Understanding Burning Sensation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
A persistent burning sensation can be deeply uncomfortable and may stem from a variety of causes, often related to nerve health. You may feel a burning sensation on your skin, but nothing is there, or you may feel as though your body (or parts of your body) are burning from the inside out. Kane Hall Barry Neurology is here to guide you through understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatments available for burning sensations.
What is a Burning Sensation?
A burning sensation may feel like tingling, aching, sharp stinging, or even stabbing pain. You might feel burning and look for the source of the pain only to find nothing is there to cause the pain such as a sun burn or a rash. This discomfort can occur in various parts of the body and often results from nerve irritation, inflammation, or damage, but it can also be linked to other underlying health issues. Read further to learn the causes and how to stop it.
Common Symptoms of Burning Sensations
The symptoms of burning sensations can vary depending on the underlying cause and the area affected. They may include:
- Tingling or “pins and needles”: Often felt in the hands, feet, or other extremities, this can be a sign of nerve irritation or damage.
- Dull, aching discomfort: A continuous ache may occur alongside a burning feeling, typically when there’s inflammation or chronic irritation.
- MS Hug: A painful feeling around your chest or stomach area that may be tight, burning, dull, aching, pressing, or like pins and needles.
- Sharp, shooting pain: These sudden bursts of pain may radiate to other areas, often due to nerve compression. The sensation may be a sharp, agonizing feeling.
- Sensitivity to touch: The affected area may become highly sensitive, causing pain or discomfort with the slightest contact. The lightest touch might cause excruciating pain.
- Soreness or tenderness: A burning sensation can sometimes feel like muscle soreness, especially if there is underlying tissue inflammation.
- Burning: You may look at your skin to find the source of a burning sensation only to find that there is not an identifiable cause such as a sunburn, rash, or injury. The burning or sharp stinging sensation continues to occur without any identifiable cause.
- Restlessness: Finding a comfortable position to rest may be difficult secondary to the pain.
Causes of Burning Sensations
While nerve issues are a common cause, burning sensations may be due to other conditions affecting either the Central Nervous System (CNS) or the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):
- Central Pain Syndrome: Damage to the CNS, which includes the brain and spinal cord, may lead to chronic burning pain.
- Cervical Spondylosis: Degeneration in the neck vertebrae can cause nerve compression, leading to chronic pain and burning in the neck or shoulders.
- Herniated Disk: When a spinal disk presses on surrounding nerves, it can cause burning or tingling pain radiating down the arms or legs.
- Mononeuropathy: Damage to a single nerve due to injury, compression, or inflammation, such as in sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS): An immune-related disorder affecting the CNS, leading to burning, tingling, or muscle spasms.
- Neuralgia: Pain following nerve damage or infection, often seen in conditions like trigeminal neuralgia in the face.
- Peripheral Neuropathy: Common in diabetes, it leads to burning, tingling, or numbness, especially in the hands and feet.
- Radiculopathy: A pinched nerve root in the spine, which may cause burning pain radiating from the back to the limbs.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Other Potential Causes
Sometimes, burning sensations may be linked to nutritional deficiencies or other medical conditions:
- Beriberi: Caused by a lack of thiamine (Vitamin B-1).
- Hypoparathyroidism: Characterized by low levels of parathyroid hormone, leading to calcium deficiency.
- Megaloblastic Anemia: Linked to deficiencies in Vitamin B-12 or folic acid.
- Pernicious Anemia: Causing a Vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Other possible causes include:
- Mouth Ulcers or Sores: Often caused by viruses, these are highly painful and can cause a burning feeling in the mouth.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Acid reflux that causes a burning feeling in the chest, stomach, or esophagus.
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD): A blood flow problem that may lead to a burning sensation, especially when walking.
- Rosacea: A skin condition that leads to redness and a warm, burning feeling in affected areas.
- Shingles (Herpes Zoster): A painful, burning rash caused by the chickenpox virus, typically affecting one side of the body.
Diagnostic Testing at Kane Hall Barry Neurology
At Kane Hall Barry Neurology, our specialists provide various diagnostic tests to identify the root cause of burning sensations:
- Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS): Assess nerve and muscle function.
- MRI and CT Scans: Produce detailed images of the brain and spine to identify structural problems.
- Blood Tests: Evaluate nutrient deficiencies, immune disorders, and other underlying health issues.
- Evoked Potential Tests: Measure electrical activity in the brain and spinal cord.
- Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap): Tests cerebrospinal fluid to help diagnose conditions like multiple sclerosis.
Treatment Options for Burning Sensations
Once the cause is identified, our team develops a personalized treatment plan that may include:
- Medications: Pain relievers, anticonvulsants, or antidepressants to relieve nerve pain.
- Physical Therapy: Focused exercises to improve strength and mobility while reducing pain.
- Lifestyle and Nutritional Support: Dietary guidance and supplements to address deficiencies.
- Nerve Block Injections: Relieve pain by blocking nerve signals.
- TENS Therapy: Uses mild electrical currents to reduce pain by targeting nerves.
How Kane Hall Barry Neurology Can Help
At Kane Hall Barry Neurology, we specialize in understanding and treating complex nerve-related issues. If burning sensations are affecting your life, our skilled team is here to help. With advanced diagnostic tools and personalized care plans, we aim to relieve discomfort and restore your quality of life.