One of the biggest concerns people face, especially during the hotter months of the year, is how to keep feet cool in bed. You know the feeling – you're getting ready for a nice sleep, the rest of your body feels just fine, but your feet… your feet just can't seem to reach the ideal temperature to get you in the mood for some rest. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what can cause hot feet. In next week's blog, our experts will share strategies to keep your feet cool at night. 

What Can Cause Hot Feet?

Nerve damage, or neuropathy, is the most common cause of hot feet. Peripheral neuropathy can affect your legs and feet, causing burning, tingling, or numbness.

Nerve damage has many possible causes, including:

• Alcohol Misuse
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
• Chemotherapy
• Exposure To Toxins
• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
• Untreated Diabetes
• Viral and Bacterial Infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Epstein-Barr virus
• Certain Vitamin Deficiencies (discussed in further detail in next week’s blog “Strategies to Alleviate Hot Feet At Night)”

Other conditions associated with hot feet include:

• Hormonal changes. Conditions that affect hormone levels, such as an underactive thyroid, pregnancy, or menopause, can trigger hot feet.
• Erythromelalgia. This rare condition is characterized by symptoms such as redness, burning, and pain in the feet and hands, often triggered by an increase in body temperature.
• Athlete’s foot. Also known as tinea pedis, athletes foot is a fungal infection associated with burning, tingling, and itchiness in the feet.
• Kidney disease. Chronic Kidney disease affects your body’s ability to filter toxins from your blood. Toxins can build up in your feet, causing excess heat.

Note: Sometimes other factors can contribute to the sensation of hot feet at night. Your feet may feel hot if you wear socks to bed, use a heating pad or hot water bottle, or sleep under thick bed covers.

When To See a Doctor

Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider if the hot sensation in your feet doesn’t go away after several weeks. Also be sure to see your doctor if the burning spreads to your lower legs or if you lose sensation in your feet. If you develop hot feet after a wound becomes infected or after exposure to a toxin, go to an emergency room right away.
To schedule an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas at our Cromwell, Connecticut office call (860)-632-5499 or visit our website for more information.