Occasional episodes of burning sensation in left hand may not be a reason to be worried about. However, frequent instances sure are, as they might be indicating something that is going or has gone amiss in the body.
As the name suggests, burning sensation refers to a feeling as if the affected part of your body is on fire. This burning, typically, may be accompanied by pain, or a tingling sensation. In some people, numbness may also be present. A burning sensation in any part of the body, is a symptom instead of being a condition. Primarily, it could be a manifestation of problems associated with the nervous system of the body. However, depending upon the symptoms accompanying the sensation, other causes may also come into the picture.
Most Probable Causes
✦ If the burning sensation is occurring frequently then, one may suspect the occurrence of some problem with the nervous system. Nerves or neurons convey messages from the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Medical conditions such as peripheral neuropathy are commonly connected to burning sensation. This ailment refers to nerve damage that not only produces a burning feeling, but also other symptoms such as numbness, and pain. It usually results from injuries, problems with the metabolic process in the body, exposure to toxins, and certain infections. Diabetes happens to be one of the most common causes.
✦ Arthritis refers to a condition marked by the inflammation of one or more joints in the body. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two common forms of this disease. Osteoarthritis is caused by normal wear and tear of the bones, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. So in most cases it has been observed that the burning sensation in the limbs is caused by either of these two conditions. And this sensation is worsened by symptoms such as pain, stiffness, redness, swelling, and reduced range of motion.
✦ Another disorder of the central nervous system that may cause this problem is multiple sclerosis. The nerves in the body are covered with a sheath. Due to certain reasons, the immune system of the body misfires and destroys this protective covering, and this causes a chaos in the communication relayed between the brain and the rest of the body. And depending upon the extent of the damage and affected parts, the symptoms vary from mild to worse. Other signs, aside the burning pain, may include weakness and numbness of the affected part, blurred vision, tingling sensation, tremor, fatigue, and dizziness.
✦ A heredity disorder known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease could be also included in the list of the culprits. This is basically a group of disorders that not only affect the nerves in the arms, but legs as well. People with this problem have complained of experiencing a feeling of as if their limbs have caught fire, aside other symptoms such as decreased sensation towards touch, heat and cold. Weakness in the limbs, and loss of muscles bulk are its other predominant symptoms, and so is numbness.
Given the fact that the causes are identifiable, the treatment of the burning sensation in left hand or elsewhere in the body, focuses on addressing to the underlying disorders, and relieving the symptoms. For causes such as diabetes, which are incurable, the patient might have to follow a long-term treatment plan to prevent future flare-ups, and other complications.
