What is a Corns, explained by Podiatrist, Foot Specialist

 

One of the most common question I always get asked is “ what is a corn “
A corn is a thickening of the skin that occurs due to excess pressure and or friction on the top of a toe. As this abnormal process continues the toe will get irritated and a red area appears on the toe. As the irritation continues, more blood will come into the toe which increases the rate of the growth of the skin. This increase growth of the skin is abnormal At this point mother nature will attempt to put down a shock absorber over the toe to protect it. This is called corn.
 

Besides swelling of the feet and toes, a complication of this irritation is that a bursitis which is a sac of fluid forms underneath the deepest part of the corn. This sac is also nature’s way of attempting to protect the underlying insulate bone and skin body tissues. As this inflamed bursa continues to become more irritated it will put pressure on a small sensory nerve branch. This will cause a dull, throbbing ache when it’s first starts, or a sharp exquisite pain at its worst. When this occurs shoe wearing becomes very difficult
If the corn becomes chronic and the pressure continues to be exerted on it, not only will the underlying bone becomes inflamed but the body will respond by producing new body.

 

A hammertoe, deformity is also a common cause of corns to occur due to a foot imbalance of the muscles

 

 

Soft Corns

 A soft corn is usually found between 2 toes, normally the  fourth and fifth toes. It is formed from the friction of these two toes rubbing  against one another for a period of time. This abnormal friction makes mother nature produce a corn on one or both of the toes, The reason it is called soft is because of the moisture buildup in between the toes that makes it wet.  The treatment is the same as the corn on the top of the toes.

 Treatment

Cutting or trimming of the top layer of a corn is the most common treatment Depending on the severity of the corn it will only give you temporary relief anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks
For more involved corns, a minor office surgical procedure can be performed in your podiatrist’s office without any undue discomfort, either dur¬ing the procedure or afterwards. These minor incisions heal quickly, permitting the patient to return to normal foot gear almost at once, and without losing any time at work.