Gerwin, M.D. told Diabetic Living. The burning will decrease after your body builds a tolerance but it takes three to five applications per day for up to a week or 10 days before the tolerance sets in. If you stop using the cream, even for a day, the burning sensation will return.

The Peripheral Nervous System

The peripheral nervous system is the network of nerves that lie outside the central nervous system .

It includes different types of nerves with their own specific functions, including:

• sensory nerves responsible for transmitting sensations, such as pain and touch
• motor nerves responsible for controlling muscles
• autonomic nerves responsible for regulating automatic functions of the body, such as blood pressure and bladder function

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What Causes Burning Feet

While uncontrolled blood sugar levels are the most common cause of neuropathy in the legs, it can also be caused by other factors like:

• Chronic kidney disease, known as uremia.
• Overconsumption of alcohol
• Small fibre neuropathy.
• Vitamin deficiency. Especially Vitamin B12, folate, and occasionally vitamin B6.
• Peripheral artery disease . The poor circulation of blood to the feet causes pain, tingling, and burning feet. Especially while walking.

Treatment For Diabetic Neuropathy

Damaged nerves cannot be repaired. However, the risk of further complications in the feet can be reduced by:

• vigilance regular inspection of the feet for early signs of trouble or potential problem areas (such as breaks in skin, signs of infection or deformity
• getting help at the first sign of trouble early treatment of foot ulcers gives the best chance that they will heal
• good foot and nail hygiene
• choosing appropriate socks and shoes properly fitted to the shape of your foot
• avoiding activities that may injure the feet. Check shoes for stones, sticks and other foreign objects that might hurt your feet every time before putting your shoes on.

A referral to a podiatrist may be appropriate for assessment and ongoing preventive management of foot complications.

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Diabetes And Foot Problems

• Clinical Trials

Foot problems are common in people with diabetes. You might be afraid youll lose a toe, foot, or leg to diabetes, or know someone who has, but you can lower your chances of having diabetes-related foot problems by taking care of your feet every day. Managing your blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar, can also help keep your feet healthy.

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which is the buildup of dietary fat in cells that are not meant to store it. As a result, cells start to reject the glucose in your blood while they try to burn the excess fat, leading to a rise in blood sugar levels .

Because type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, reversing type 2 diabetes means treating the underlying cause: restoring cells’ ability to respond to insulin.

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What Is Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection. You get it when the blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick, bites you and stays attached for 36 to 48 hours. If you remove the tick within 48 hours, you probably wonât get infected.

When you do get infected, the bacteria travel through your bloodstream and affect various tissues in your body. If you donât treat Lyme disease early on, it can turn into an inflammatory condition that affects multiple systems, starting with your skin, joints, and nervous system and moving to organs later on.

The chances you might get Lyme disease from a tick bite depend on the kind of tick, where you were when it bit you, and how long the tick was attached to you. Youâre most likely to get Lyme disease if you live in the Northeastern United States. The upper Midwest is also a hot spot. But the disease now affects people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Symptoms Of Burning Toes

It is common to experience burning toe coming along with other serious symptoms. But, when you know it, you can treat it well. So, it would help if you were informed about the possible symptoms that you may witness, along with a burning toe.

Here is a list of some symptoms that burning toes may accompany themselves:

These are 10 different symptoms that a person with burning toes may experience initially.

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Treat Your Feet Gently

Because nerve damage can make it harder to tell when something’s wrong, try to avoid injuring your feet. Don’t walk around barefoot. Make sure your shoes fit properly, and break new ones in slowly. Wear a fresh pair of cotton socks each day. Be careful trimming toenails. Check your feet daily for cracks, blisters, and sores get a full professional exam at least once a year.

Causes Of Diabetic Neuropathy

High glucose and lipid levels in the blood, and the toxic byproducts they generate through their metabolism, are thought to be the major causes of neuropathy associated with diabetes. However, good glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes can reduce neuropathy by 60 per cent.The benefits of good glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes are more modest. Improving lipid levels may also reduce the incidence of nerve damage in people with type 2 diabetes.

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Preventing And Treating Diabetic Neuropathy

Whether youre trying to prevent diabetic neuropathy, or trying to stop it getting worse, the most important thing to do is to control your blood sugar levels. That means:

• sorting out any medical problems
• following the right diet for you
• exercising regularly
• taking or using any medication prescribed
• avoiding things that can cause problems, such as smoking and excessive drinking

If you have diabetic neuropathy, discuss with your doctor or diabetes nurse how to protect your skin and deal with pain. The usual pain relief, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, might not work with the pain of diabetic neuropathy. If so, talk to your doctor about other forms of pain relief.

You can also visit a podiatrist . They will give you advice on the best shoes and socks to help your feet.

When Should I See My Health Care Provider About Foot Problems

• a cut, blister, or bruise on your foot that does not start to heal after a few days
• skin on your foot that becomes red, warm, or painfulsigns of a possible infection
• a callus with dried blood inside of it,which often can be the first sign of a wound under the callus
• a foot infection that becomes black and smellysigns you might have gangrene

Ask your provider to refer you to a foot doctor, or podiatrist, if needed.

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Home Remedies For Burning Feet Ginger

Another effective ingredient for burning feet is ginger. It can relieve burning sensations in the feet and increase blood circulation in your body because it has a lot of active components. Also, there are 2 ways for you to choose to follow.

You can mix some olive oil or coconut oil with a teaspoon of ginger juice. And then, you massage your legs and feet for 10 15 minutes. You had better repeat this treatment once every day.

Another way is to drink 2 3 cups of ginger tea every day. You keep doing this method for a few days until your condition is better.

Home Remedies For Burning Sensations In Feet

1. Cold Water

A quick and easy solution at home is to submerge feet in cold water. Cold water will immediately help relieve burning sensations in feet and reduce swelling.

How to use: Fill a container with cold water, submerge feet, and keep there for several minutes. Repeat during the day, but only in 3-4 minute intervals to avoid further damage.

2. Epsom Salt

An Epsom salt soak can instantly relieve pain and swelling. Epsom salt is made of magnesium sulfate, which stimulates and repairs nerve activity. However, Epsom salt is not recommended for certain conditions associated with burning feet such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

How to use: Pour ½ cup into a container, add warm water and mix well. Soak for 10-15 minutes, and repeat as needed for the next few days.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Soaking in or drinking apple cider vinegar is a great way to help alleviate burning sensation in feet. Apple cider vinegar restores your bodys equilibrium by balancing pH levels.

How to use: To soak, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and fill with warm water, and soak for 20 minutes everyday. To drink, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a glass, and fill with warm water.

4. Turmeric

Popular in parts of Asia, you can either drink turmeric or apply a paste to help relieve pain. Turmeric reduces swelling in the area, lessening pain and promoting healing, and contains cucumin to help blood circulation.

5. Ginger

6. Bitter Gourd

7. Thyme

8. Vitamin B3

9. Massage

10. Exercise

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Why Does The Burning Feet Sensation Happen

The main cause of burning feet is nerve damage, or as it is called, neuropathy.

When nerve fibres get damaged, they are more likely to become overactive and not work properly.

The damaged nerves then send pain signals to the brain, although there is not even a wound or injury. This is why it is experienced as a hot, burning feeling inside the feet.

In most cases, it is the nerves in the legs that get damaged first. It usually goes paired with tingling or numbness in the feet. This then results in burning and pain in the feet, which can become extremely sensitive to the touch.

And this can be caused by several different factors

When To See A Doctor

Home remedies are usually the first option for burning sensation in feet, but if after a few weeks of rest and proper care symptoms still havent subsided, schedule a visit with your doctor. Seek immediate emergency medical assistance in the case of severe burning or pain that may be related to exposure to toxins, or if you have an open wound.

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Be More Physically Active

It might sound counterintuitive to work out the limbs that are causing you pain, but exercise actually has several pain-relieving benefits for those suffering from diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

• Exercise helps control blood sugar levels, which slows nerve damage and therefore helps decrease nerve pain.
• Physical activity increases circulation, which reduces nerve pain.
• Exercise boosts your mood and is a natural stress reliever, which helps relieve some of the discomfort.

If activities such as jogging and traditional sports are too painful, try activities with less muscle impact like swimming or bike riding.

Burning Sensation On Toes

Burning sensation on toes can be an indication of nerve damage in the legs. We can also term it as neuropathy. All the nerves are spread evenly throughout the body, and the leg nerves are the first ones to damage.

The immediate indication of Burning Toes can be a feeling of tingling or numbness in the feet. There can be varied symptoms and causes for the same. You may or may not require assistance from a doctor, depending upon the severity of the case.

However, it is quite common to have a burning toe while sitting in the same position for long hours. Yet if you find it persistent, then you must see a doctor for it immediately.

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