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Do you experience unusual sharp, zinging pain or burning in your feet? Many Americans do.

What could be causing that?

It could actually be a number of things. Learn about some of the possible causes so you can find relief:

1. Neuropathy

Generically, “neuropathy” is a burning sensation in your feet believed to be due to distal small-fiber neuropathy (DSFN) affecting fibers. The question then becomes,”What causes neuropathy?”

Peripheral neuropathy can actually be caused by a number of different conditions.

According to Mayo Clinic, these are some:

• Alcoholism
• Autoimmune diseases lie Sjogren’s, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Medications, and especially those used to treat cancer
• Exposure to poisons
• Infections like Lyme disease, shingles, hepatitis C, HIV, and diphtheria
• Traumas on the nerve caused by an accident
• Tumors

As you’ll see, there’s other causes too that are more common.

2. Diabetes

20% of study participants with type 2 diabetes and 5% of those with type 1 struggled with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDN). The study was performed by Hartemann, Attal, Dumont, Gin, Jeanne, Said, and Richard.

PDN is a painful and incurable (though treatable) symptom of diabetes.

3. B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B-12 is essential to good nerve health. Vitamins B-1, B-6, and E are too. But Vitamin B-12 is the one most closely tied to burning and tingling sensations in your feet.

4. Anemia

Anemia can cause tingling and pain in your feet. Though if it causes the sensation of temperature, it’s usually cold, and not hot.

Blood loss causes anemia in most cases. This can be due to heavy periods, surgery, cancer, or a physical trauma.

5. Heavy Metal Toxicity

Heavy metal toxicity can actually cause a broad variety of symptoms, including pain and tingling in your feet.

Definitions of “heavy metal toxicity” vary also. However, they usually include mercury, lead, cadmium, and manganese. You can ingest these metals in a number of ways without even knowing it.

6. Chemotherapy Drugs

Some, but not all, chemotherapy drugs can cause pain and burning in your feet. Make sure you check with your doctor to see if this is a possible side-effect.

7. Idiopathic

When the cause of the tingling and burning in your feet can’t be determined, it’s called “idiopathic.”

Unfortunately, great as our technology is, you can’t always find the real cause of sharp and zinging pain in your feet.

Overall, these are many of the causes of burning in your feet, but not all of them. If you have this sensation, consider seeing a doctor and prepare yourself for some trial-and-error before a determination is made.