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Corns
and calluses aside from causing pain and
discomfort are not always a pretty sight
to look at. Women find they are
restricted to wearing closed in shoes
because of this, which is not good when
on holiday and open toe sandals are being
the more apprproriate. A corn is small
areas of very thick skin. A corn
is roughly round in shape.
Corns press into the deeper layers of skin
and can be painful. Tight fitting shoes
can add to your
suffering.
Is your
problem Corns or is it
Gout?
Hard
corns commonly appear on the top of the
smaller toes or on the outer side of the
little one. These are the areas where
poorly fitted shoes tend to rub most. So
what is the difference between hard and
soft corns? Well Soft corns more often
than not form in between the toes, most
known between the fourth and fifth. It
may not sound nice but this is because of
the sweat which keeps this area
moistened. Soft corns sometimes become
infected, if an infection occurs you may
need treatment of the doctor in the form
of antibiotics.
Not many people
are aware of the difference between corns and
calluses and therefore this can result in wrong
treatments and medication being
used.
A callus is
larger, broader and has a less well defined
edge than a corn. These tend to form on the
underside of the foot. They are more recognized
to form over the bony region just underneath
the toes. A callus is not normally a painful
condition, however over a period of time it can
be.
Like most ailments
knowing of the cause can help prevent a
condition reoccurring.
The
small bones of the toes and feet are
wider and lumpier close to the small
joints of the toes. If extra rubbing
takes place or pressure on the skin
overlying a small rough area of bone,
this will cause the skin to thicken,
hence resulting in corns or calluses
forming.
Like many foot
ailments ill wearing shoes will only add to the
problem and maybe worsen the
condition
Poor fitting shoes
can cause corns to occur on the top of the toes
and side of the little toe as like to that of
much walking or running which we connect to
calluses. Treating corns of a painful nature is
best done under the supervision of a podiatrist
(previously called chiropodist. What to expect
when treatment begins on your
corn
The
thickened skin of a corn or callus can be
pared down (trimmed) by a podiatrist by
using a scalpel blade. The pain is
usually much reduced as the corn or
callus is pared down and the pressure on
the underlying tissues eased. Some people
unfortunately will not pay the extra few
shillings for a decent pair of shoes
therefore allowing the condition to
recur. This is not the ideal way to rid
corns. Sacrifices have to be made if you
want comfort and if that means paying
that little extra in shoe leather then so
be it.
If the skin seems
to be thickening up again, a recurrence may be
prevented by rubbing down the thickening skin
with a pumice stone or emery paper once a week.
Soak the feet first in warm water for 20
minutes to soften the thick skin. A moisturizer
cream used regularly on a trimmed corn or
callus will keep the skin softened and easier
to rub down. Avoid at all times using chemical
based treatments (sometimes included in 'Corn
plasters') to 'burn' the thickened skin unless
under the guidance of a
podiatrist.
Try
footpads and toe protection for comfort.
Surgery may be suggested for
abnormalities on the feet, operations may
be performed to straighten a deformed
toe, or to cut out a part of a bone that
is sticking out from a toe. It may sound
a little scary having surgery but it is
well worth keeping your feet in healthy
state because after all they are your
only means of transport for getting
around.
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