Corns : Causes and Treatment

Painful corns at both feet of a 51-year-old woman with severe tranverse flat feet. Mycosis has affected some nails, and she also suffers from a very painful thick plantar wart at her right foot.

What are corns?

A corn is a form of callus which occurs on or between the toes. If the thickening of the callus occurs on the outside of the toe, it is called as “hard corn”. When its location is between the toes, it is called as a “soft corn”.

The pain in the affected area is caused due to pressure of the hard inside the core of the corn against the tissue beneath it. The most effective treatment for corns is to wear the shoes of right size and fit. Removal of corns is done by podiatrist or chiropodist. They recur again if the foot wear is not of proper size.

Treatment for Corns:

The toes should be soaked in warm water for about ten minutes and dried well for removing the corns at home. The corn can also be rubbed away with an emery file. Corns can also be treated with a few drops of ten percent salicylic acid in collodion which is available in the drug store. Care should be taken while applying the solution so that it does not reach the surrounding tissue because it highly irritates the normal skin. The area can be covered with a corn pad for relieving the pressure. The treatment has to be repeated several times before the corn becomes soft enough to lift out. Diabetics or persons suffering from any circulatory disorders should never treat their own corns.