Usually, a corn or callus isn’t much cause for concern. However, they can also become painful and inflamed, compromising your health if you have a condition like diabetes or poor circulation.
Our expert podiatrists at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle in Corona and Ontario, California, can get to the source of your corns and calluses so you can find relief, avoid potential complications, and keep them from recurring.
Have you been getting corns or calluses suddenly? Here’s what you should know.
First, it’s important to note that corns and calluses are similar issues but still slightly different.
To start, they’re both thickened patches of dead skin. They can also be uncomfortable, irritating, or painful. However, they form in very different areas.
What sets corns apart is their small, round appearance with a hard center. Hard corns typically form on the tops of your toes and other non-weight-bearing parts of your feet. Soft corns can also form between the toes.
Unlike corns, calluses develop in weight-bearing areas of the bottom of the foot like the ball or heel. These areas of the dead tissue are typically much larger than corns, and they have an irregular shape.
Corns and calluses may form in different areas of the feet, but they share a common cause: too much pressure or friction.
When you develop a corn or callus, your body is trying to protect itself from some kind of repeated irritation.
Common causes of corns and calluses include:
While corns and calluses usually aren’t harmful, they can continue growing larger, become uncomfortable, and increase your chances of infection. They can also be very dangerous for people with conditions like diabetes.
Fortunately, our team can solve your problems with corns and calluses safely and effectively at our Advanced Care Foot and Ankle offices in Corona and Ontario, California.
In most cases, we can diagnose these issues with a simple visual exam. However, we also ask additional questions about your activities or behaviors to determine what’s increasing the pressure or friction on your feet. Then, we analyze your posture and how you walk.
Based on our assessment, we can offer personalized recommendations to treat your corns and calluses. Depending on the severity of your condition and symptoms, treatments might include:
Our team can also remove corns and calluses at our office, but you should never try to do this at home. Trying to do this yourself puts you at risk of wounds and infection, so it’s crucial to get professional attention if your corns and calluses bother you.
Similarly, if you have diabetes or other conditions that put your feet at risk, don’t try to handle corns and calluses on your own. Even seemingly small issues like these can jeopardize your feet and overall health. However, you can avoid these issues by scheduling regular diabetic foot care appointments with our experts.
Have you been getting corns or calluses? Our team can help you find solutions. Contact Advanced Care Foot and Ankle to schedule a consultation with our experts in Corona or Ontario, California, today.