Treatment of Foot Corns

Foot corn is a painful condition and a common foot problem that might also make a person unable to walk. A corn is a hard callus, a thick area of skin, present at a pressure point of your foot or the area that is subjected to a lot of friction, usually on the sole, under a toe joint, or sometimes even on top of the toe.

It is round, hard, firm and bores down into the skin as it goes on increasing and puts pressure over underlying tissues, leading to extreme pain. It can be white, gray or yellow in color, sometimes it becomes red and swollen as well. The main cause is the excess pressure and friction caused due to extremely tight fitting shoes or uncomfortable footwear.

# 2. Papaya juice helps cure corn, hence, apply it over the corn at least thrice a day. Remember to keep that skin moisturized with a good foot cream, each time after washing it, to make it soft.

# 3. You can also soak your foot in a mixture of warm water and epsom salt for about 30 minutes. Do this thrice a day to soften the hard, thick skin. After soaking, dry your feet with a soft towel.

Now apply a lotion containing aloe vera or use fresh aloe vera juice on your feet. Now, wrap your feet in a plastic bag, leave it for an hour. Remove the plastic bag and rub the corn surface with a pumice stone gently.

# 4. Your doctor might usually recommend the use of a moleskin pad. This is a primary treatment. Placing a moleskin pad over the affected area will help to relieve pressure around it, and will subsequently cure it. You can consult a medical practitioner to know the exact pad that is to be used by you.

# 5. As footwear plays an important role in causing foot corn, you must consider changing it for the treatment. You must opt for flat and comfortable shoes. Make sure the toe part is wide enough so that your toes have enough room and stay comfortable.

Using open shoes or flats is the best option. Also, the footwear has to be thick soled in order to reduce the pressure on your sole. You can ask your doctor to recommend the right type of footwear that you must use.

# 6. If the pain is unbearable your doctor might give you some medications and ask to follow some measures to cure and prevent foot corn. Sometimes your doctor might even suggest a minor foot surgery procedure, that involves the removal of the central keratin plug. Surgery may also be recommended even if the corn keeps on reappearing.

While the treatment can easily be done at home, you must make it a point to get it diagnosed from a doctor to know just how serious the problem is, as an untreated corn can lead to further complications. Also make sure you keep the area clean, and take necessary precaution such as using the right footwear, to avoid the occurrence of corns.

Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.