I have corns on my feet. Can I treat them myself at home?

Author: Tang Qin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Science Popularization Expert Committee of the Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Zhang Jianzhong, Chief Physician, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University

If you have round lumps or nodules of varying sizes with localized thickening of the skin keratin on a certain part of the sole of your foot and feel pain when walking or exercising, these symptoms may indicate that you may have corns.

Although corns seem to be a minor disease, if they are not treated in time, not only will the pain intensify and affect normal walking, but as the area of ​​corns expands, they are susceptible to external bacterial infection and produce deep ulcers, and may also spread to other skin tissues. This not only makes treatment more difficult, but may also lead to other complications.

Regarding the treatment of corns, many people have heard that they can handle it at home. Before confirming the answer, let us first understand what corns are.

1. What are corns?

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Corns, also known as "chickens", are a common and multiple foot disease. They are caused by the hyperplasia of the local skin stratum corneum and often occur on the soles of the feet, and mostly appear on the soles, the outside of the little toes or between the toes. They can also be seen on the instep and heels, and occasionally on the hands.

The size of corns is similar to that of soybeans, with a smooth surface and a height parallel to the epidermis or slightly raised. The center is light yellow and the surrounding area is slightly darker, making it look like a chicken's eye, hence the name.

Depending on the location of occurrence, corns can be divided into two types: hard corns and soft corns. Hard corns usually occur on the dorsal or lateral side of the toes where they are in close contact with the shoes and under pressure; soft corns usually occur between the toes [1].

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

There are many reasons for corns, but they are generally related to increased local pressure caused by friction and local compression, such as constant pressure and friction between the skin and shoes, hammer-shaped deformation of the toe bones, tight shoes, and the formation of small osteophytes in the toes. When the soles of the feet are subjected to uneven force, the local area is subjected to long-term friction and compression, which further stimulates the proliferation of the stratum corneum of the foot skin, and the hyperplastic keratin is embedded in the skin, resulting in corns. Therefore, people who need to stand for a long time or keep walking at work are more likely to suffer from corns.

After suffering from corns, there is generally no discomfort in the early stage, so it is easy to be ignored. However, as the disease progresses, the hyperplastic keratin will compress the sensory nerve endings and cause pain, making it difficult to walk.

Once you find that you have corns, you need to intervene and treat them in time. So. Can corns be treated at home?

2. Whether corns can be treated by yourself depends on the situation

Whether corns can be treated at home depends on the cause of the corns. Corns are not just a skin problem, they may also involve bones. For example, some bony protrusions can cause pressure, which is very similar to corns[1]. If it is a bone problem, such as corns caused by osteophytes, the source problem must be solved before the corns can be cured. In other words, you need to go to the hospital for a clear diagnosis. However, if the corns are simply hyperkeratosis of the skin, you can treat them at home.

When you treat corns at home, you need to be aware of the risk of infection. It is best to buy tools for repairing corns at a pharmacy and sterilize them in a special tool box.

If the corn area is large and severe pain has occurred, it is best to go to the hospital for relevant treatment to avoid the disease from worsening and causing cross infection.

Diabetic patients should not consider treating corns on their own because it is more difficult for diabetic patients to heal their wounds, and once infection occurs, it is easy to induce diabetic foot.

Steps to treat corns at home

If you choose to treat corns at home, you can follow these three steps:

First, remove the pressure and friction on the skin, such as not wearing shoes or wearing only comfortable shoes. In addition, buy loose and soft shoes, and add soft insoles inside the shoes. As long as the instep is not subjected to direct pressure and irritation, corns may disappear on their own.

Secondly, you can use a ring corn foot pad to temporarily relieve pain. This kind of foot pad can be bought in the pharmacy. Most of the non-medicated foot pads have a hole in the middle and an adhesive on the back. It is fixed on the corn and can relieve or disperse the pressure on the corn.

Finally, you can soak and grind the corns. Soak your feet in warm water for 20 to 25 minutes, then apply baby oil to the corns and gently grind the corns with a pumice stone or nail file. Do not use a razor blade. The purpose of this is not to remove the corns completely, but to create more space for the corns and shoes.

During this process, it is best not to use acidic medications or plasters to treat corns, as this may cause infection. Patients with diabetes or blood circulation problems should especially not use them. But if you really need to use them, be sure to follow the instructions strictly, because too much acid or improper use can burn healthy skin.

If the above treatments don't work, or if you don't want to treat your corn yourself, you can scrape it off or have it surgically removed with the help of a doctor.

In addition to timely treatment, it is also important to prevent corns in daily life. You should pay attention to foot hygiene, wear less hard shoes or high heels, rub the rough parts of the foot skin, and massage the soles of your feet every day.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

If corns repeatedly appear on your feet, you should pay attention to whether there is a problem with the internal tissues and seek evaluation and diagnosis from a professional doctor promptly.

References

Liu Jianguo. Do not arbitrarily diagnose and treat "corns"[J]. Health Guide, 2021, 27(6):19.