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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffBurning feet can occur simply because your feet are tired. Athlete's foot can cause burning feet. Burning feet can also be a symptom of nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy), perhaps due to diabetes, exposure to certain toxins, chronic alcohol use, certain B vitamin deficiencies or HIV.
Possible causes of burning feet:
- Alcoholism
- Athlete's foot
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (a group of hereditary disorders that affects the nerves in your arms and legs)
- Chemotherapy
- Chronic kidney failure
- Complex regional pain syndrome (chronic pain due to a dysfunctional nervous system)
- Diabetic neuropathy (diabetes-related nerve damage)
- HIV/AIDS
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Vitamin deficiency anemia
Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.
- Rutkove SB. Overview of polyneuropathy. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 9, 2010.
- Kleinschmidt KC. Ethanol. In: Shannon MW, et al. Haddad and Winchester's Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0693-4..50036-0&isbn=978-0-7216-0693-4&sid=1081935496&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0693-4..50036-0&uniqId=226224763-2#4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0693-4..50036-0. Accessed Nov. 9, 2010.
- Athlete's foot. American Podiatric Medical Association. http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/Foot-Health/Foot-Health-Brochures-category/Athletes-Foot.aspx. Accessed Nov. 9, 2010.
- Characteristics and symptoms of CMT. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association. http://www.charcot-marie-tooth.org/about_cmt/symptoms.php. Accessed Nov. 9, 2010.
- Complex regional pain syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/detail_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.htm. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Berger JR, et al. Neurological complications of human immunodeficiency virus infection. In: Goldman L. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/112186126-9/778412241/1492/1400.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50422-5--cesec13_17551. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Arieff AI. Neurological aspects of kidney disease. In: Brenner BM, et al. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3105-5..50053-0--cesec53&isbn=978-1-4160-3105-5&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3105-5..50053-0--cesec53&uniqId=226224763-6#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3105-5..50053-0--cesec53. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/tarsal-tunnel-syndrome.htm. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Tavee J, et al. Small fiber neuropathy: A burning problem. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2009;76:297.
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