If you’re experiencing burning pain, numbness, or tingling sensations in your arms or feet, you should seek immediate medical help because these signs are often linked with serious conditions that need treatment to prevent severe complications. Learn what different conditions cause burning, numbness, and tingling sensations in the hands or feet in this article. Visit the best Pain Management Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.
10 Causes of Burning, Numbness, and Tingling Sensations in Hands and Feet
Many different causes can trigger burning, numbness, and tingling sensations. The most common ones are:
- Diabetic neuropathy:
Diabetic neuropathy is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy (damage to the sensory nerves, especially in the hands or feet), accounting for around 30% of cases. Diabetic neuropathy happens when you fail to manage your blood sugar levels, and it rises in the bloodstream. This not only damages nerves but also damages the blood vessels that supply glucose to them. When nerves don’t get enough oxygen, they are not able to function well.
Early signs typically start in both feet, then spread to the legs, and later affect both hands and arms. According to the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than half of the people who have diabetes may develop peripheral neuropathy. It might even serve as the first sign of diabetes in some people. Several factors can increase the risk of diabetic neuropathy in people with diabetes, such as:
- Getting older
- Having diabetes for a long time
- Consuming alcohol
- Using tobacco products
- Vitamin Deficiencies:
Vitamin deficiencies occur when your body doesn’t get enough of a specific vitamin from your diet, or due to a condition, your body is not able to absorb the vitamin properly. Some of the crucial vitamins to keep your nerves healthy are:
- Vitamin B12: This vitamin is necessary for cells to produce energy. It is found in animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs. Vegans and vegetarians may not get enough of this vitamin from food; they need to rely on supplements to get this vitamin. A shortage of B12 in your diet can cause neurological damage, which manifests as tingling in your hands or feet.
- Vitamin B6: You need to consume this vitamin every day because it can’t be stored in the body. It is available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods like meat, fish, nuts, legumes, grains, non-citrus fruits, and potatoes. People with vitamin B6 deficiency may experience a rash or cognitive changes.
- Vitamin B1: It is also known as thiamine, which is essential for nerve impulses and neuron repair. You can get vitamin B1 from meat, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. People who consume refined grains are likely to experience B1 deficiency, which triggers pain or tingling in the hands and feet.
- Vitamin E: This deficiency occurs due to problems in absorbing fat in the gut rather than a lack of vitamin E in the diet. You may feel tingling in your hands or feet and difficulty coordinating them. Make sure you consume nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and leafy greens to get the required vitamin E.
- Vitamin B9 or folate: This deficiency causes pain or tingling in the hands or feet. A 2019 study shows that it has a greater impact on people under the age of 40. Make sure you consume plenty of vitamin B9, found in foods such as dark leafy greens, whole grains, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, liver, and seafood.
- Sciatica:
Sciatica happens when something damages or compresses the sciatic nerve, which is the longest and widest nerve in the body that goes from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down to the legs, and ends under the knee. Mostly, it is caused by a herniated or bulging disk in the spine. Typically, it affects the back, hips, and upper legs first, and the pain can spread down the legs into the feet and toes.
- Infections:
Different viral or bacterial infections can attack nerve cells and cause neuropathy pain in the hands and feet. It includes Lyme disease, shingles, chicken pox, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, leprosy, diphtheria, West Nile virus, and cytomegalovirus (mostly a risk to pregnant women).
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome:
This condition occurs when the posterior tibial nerve (the nerve that runs along the lower leg) gets compressed or damaged, causing pain and numbness in the feet and legs. Researchers don’t know how common the condition is, as it often gets underdiagnosed. However, it is more common in females.
- Morton’s neuroma:
This occurs when thickened tissues compress nerves between the toes, which causes pain and numbness at the bottom of the foot. Mostly, it occurs when you wear tight shoes or high heels. Some people experience numbness between their toes.
- Inherited disorders:
Some inherited disorders like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease can affect sensory or motor nerves, causing numbness and pain in hands or feet, and run in families.
- Tumors:
Both cancerous and non-cancerous growths can press on nerves and cause pain in the hands and feet.
- Bone marrow disorders:
These disorders occur when a protein in the blood is missing, called monoclonal gammopathies, which cause rare conditions like amyloidosis, that affect the bones and may impact your nerves.
- Alcoholism:
People with alcoholism are more likely to experience a lack of thiamine or other important vitamins due to poor dietary habits, which is a common cause of peripheral neuropathy. It also causes nerve damage, which is called alcoholic neuropathy.
The above-mentioned diseases and infections are common causes of burning, numbness, and tingling sensations in your hands and feet because they damage certain nerves in the body that cause these symptoms. Make sure when you experience these symptoms, you seek immediate medical attention to manage the condition in a timely manner.
Need help with numbness and tingling sensations in hands or feet? Visit our pain management clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!! If you’re ready to take the next step in managing your pain, we recommend consulting with our healthcare provider to explore the right treatments or therapies for you. Always listen to your body and adjust your daily routine to prioritize your well-being. Visit Doral Health & Wellness Pain Relief Department in Brooklyn, to get professional help and guidance on how to manage your problem. Call us on + 1-718-367-2555 to get a consultation. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors at https://yuz88hfiyh7.typeform.com/Doralintake. Log on to www.doralhw.org. Or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
