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I have dry itchy burning feet sensation, what could be the cause? What causes dry itchy feet at night? What are the treatment and home remedies for dry cracked itchy feet?
Your feet do a lot of work for you. They help you walk, stand, run and even support your weight no matter how big or small you are. Just like the rest of the body, the feet have skin too, which could also get dry sometimes. If you have dry itchy skin on your feet, it could be caused by several reasons. Similarly, if not treated it could lead to a host of complications.
Instead of sitting back wondering what could be happening to your dry cracked itchy feet, it is imperative that you find out the underlying cause and treat it as soon as possible. Similarly, dry itchy burning feet can give you quite a discomfort it may be impossible to stand, walk, run or even sleep at night. Discover what causes dry itchy feet and how you can treat it.
Dry Cracked Itchy Feet – Dealing with Itchy Heels and Causes
As I have mentioned earlier the feet are not special when it comes to drying due to several reasons. However, you do not have to live with dry cracked itchy feet because it is for one unsightly and secondly it can get uncomfortable especially when wearing shoes and socks. Dry itchy heels of feet should not be ignored as they could lead to dry cracked heels.
Dry cracked itchy feet are caused by among others:
- fungal infections
- eczema
- walking bare foot
- standing for long hours
- Wearing ill fitting shoes
- Dermatitis
- Eczema
- Walking bare foot in a moist environment
The good thing is that you can treat this condition at home easily as long as you are patient. However, if the symptoms persist, consult a podiatrist for a proper diagnosis and effective cure.
However, most home remedies for dry and itchy feet would work just fine to clear the cracks, which are also known as fissures. First, you have to cleanse your feet properly with mild soaps and exfoliate with a soft brush or a pumice stone. Soaking your feet in warm, not hot water should also soften the dry cracked feet and if you add some ingredients such as salts, the itching may be gone sooner than you expect. It is also important to moisturize your feet to keep the dryness at bay.
Dry Itchy Burning Feet Main Causes
The feet can get a stinging itch that makes it hard for you to resist scratching. When this happens, you should consult with a podiatrist for proper diagnosis since many conditions may cause dry itchy burning feet sensations. This is not a minor thing, therefore, do seek help as soon as you experience it and it does not seem to go away.
Among the many causes of this burning sensation when you itch on your feet the main ones are:
Athlete’s Foot
This is often the first condition believed to be the cause of dry itchy burning feet. Athlete’s foot affects your feet due to the following:
- Walking in damp or moist floors without shoes
- Going into public bathrooms, locker rooms without bathroom shoes
- Poor hygiene on your feet
- Not changing socks everyday
- Wearing the same pair of shoes day in and day out
- Leaving your feet moist after a shower or after washing your feet
A fungus known as trichophyton or epidermophyton causes athlete’s foot. Dermatophytes are the other microorganisms responsible for the fungal infection especially if it spreads to the nails. Nail fungus is quite challenging to treat because it may take a whole year or even more. You can actually know you have fungus on your feet from seeing the texture and color of your nails change.
Diabetes
Another common cause of dry itchy burning feet is diabetes. People suffering from this condition have high blood sugar levels and circulatory problems as well. Diabetics may experience burning itchiness on feet due to the following:
- Peripheral neuropathy , a condition that affects the nerves and makes them numb
- Liver failure also known as cholestasis, the bile is not able to flow from the liver
- Blood disorders such as thrombocytopenia or etrythromelalgia, which causes blood to clot and blockage of blood vessels respectively
Athlete’s foot and diabetes are the main causes of dry itching burning feet. However, it does not mean that other causes may not be responsible. If you do not have any of these, you should have yourself checked by a podiatrist to identify the main cause.
Dry Itchy Feet at Night
If the answer to this question is yes, it could be that you are pregnant or diabetic. On the other hand, if you have extreme itchy scalp at night, find the reason in that resource. Dry itchy feet at night are common in pregnant women due to hormonal changes. On the other hand, in diabetics, the circadian rhythm of hormones may be responsible, where the adrenaline and cortisone drops in levels and the histamine increases.
An upsurge in estrogen is the other hormonal related cause of itching on dry feet at night. Other causes include:
- Fungal infections
- Wearing ill fitting shoes during the day only for the consequent symptoms to show up at night
- Vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin A, E, among others only a doctor can determine what you are deficient in through blood tests.
- Cholestasis the lack of bile to flow from the liver
- Morgellons, a condition characterized by filaments of metal sticking out on skin
- Gout
Some people take sleeping pills to enable them sleep better and avoid grating on their feet often at night. Do not take this advice before you can find the correct diagnosis from a board certified podiatrist.
Home Remedies for Dry Itchy Feet
If you want to find relief for dry itchy feet, you can start by trying various home remedies. They are not only cheap, but also very natural so you do not have to be scared about getting chemicals into your body. Furthermore, they are readily available in your kitchen or bathroom cabinet.
The main home remedies for dry itchy feet include:
- The use of alcohol, rub it on the feet using a cotton ball
- Applying honey, wear socks and using some bags on top of the socks to prevent dirtying your sheets
- Use witch hazel
- Epsom salts foot soaks or any other salty water
- Apply garlic powder or use it in the foot soak or apply crushed fresh garlic clove
- White vinegar or apple cider vinegar foot soak, mix one part vinegar and five parts water
- Soaking feet in lemon juice
- Apply witch hazel
- Slather aloe vera gel or juice
- Use onion juice
How to Get Rid of Dry Itchy Feet Effectively
You can always prevent dry itchy feet by drying your feet before wearing shoes or socks. Similarly, you should learn to moisturize the feet while avoiding in between the toes. This way, fungal infections will never turn up to make your feet itch.
This is how to get rid of dry itchy feet:
- Consult your podiatrist on the underlying cause
- Ask for a strong prescription
- Practice good hygiene on your feet
- Wear fitting shoes and avoid standing for long hours to prevent cracks.
- Use the home remedies before trying the over the counter products. A good example of home remedy is the use of baking soda paste. Apply it on feet for 10 minutes before rinsing off
- Always consult with your doctor before buying an over the counter product to get rid of dry itchy feet
- Keep your body hydrated
Common Dry Itchy Feet Treatment
Treating your dry itchy feet should not be a nightmare as there are many treatments out there, which work effectively; you may not even need a prescription. You may want to try:
- Cortisone
- Antihistamine
- Oral steroids- consult a doctor first before using these
Other over the counter antifungal products that could help with the itching any fungal infections on feet:
- Flexitol
- Lotrimin
- Natureplex
- Medifirst
- Tinanctin antifungal
