Hot feet is a common phenomenon that many people experience at night, it basically involves feeling a burning or hot sensation on your feet that is sometimes accompanied by swelling, redness and a pins and needles like sensation. The causes behind hot feet are many, some of which are more severe than others, if you are suffering from this discomforting feeling then it is important to know what is causing it.
Less serious reasons of hot feet include allergic reactions, irritation caused by wearing socks made of synthetic materials, nutrient deficiencies that can be caused by malnutrition, old age, pregnancy or due to excessive alcohol intake. The hot and burning feeling that accompanies hot feet can be caused by your skin being irritated or because of your nerves experiencing some sort of damage. If your body starts running low on vitamin B6 and B-12 then your nerves can suffer from damage and result in hot feet.
Women going through pregnancy or menopause can sometimes experience hot feet due to the many hormonal changes that their bodies go through, having a fungal infection such as athletes foot can also cause hot feet. Fungal infections should be treated as quickly as possible since they are contagious and only get worse with time. People who work with heavy metals like mercury and arsenic can also experience a hot and burning sensation in their hands and feet due to the build-up of metal particles on their skin, excessive build-up can result in their nerves being damaged, which is why one should always practice protective measures in workplaces that have heavy metals.
Chemotherapy does a lot of harm to the body since it is meant to destroy abnormal cells in the body, one of the many side effects of chemotherapy is that it damages a person’s nerves, resulting in a burning sensation in their hands and feet.
The more serious causes of hot feet include a number of chronic diseases such as Chronic Kidney Disease and STDs such as AIDS and HIV. Neuropathic ailments also result in a person experiencing hot feet and hands; neuropathy results in one’s nerves being damaged by some sort of disease or physical trauma, it has a number of symptoms, one of which is hot feet.
Neuropathy caused by diabetes and hereditary reasons can also lead to one experiencing hot feet, there is a really long list of causes behind hot feet, once you have identified the reason why you are experiencing hot feet then you can begin working on treating it. Often times one can rid themselves of hot feet by addressing the underlying cause, for example; if you are experiencing hot feet due to sugar then you can find relief by controlling your sugar levels.
In some cases you can change your medication in order to eliminate the itchy and burning feeling, HIV medication is known for causing neuropathy so it can cause hot feet, however, you should only change your medication after consulting your doctor.
If you do not have any serious medical condition or any bad habits that might result in you experiencing hot feet then you should consider changing a part of your lifestyle; hot feet is also common amongst people who wear poor quality shoes or shoes that expose their feet to excessive amounts of moisture. People whose routine involves a lot of standing also experience hot feet, if you live in a warmer region then you can cool down your feet in a tub of water to relax and get rid of the hot feet feeling.
Shoes that do not let your feet breathe or provide improper support can also result in you experiencing hot feet.
If your hot feet seems to be incurable and bothers you on a regular basis then you should consider visiting a doctor, hot feet caused by neuropathy or vitamin deficiencies can often be treated with neuropathy supplements (you can learn more about these supplements on NeuropathyCure.org). If the underlying cause of your hot feet is nerve damage then you should visit a doctor as soon as possible, otherwise, your nerves may suffer from long lasting damage that could cause problems throughout your life.