At some point in life, you must have gone through that experience when you felt “pins and needles” in your feet. Tingling feet is a very common symptom that often leaves your feet feeling numb and painful.
With some people, this tingling sensation becomes a serious concern as it becomes consistently persistent. In these cases, it’s important to determine the cause of the tingling sensation. So, let’s find out about the common causes of tingling in feet.
Temporary Pinched Nerves
You may experience tingling in your feet because a nerve has been mechanically compressed or irritated by some nearby structure. That’s the medical description, but in simple terms, it’s a sensation that you are very familiar with and which often happens when you cross your legs for too long. So, when too much pressure or force is put on an area of a nerve in your feet, it restricts their ability to function properly, which eventually gives rise to that tingling sensation.
The pain from a pinched nerve can start out fairly mild but can quickly increase to severe if no immediate action is taken. And, this type of paraesthesia can be treated when you change positions and stop applying pressure on the nerve.
Diabetes
My best friend was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 12. It was really scary for her. Not life-threatening scary, but confusing scary; there was so much information she had to take in and assimilate all at once. She was afraid of doing something wrong and making things worse.
Diabetes is a very tough diagnosis as it somehow has the power to shorten someone’s life and make it unhappy. It has no cure and can put you at much higher risk for other serious health conditions like stroke, blindness and kidney disease. Even now, when people find out, the majority attest to how unfair it is and they don’t know how to deal with this tragedy. Well, life is still not over and I think people should stop blaming themselves for something they are not responsible for.
Now, back to the subject, it’s important to know that high or even low blood sugar levels can lead to nerve damage in the feet, which eventually result in the tingling, burning or numbness sensation.
As per the study of Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, 70 % of all diabetic patients are usually affected with nerve damage or as experts call it, the Peripheral neuropathy.
B12 Deficiency
The last time my mom went for her general check-up, she asked the doctor, “What vitamin and mineral supplements should my family take?”
That’s a simple question but the answer is difficult because the vitamin, mineral and other supplement a person may need can only be determined by his diet and his personal physiology. For instance, if you are a really healthy person and regularly eat food that’s grown in organically enriched soils, then perhaps no supplements are needed. Vitamin and mineral supplements are very helpful but are not usually meant for all except those that are suffering from a specific health condition, have compromised immune systems and lack certain vitamins.
For instance, during the cold season, doctors always recommend children and elderly people to take vitamin C to help boost their immunity while pregnant women are asked to take prenatal vitamins and minerals to support their health and growing baby. Similarly, the tingling sensation in your feet is an indication that your body needs vitamin B12.
As per Patrick McEneaney, the CEO of Northern Illinois Foot & Ankle Specialists, a deficiency of B12 often leads to a tingling and burning sensation in the feet of people aged 60 and above.
Alcohol Consumption
Everyone knows that too much of alcohol can affect the liver, the colon, the heart, the brain and the whole immune system. But, did you know that heavy and long-term alcohol consumption can also affect your peripheral nerves?
As per recent studies, people who have been misusing alcohol were reported to experience peripheral neuropathy. And, along with the tingling sensation in their feet, they experienced a lack of coordination and a loss of balance when walking.
