Most people are familiar with a pins-and-needles sensation in the feet from sitting cross legged for long periods. The feeling signals the body to change positions. In extremely cold temperatures, tingling and stinging pain in the feet and toes may be symptoms of frostbite. As lower appendages, the feet tend to be vulnerable to conditions that impair circulation or damage nerves. Neuropathy is a term for pain and tingling caused by nerve damage. Sometimes the cause of neuropathy is idiopathic, or unknown.
Diabetic Neuropathy
High blood sugars in poorly managed diabetes can damage blood vessels and peripheral nerve fibers over time. Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are numbness, tingling, pain or a burning sensation that may be accompanied by muscle weakness and difficulty walking. The pain can become worse at night. Loss of sensation may lead to foot injuries. The skin of the feet may crack and become sore. Such injuries tend to be slow to heal and may become gangrenous if blood sugar is not well controlled.
Alcoholic Neuropathy
Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with tingling and painful sensations in the feet. Heavy drinking impairs the absorption of thiamine and other B vitamins needed for nerve health. According to The New York Times, it is not known whether alcoholic neuropathy is the result of nutritional deficiencies or the toxic effects of alcohol itself. Symptoms may develop slowly, include muscle aches and weakness, and progress to muscle atrophy, impaired movement and even difficulty swallowing.
Morton's Neuroma
Neuromas are not true tumors and are not cancerous, according to the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Caused by tight shoes, high heels or trauma, this swelling of the nerves is characterized by painful burning and tingling most often in the ball of the foot and radiating to the toes. Morton's neuroma is the swelling of nerves in the area between and below the third and fourth toes, and is the most common type. Neuromas may also form between the second and third toes, in the heel or in other areas of the foot. Although rare, the condition may occur in both feet at the same time.
Trench Foot
Associated with soldiers in combat conditions, trench foot is an injury that results from constantly wet feet in cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time. Symptoms may include redness, tingling pain, numbness and swelling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, wet feet lose heat 25 times faster than dry feet. To avoid heat loss, the body constricts blood vessels and shuts off circulation to the lower appendages. Skin tissue dies and may become gangrenous. The CDC reports that trench foot can occur in temperatures as warm as 60 degrees F if feet are not kept dry.
