Hard or soft corn or crow’s eye is a preventable foot condition. Shoes that are too tight, constant friction or chronic pressure cause it. One could call the corn a widespread disease. However, it is not a disease in the true sense of the word. The tendency to orthopedically unsuitable footwear is the actual reason why a corn develops.
What are corns?
Foot care, also called pedicure, involves shortening toenails and removing calluses (including corns). On the other hand, medical foot care or podiatry includes direct treatments of the feet. A corn develops as a callus on the surface of the toes, on the sides of the toes, or occasionally on the ball of the foot. The painful callus is caused by repeated pressure on the skin areas on the foot. If the corn is located between the toes, it is called inter-toe corn. There are two types of corns:
The hard and the soft. They do not differ from each other in the degree of pain and causes. The treatment of the hard or soft corn can be different.
Causes
A corn is favored by shoes that are too tight. Constant rubbing of the toes in a shoe that is too tight causes between-toe corns. Rubbing the surfaces of the toes against the shoe material can also cause a corn – in the worst case, one on each toe. The actual cause of the corn is bruising of the skin. A corn or several of them is diagnosed much more often in women who prefer to wear pointed or tight shoes.
Symptoms and course of the disease
The hard corn usually occurs where too tight shoes most often cause friction on the foot. It is found on the surfaces of the toes, and sometimes on the tips or sides of the toes. However, you can also develop a hard corn on the ball of the foot where the shoe presses. It is about the size of a pea, may be red and shiny. When you feel it, you notice the hardness of the corn. Its color is yellowish. Under the magnifying glass, you can see a nucleus that has grown inward. Pressure on the nucleus causes the familiar stabbing pain. The soft corn feels distinctly different. It develops for the same reasons and preferably between the toes rubbing against each other. In this corn, the surface is rather soft and the hard core is absent. However, the degree of pain is the same in both types of corns. It intensifies with friction and sweating on the foot. People who have flat or splay feet, wear unsuitable footwear or suffer from arthritis of the joints are more likely to have a corn than people with a healthy foot. The corn should be distinguished from a wart caused by viruses in the same places. A corn can be dangerous in case of diabetes. Here, due to the diabetic foot, one does not notice friction and pain as much. In combination with diabetes, the corn can become inflamed and lead to severe secondary damage.
Complications
A corn is caused by severe stress on a certain area, so that the skin is protected from further injury. Of course, such a corn can also cause various complications, which may also need to be treated by a doctor. In many cases, a corn causes an infection, which should always be treated with medication. In fact, if the affected area continues to be stressed, an open wound may develop. With an infected corn there is always a risk of inflammation, as bacteria and viruses can settle in the open wound. For this reason, an appropriate doctor should be consulted at the first signs of inflammation. If a visit to the doctor is not made at this point, the person exposes himself to a great danger. The present complication may worsen considerably, so that even the formation of pus fluid may occur. Another possible complication is the formation of a fissure. A chapped wound is a deep tear in the skin that unfortunately cannot grow back together on its own. In the case of this complication, a visit to the doctor is also unavoidable. Otherwise, repeated inflammation may occur, which may show an accumulation of pus fluid. However, if the above complications are treated with medication at an early stage, there is a very good chance of complete recovery.
When should you go to the doctor?
If pressure points or skin changes develop on the foot, they can often be treated by independent care. Wearing tight as well as unhealthy footwear should be avoided and in many cases can already help improve symptoms. Foreign bodies in the shoes should be removed immediately. In addition, special foot baths and commercially available care products such as ointments or creams are helpful in healing the skin changes. If this does not succeed within a few weeks, a visit to the doctor is advisable. If a hen’s eye develops, there is a risk of it spreading without treatment. If the pressure sores on the foot increase or spread further, a doctor should be consulted. If pain sets in when stepping on the foot or if there is discomfort in motor locomotion, medical attention should be given to the injured area. If the body is misaligned, gait is unsteady, or the body is strained on one side, a physician should be consulted. Muscle complaints, limitations in mobility or problems in performing sports activities, should be examined and treated by a physician. If emotional irregularities occur in addition to the physical complaints, a visit to the doctor should be made. If there are mood swings, increased irritability or withdrawal from usual social activities, a visit to the doctor is essential.
Treatment and therapy
You can certainly treat the hard corn yourself, in which you apply a salicylic acid solution. This will soften the horny hardened surface. After repeated treatment, one can then carefully detach the corn in warm water. As an alternative to the liquid solution, you can buy corn plasters at the pharmacy or drugstore. However, this treatment is not recommended for soft corns. Diabetics and patients with circulatory disorders should also not use salicylic acid preparations. A visit to a chiropodist, orthopedist, dermatologist or podiatrist may be helpful. These are also the places to go to if the corn always reappears. In case of very painful, hard corns with a deep core, surgery may be necessary. To prevent a new formation, a pressure protection or interdigital patch can be useful. A new corn is thus prevented.
Prevention
To prevent a corn, well-fitting footwear is essential. It should neither rub nor press. If you notice a pressure point in the toe area, you can pad the corresponding toe as a preventive measure. However, it would be better to replace the shoe or have it widened. Sometimes orthopedic insoles or special footwear for diabetics can help. Indeed, in addition to the classic friction problem, malpositioning of the toes, foot ailments or a gait that does not make sense can also lead to a corn.
Aftercare
After the professional removal of the corn, the affected skin area should be protected from pressure and friction. Foam inserts for shoes, soft socks or so-called corn rings made of foam, which are placed on the affected area, are suitable for this purpose. In addition, prophylactic measures are to be taken in the aftercare to prevent the reappearance of a corn. In addition to appropriate footwear, regular foot care is also of great importance. For this purpose, it is important to wash the feet regularly, apply cream and remove excess callus. This prevents excessive stress and corns thus. Removing excess calluses can be done at home by yourself. The callus can be easily removed with a callus file or pumice stone after a warm foot bath of ten to fifteen minutes. If corns have appeared frequently in the past, regular medical foot care in a podiatry is advisable. If, on the other hand, too tight or uncomfortable shoes are suspected as the cause, consultation with an orthopedist regarding the appropriate footwear is advisable. Orthopedic insoles, orthopedic shoes or other orthopedic aids can protect the regions at risk. In addition to protecting the affected area, once the hen’s eye has been removed, the primary goal is to eliminate the causes to prevent recurrence.
This is what you can do yourself
A hard or soft corn can be treated well by yourself. Immediate visit to a specialist is recommended exclusively to diabetics.As a rule, the corn can be softened with the help of a salicylic acid solution. The solution can be purchased over-the-counter in pharmacies. Affected persons should take foot baths with this solution several times and then try to peel off the softened skin. The skin can also be carefully worked on with a pumice stone or a fine-pored foot grater. However, care should be taken not to remove too much skin. If the area begins to bleed, it provides an entry point for bacteria and viruses and the basis for inflammation. Diabetics and patients with known circulatory disorders should not use salicylic acid. Alternatively, special plasters are available in drugstores and pharmacies, which can be applied to the affected area. The most important point in self-treatment, however, is suitable footwear. Shoes that are too tight or materials in which there is heavy perspiration have a beneficial effect on the development of hen’s eye. Affected persons should prefer natural, breathable materials with a comfortable foot width. Also special pressure protection plasters – as they are offered in shoe stores, drugstores and pharmacies – prevent the renewed development of a corn. In naturopathy, corns are treated with lemon, tea tree oil and onions. These substances have the same anti-inflammatory effect and loosen the horny skin area.
