Burning Feet At Night? Rule Out These Conditions With Tests

If you're experiencing a persistent, uncomfortable burning sensation in your feet, especially at night, you know how disruptive and distressing it can be. This sensation can range from a tingling warmth to intense, fiery pain, often making it difficult to fall asleep or get comfortable. For many, particularly diabetics and the elderly, who may be at higher risk for nerve-related issues, this symptom is a crucial signal that shouldn't be ignored.

While occasional foot discomfort might be due to tired feet or ill-fitting shoes, persistent or severe burning in your feet could be your body signalling an underlying medical condition, especially nerve damage or issues related to blood sugar control. Simply trying to cool your feet or bear the discomfort might offer temporary relief, but it won't address the root cause. Fortunately, specific tests can offer crucial insights, helping your doctor understand what might be causing your burning feet and guiding you toward an accurate diagnosis and an effective solution for lasting relief. This guide will explore the various tests that can help identify the hidden factors behind your burning feet at night.

Burning Feet: What's Causing That Sensation?

Burning feet syndrome, or Grierson-Gopalan syndrome, is typically a symptom of nerve damage (neuropathy) in the feet, though it can also be linked to other conditions. The nerves in your feet are responsible for sending signals about sensation to your brain. When these nerves are damaged or irritated, they can send faulty signals, leading to sensations like burning, tingling, numbness, or pain.

Common factors that can contribute to burning feet include:

• Peripheral Neuropathy: Damage to the peripheral nerves, often caused by diabetes, alcohol abuse, or certain infections.
• Nutrient Deficiencies: Lack of certain B vitamins (especially B12) can impact nerve health.
• Poor Circulation: Reduced blood flow to the feet can cause sensations of burning or pain.
• Thyroid Problems: An underactive thyroid can sometimes lead to nerve issues.
• Athlete's Foot: A fungal infection that can cause itching and burning.
• Erythromelalgia: A rare condition characterised by redness, heat, and burning pain, often in the feet.
• Kidney Disease: Impaired kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins that damage nerves.

When burning feet become chronic, severe, or impact your daily life, it's essential to investigate underlying medical conditions. In such cases, specific blood tests and other diagnostic tools can provide critical insights into internal imbalances or nerve damage that might be contributing to the problem.

When to Consider Tests for Burning Feet at Night?

If your burning feet are a persistent problem, especially if they significantly impact your sleep, mobility, or come with other concerning symptoms, it's time to talk to your doctor about further investigation. Consider these tests if you experience:

• Persistent Burning Sensation: If the burning in your feet occurs daily, particularly at night, for several weeks or months, and doesn't improve with simple remedies.
• Worsening Symptoms: If the burning sensation is becoming more intense, spreading, or accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness in your feet or legs.
• Impact on Sleep: If the burning sensation is severe enough to wake you up from sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.
• Accompanied by Other Symptoms: If you also notice:
  Increased thirst, frequent urination, or unexplained weight changes (signs of diabetes).
  Fatigue, dry skin, or hair loss (signs of thyroid issues).
  Swelling in your legs or ankles (signs of kidney or heart problems).
  Sores on your feet that heal slowly.
• Risk Factors: If you have diabetes, a family history of neuropathy, or are an elderly individual.

If any of these sound familiar, discussing specific blood tests and other analyses with your doctor can help pinpoint the exact underlying cause and lead to a more effective, personalised treatment plan for relief.

Key Tests to Uncover the Cause of Burning Feet at Night

When burning feet are a persistent concern, specific blood tests and other assessments are crucial. They help your doctor investigate underlying issues related to nerve damage, blood sugar control, kidney function, and vitamin levels. These tests offer vital clues about what's causing your discomfort.

1. Checking for Nerve Damage and Related Factors

• Vitamin B12 Levels: This vitamin is essential for healthy nerve function. A deficiency in Vitamin B12 is a common cause of peripheral neuropathy, leading to symptoms like burning, tingling, and numbness in the feet. A simple blood test can reveal if your levels are low.

Check Your Vitamin Level Here

• Blood Sugar Levels (Fasting Glucose, HbA1c): Diabetes is a leading cause of peripheral neuropathy. Consistently high blood sugar levels can damage nerves over time. These tests assess your current blood sugar and your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months (HbA1c), helping to diagnose or monitor diabetes or prediabetes.
• Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) and Electromyography (EMG): While not blood tests, these are crucial diagnostic tools if nerve damage is suspected. They measure how well electrical signals travel along your nerves and the electrical activity of your muscles, helping to confirm nerve damage and determine its extent. Your doctor may recommend these after initial blood tests.

2.  Assessing Your Kidney Health

Your kidneys play a vital role in filtering waste products from your blood. When kidneys don't work effectively, toxins can build up in your body, potentially damaging nerves.

• Kidney Function Tests (Creatinine, BUN, eGFR): These blood tests measure how well your kidneys are filtering waste. Impaired kidney function (renal insufficiency) can lead to uremic neuropathy, where toxins damage nerves, causing symptoms like burning feet.

Book Kidney Function Test Here

3. Other Important Blood Tests

While the primary focus is on nerve health, blood sugar, and kidney function, other tests can provide additional insights:

• Thyroid Function Tests (TSH, T3, T4): An underactive thyroid can sometimes lead to nerve problems or contribute to symptoms like fatigue and muscle weakness.

Book Thyroid Function Test Here

• Electrolyte Levels (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium): Imbalances in these vital minerals can sometimes affect nerve and muscle function, potentially contributing to unusual sensations.

Check Electrolyte Levels Here

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): A general overview of your health, detecting issues like anaemia that can cause fatigue and overall weakness.

Book CBC Test Here

The results from these specific tests, combined with your symptoms, medical history, and a thorough physical examination, will help your doctor accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your burning feet at night. This allows for a targeted treatment plan designed to bring you lasting relief and improve your quality of life.

Get These Tests To Get A Yourself Checked up

CBC Test (Complete Blood Count)

₹395(₹988)60% off

Add

Lipid Profile Test

₹800(₹2000)60% off

Add

KFT with Electrolytes (Kidney Funtion)

Recommended for RFT/KFT

₹900(₹2250)60% off

Add

HbA1c Test (Hemoglobin A1c)

₹619(₹1547)60% off

Add

Vitamin B12 Test

₹1451(₹3375)57% off

Member price

₹1350

Add

Get Tested Easily with Apollo 24|7

When your doctor recommends diagnostic tests to uncover the cause of your burning feet at night, choosing a trusted and convenient testing provider is paramount. Apollo 24|7 simplifies this process by offering a wide range of reliable lab tests. With accurate results delivered quickly, you and your doctor can work together to identify any underlying factors contributing to your discomfort and plan the right path to relief.

Here’s why choosing Apollo 24|7 for your burning feet investigations is a smart step:

• Comprehensive Test Panels: Apollo 24|7 offers access to a range of diagnostic panels designed to identify common causes of burning feet at night. These include tests that evaluate vitamin B12 levels, blood sugar control, kidney function, and potential signs of nerve damage, especially in individuals at risk for diabetes or neuropathy.
• B12, sugar, kidney, nerve damage check
• NABL-Accredited Labs: Tests are conducted in high-quality labs certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), ensuring trusted accuracy and reliability for your results.
• Home Sample Collection: No need to travel; get blood samples collected conveniently from your home at a time that suits you, offering privacy and comfort.
• Easy Online Booking: Book your tests effortlessly through the user-friendly Apollo 24|7 app or website with just a few clicks.
• Fast Digital Reports: Receive secure, detailed reports swiftly online, delivered directly to your device, ready for your doctor to review.
• Trusted Brand: Benefit from the trusted expertise and healthcare legacy of Apollo Hospitals Group, one of India’s most respected medical networks.

By choosing Apollo 24|7, you gain access to high-quality, reliable, and convenient diagnostic services that can significantly streamline your journey towards understanding and effectively managing your burning feet at night.

Conclusion

Burning feet at night are more than just an uncomfortable symptom. They may be a sign of underlying health problems like nerve damage, blood sugar issues, or kidney concerns that need to be addressed. Simply treating the symptoms without finding the real cause might keep you uncomfortable and delay getting the right treatment. Tests such as Vitamin B12 levels, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and kidney function tests (including creatinine, BUN, and eGFR), along with possible nerve studies, can help your doctor determine what is causing your symptoms. These results are important for making an accurate diagnosis.

Once the cause is clear, your doctor can develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs. This can help reduce the burning sensation, improve your sleep, and enhance your overall quality of life. If you are experiencing burning feet at night, talk to your doctor about whether these tests could help find the answers you need.