Skin Burning Sensation

Burning sensation on skin is very annoying as it gives a feeling like a bad sunburn. However, most of the time, no burn marks are visible on the skin surface. People of all age groups can experience it and its characteristics are different in every individual condition. Usually, it does not have any specific origin. In some cases, it could be confined to one particular location or it may shift from one part of the body to the other. This may persist for a long time at a stretch or it could recur at short intervals.

Skin Burning Sensation Causes

When burning sensation is felt on skin, the first thing to be done is to look for eruption of skin rashes or blisters in the affected area. These eruptions suggest that it is a skin problem. Besides, there are many other factors which can be responsible for this abnormal sensation. Its main causes are discussed here:

Nerve Problem: Paresthesia is a condition that arises when the peripheral nerves get pressed. Initially, it gives a pricking sensation under the skin and later on, leads to recurrent burning sensation. Its other accompanying symptoms are numbness and itchiness on the skin. If the location of the damaged nerve is anywhere near the shoulder, then these symptoms get extended to hand and back as well. Sciatica is another nerve problem which occurs when the sciatic nerve is pressed by a slipped disc in the lower back.

Circulation Problem: In peripheral vascular disease, the blood vessels become narrow and affects normal flow of blood to various parts of the body. This causes burning skin sensation particularly in the extremities of the body like legs and arms. Blue lips, thick nails and swelling of feet are also observed in this condition.

Shingles: This is a viral infection and is also known as herpes zoster. The infection causing virus lies within the body in a dormant state for several years. When it gets activated, an intense burning or tingling sensation is felt at a particular spot on the skin where painful blisters erupt after some time. The shingles rash usually appear only on any one side of the torso.

Diabetes: Those who are suffering from diabetes for a prolonged period of time, experience the symptom of burning skin quite often. This is because diabetes has a damaging effect on the nerve tissues. It is accompanied by other diabetes symptoms like frequent urination, unexpected weight loss or weight gain, increase in thirst, skin infections that takes long time for healing, sudden blurred vision, etc.

Skin Disorders: There are several forms of skin disorders that can cause burning sensation on the skin. They are: scabies, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema, fungal infection and so on. All these skin problems have a few common symptoms such as itching, swelling and changes in the color and texture of the skin.

Other Causes: This problem may arise due to side effects of certain medicines that are taken to treat some other medical condition. The common triggers of burning sensation on the facial skin are allergic reactions towards the chemicals that are present in cosmetics, overexposure to sun, dry skin condition and excessive washing of the face as it causes damage to the top layers of skin. During pregnancy, many women get a burning sensation in the abdomen and breast region because of overstretched skin in these areas.

Treatment for Skin Burning Sensations

When you are bothered by burning skin sensation, you should visit a skin specialist to ascertain the exact cause behind it. Once the underlying disease is identified, it should be treated with suitable medicines. Diabetic patients are advised to keep their blood sugar level under control with diet and medicines. If one gets a burning pain under the skin because of nerve problem, muscle relaxers are prescribed to bring about improvement in the condition. Medicinal creams are also available which can be applied on the skin to obtain temporary relief from the pain. There are different types of ointments that are used to heal up various forms of skin rashes.

You can try out a simple home remedy to get rid of the burning skin feeling caused by any skin disorder. Make a thick paste using crushed fresh neem leaves, one teaspoon of turmeric powder and one teaspoon of sesame seed oil. Apply it on the affected part of the skin for one hour and then wash it off. This home treatment heals up the damaged skin very well. Pregnant women should apply olive oil regularly to get relief from burning sensation in breast tissue and abdomen.

You should avoid direct exposure to heat of sunlight or hot water in this condition. If the skin is itching, do not scratch, as it can trigger skin infection. Stress tends to aggravate this problem further. Hence, try to keep your mind free from stress.