Corns on the feet are actually calluses and mostly appear on your toes. This is because when there is a continuous irritation, the skin on your toes will begin to thicken and harden.
When this happens, the defensive mechanism of your skin kicks in and due to the chronic friction or pressure, it starts to develop as corns.
If you leave the corns unchecked, these can become very painful and can sometimes make walking difficult too.
Most people who get corns will try and remove them at home, but sometimes for those who have diabetes or other conditions, the removal can inhibit the circulation and you might have to immediately seek treatment or advice from a medical professional.
In this article, you’ll learn the common causes, symptoms and treatment of corns.
Causes:
Here are five common causes that might lead to corns
- Wearing the wrong footwear: If you wear footwear that is not your size, you may end up getting corns because your feet might not be used to the unnatural pressure generated by wearing a wrong size. These are fairly easy to get rid of and usually wearing the right size shoe will help
- Walking barefoot: Over the years we have gotten used to walking on the floor in proper footwear. If we suddenly stop using footwear, our feet will have difficulty handling the pressure from the floor or the ground and you may start developing corns.
- Playing certain sports like Tennis: Playing tennis is also one common cause of corns in your feet. Tennis is a sport that requires a huge amount of running and manoeuvring and if you wear wrong footwear, you may not only injure yourself but also end up developing corns
- Running: Another common way you might get corn is by wearing improper footwear while running. Unnecessary and unnatural pressure will cause corns
- Conditions like flat foot: People who have flat foot have a lot of pressure on their feet and this may sometimes cause corns. For people who have flat foot, they should necessarily wear footwear that will support their arches and hence prevent pressure on their feet.
These are some of the most common causes of corns on your feet. Before the corns are fully developed, there are also some symptoms. The section below will give you the symptoms that will eventually lead to corns.
Symptoms
- Hardened skin: When you see that your skin has hardened at certain places, it is a sign that a corn might develop in that area
- Small and rounded cones on the skin: Small conical formations on the skin are signs that you might get a corn in that area. A corn usually develops in that way and then hardens further
- Dry and Flaky skin: Sometimes your skin will start getting dry and flaky in certain regions. In such a case, you need to moisturize that area specifically and take special care of it. This is a sign that a corn might be developing in that area
- Painful walking: If you have a developing corn, you might get pains while walking or while performing any other activity. This is again a sign that you are getting a corn.
When you observe the symptoms above, you should immediately try and mitigate these. Like they say, prevention is always better than cure. Here are some home remedies that will help alleviate the pain of corns:
Home Remedies:
Instead of going for medicines or worst, a surgery, here are some home remedies you can try to get rid of those painful corns on your feet.
1. cold compress
The cold compress helps to reduce the inflammation of the corn and with regular use your corn will start decreasing.
You should be very consistent with the application of the cold compress, only then the pain and the inflammation of the corn will reduce.
2. olive oil
Olive oil is a very good moisturizing agent. When it is constantly rubbed over the corn, it will soften the corn and hence help remove it.
Use this oil every day for about a month to actually see your corn soften.
3. lemon juice
Lemon juice helps to soften and lighten the corn. Use this remedy for at least three weeks to see your corn disappear.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can destroy bacteria and make your feet smell good. They are also very good at softening the corns which can then be removed using a pumice stone. Always buy organic apple cider vinegar because it contains powerful enzymes. The ones that are synthetic are not as potent as the organic one.
5. baking soda
Baking soda helps get rid of corns instantly because it has certain properties that work to remove the corn from your feet. It will not only soften it, but also make it lighter in appearance
6. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has zinc and vitamin C that helps to reduce the inflammation on the skin and also reduce the hardness of the corn.
7. chamomile tea
Chamomile tea’s properties make it a very gentle cleanser that can clean and reduce the hardness of the corn. Timely usage will help to reduce the corn and ultimately help remove it too.
8. Witch Hazel
Sometimes there are corns that are very sticky and removing this stickiness is important to remove the corn. Witch hazel extract helps in drying out the skin and will hence remove the stickiness that is associated with the corn.
9. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a very good moisturizer and helps to remove the hardness of the corns and also heals dry and cracked skin
For best results for your corns, always use corn overnight and make sure you wash your feet before going out. Coconut oil attracts dust particles
10. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an excellent exfoliator and can help reduce the roughness of the skin and also the hardness of the corns. Use it to get baby soft skin on your feet. Soak the oats overnight and then make a paste. This way it will be easier to make the paste out of the oats
11. Calendula Oil
The calendula oil wrap helps to moisten and soften the corn. Once the corn becomes softer, it will one day soften and disappear. The calendula oil must be used at frequent intervals for the corn to reduce
12. Ice Pack
The cold compress from the ice pack helps to reduce the inflammation of the corn and with regular use, your corn will start decreasing. You should be very consistent with the application, only then the pain and the inflammation of the corn will reduce. Use it several times in a day for about 15 minutes on the affected area
13. Basil leaves
The basil leaves’ properties help to make your skin softer and smoother and also reduce the hardness of the corns. Use fresh basil leaves to make the paste because this will work better than using older basil leaves
14. Cinnamon
The paste is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial and helps to make the corn a little softer so that it can be easily removed. You can also buy cinnamon powder instead of using a fresh stick, but roasting and then powdering the stick will be more effective than buying powder from the market
15. Coriander Leaves
Corianders’ properties also make it a very good product to stop the inflammation and pain that is associated with corn. Make a paste from fresh leaves to get the most out of the paste and cure your corns faster
Prevention of Corns:
They say that prevention is better than cure, and in the case of corns this is very true because corns can be painful as well as unsightly and you may have so much trouble walking or even performing daily functions on your foot that you will hate yourself for not preventing them. So here are some tips that will help you prevent corns:
- Always wear shoes that are comfortable and are not too narrow or tight-fitted. These might not only constrict the blood flow in your foot but also put unnatural pressure on your foot, thus causing corns and hardness.
- Toes are most susceptible to corns and you should avoid wearing heels for longer period of time. Kick off your heels when you do not have to do much walking around.
- Choose a shoe that fits you well and if you suffer from problems like flat feet, you should wear shoes that support your arch. It will not only make your walking comfortable but also prevent corns.
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If you still have any question, comment below.
