The Effect of Alcohol on Burning Feet

Long-term and excessive alcohol consumption can cause damage to the nerves in your feet, which can result in burning feet, according to Footneuropathy.net.

Effects

When you are experiencing peripheral neuropathy in your feet, in addition to the burning sensation, you may also experience tingling, tickling and the feeling of pins and needles.

Identification

When damage is done to the nerves that carry information to the spinal cord and brain--which can occur if you have consumed excessive quantities of alcohol over a long period of time--this leads to pain in your feet, loss of sensation or strange sensations, and an inability to control your muscles.

Considerations

A condition called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (a neurological disorder) can develop in malnourished alcoholics, which can result in foot burning. This condition is also called cerebral beriberi.

Thiamine Deficiency

Beriberi is thiamine deficiency disease in the brain, according to Neurology.health-cares.net. Thiamin deficiency impacts the muscular system as well as your nervous-, gastrointestinal- and cardiovascular systems.

Additional Factors

Burning feet can be caused by other factors than alcohol including a trapped nerve, gout, smoking, diabetes, athlete's foot, an allergic reaction and dampness in your shoes or socks that when subjected to friction leads to the burning sensation.

References

• National Institutes of Health: NINDS Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) Information Page
• Neurology.health-cares.net: What is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?
• Footneuropathy.net: Burning Feet Sensations: Effects of Foot Neuropathy

Resources

• Drfoot.co.uk: Burning Feet