How to Distinguish Between Hot and Burning Sensations in the Palms and Soles?

Describe the heat and burning sensations specifically

Record whether it feels hot to the touch, whether it feels like burning inside despite a similar skin temperature, or if you feel more comfortable when keeping the area outside the blankets. It is also important to note if both sides are the same and if symptoms worsen at night.

Check for numbness and changes in sensation

If there are changes such as numbness, diminished sensation, stabbing pain, or an inability to feel wounds, Peripheral neuropathy first distinguish between similar possibilities. If there are no specific findings in tests and Heat sensationthis repeats, Guide to heat in the soles of the feet and palmsyou can further examine the branches of cold-heat balance.

What changes from the perspective of cold-heat balance?

Even for the same heat sensation in the soles of the feet, it can be worse at night Dry mouthand accompanied by insomnia, whether heat in the upper body is mixed with coldness in the lower body, or whether it worsens with fatigue. Baekrokdam Cold-Heat Clinic uses pattern identification to distinguish these differences, including deficiency heat, and finds areas that can be helped through Korean medicine treatment.

If your hands and feet both feel burning even after no clear cause was found in tests, Column on distinguishing actual skin heat from sensory abnormalities when hands and feet feel hotcontinue by checking if sleep, sweating, dry mouth, and digestion are changing together. This connection is not to add another diagnosis, but a sequence to narrow down the primary goals for herbal medicine treatment. If the heat sensation remains but the time it takes to fall asleep or the speed of falling back asleep improves first, If heat remains in my hands and feet but my sleep improves first, can this be seen as a response to Korean herbal medicine treatment?you can proceed with more specific criteria for maintenance and adjustment.

Check your skin and sensation directly every day

Visually check for redness, blisters, cracking, or wounds in the burning areas. Especially for those with diabetes or diminished sensation, it is safer not to test symptoms with water that is too cold or hot compresses. If you cannot feel small wounds or if there are changes where wounds do not heal, checking the condition of the feet takes priority over managing the heat sensation.

Keep brief records of the differences between day and night

Rate the intensity in the morning, daytime, and before sleep on a scale of 0–10, and note the differences when taking off shoes, after exercise, and when lying down. Distinguish whether both hands and feet are hot or if only one side is different. Please bring your current medications, supplements, and any recent blood glucose, thyroid, or nerve-related test results to your appointment.

The goal of medical evaluation is not to conclude a single cause

Baekrokdam Han-Yeol Clinic burning sensationdoes not immediately define symptoms as deficiency heat. We first distinguish between neurological and metabolic issues, and then use medical interviews and examinations to see how any remaining heat sensations after testing relate to sleep, thirst, digestion, and fatigue. After confirming if Korean medicine treatment is appropriate, we explain the possible directions for care.

Referenced Evidence and Scope of Application

NINDS Peripheral Neuropathy Guidereferenced for burning sensations, numbness, and decreased sensation in the hands and feet, as well as neuropathic pain that may worsen at night, NHS Erythromelalgia Guidereferenced for skin heat, redness, burning pain, and safe cooling ranges. Based on these criteria, we first differentiate between neurological, skin, and vascular patterns, and then link the distribution of cold/heat and accompanying symptoms of the remaining heat sensation to the treatment direction.