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Corns (Calluses) - Causes, Symptoms And Home Remedies

Alternative names : Calluses and Rough heels.

What are corns?

Corns refer to localized thickening of the skin. Thickening of the skin over a large area is called a callosity, and is usually protective, whereas corn is relatively small and painful. Corns usually form on the toes, where the bone is prominent and presses the skin against the shoe, ground, or other bones. Corns usually made up of a soft yellow ring of skin around a hard, gray center. Corns can be uncomfortable, but they're also very common and easy to prevent. Corns can be very painful, especially if there is inflammation and swelling around the corn. Common locations are:

• The top surface of the toe.
• Between the 4th and 5th toes.
• At the tip of the toe.

What are the symptoms of corns ?

Corns are usually found over the joins of the toes and on the soles of the feet. They are shaped like a pyramid with the apex pointing inwards. They are tender when touched. Sometimes painful and infective warts that occur on the soles of the feet are mistaken for corns. Some of the common symptoms of corns are :

• A hard growth on the skin of the toes.
• Sometimes redness and swelling around the corn, with severe discomfort.
• Pain when pressure is applied against the corn.
• White and rubbery bumps of skin.

What are the causes of corns?

Corns are usually formed as a result of pressure on the toes and skin surfaces of the feet, through incorrect footwear. The toes are malformed from the same cause. The modern craze for high heeled shoes is the cause of an enormous amount of foot trouble, for the high heel pushes the toes forward into the front of the shoe, where owing to its narrowness, the toes are crammed together mercilessly and exposed to all the inconvenience to which it is possible for them to be subjected. Here are some common causes of corns are include:

• High heeled footwear.
• Tight shoes.
• Walking and working on particularly dry, dirty and pebbly soil.
• Not wearing of correct fitting shoes.
• Seam or stitch inside the shoe which rubs against the toe.

Natural home remedies for the treatment of corns.

• Liquorices is one of the most valuable remedies for corns that are just appearing. A paste made by grinding three or four liquorices sticks and mixing it with half a teaspoon of sesame oil or mustard oil should be rubbed into the hardened skin at bedtime. The skin gradually softens and the com decreases in size.
• Lemon is another valuable remedy for corns. A fresh slice of lemon should be tied over the painful area at night and allowed to remain there the whole night.
• Raw papaya is beneficial in the treatment of corns. Its juice is an irritant and it is, therefore, a useful application in this condition. Half a teaspoon of raw papaya juice may be applied thrice daily.
• The herb Indian squill, botanically known as Urginea indica is useful in removing corns. A bulb may be roasted and applied over the com. It should be secured with a bandage. This application may be made at night and removed in the morning.
• The milky juice of green figs is valuable for corns of long duration. It helps to soften them. Half a teaspoon of this juice may be extracted from the fruit and applied two or three times daily.
• Chalk powder has also been found beneficial in the treatment of corns. A small piece of chalk may be ground into a paste with water and applied over the affected area.
• In most cases the com will disappear when the pressure is removed. Medicinal corn removing plasters, known as corn caps, are easily available with chemists. They are found to be effective.
• Epsom salt bath is highly beneficial in the treatment of corns. About 100 gm's. of epsom salt should be dissolved in bowl full of water. The feet should be bathed in the water from 5 to 10 minutes twice daily in the morning and night.
• The pulp of raw potato is also useful in the treatment of corn. It should be placed on the corn and secured with a bandage and allowed to remain for two or three hours.
• The oil extracted from the outer shell of the cashew nut being acrid and rubefacient, is valuable in corns. It should be applied externally over the affected parts in treating this condition.

Prevention tips for corns.

• For soft corns, which usually occur between the toes, the feet should be washed daily.
• Avoid wearing of tight shoes and socks.
• Foam or moleskin pads to put over the places where corns form.

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