Learn about the causes of Corns & find a practitioner in Auckland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin to help you overcome Corns within New Zealand.
A corn also known as a clavus is a callused area of thick dead skin created on the foot where underlying bone presses down. These patches of thick skin can be painful to walk on & are commonly found over the metatarsal arch (ball of the foot) & on the outside of the foot where skin rubs against the shoe. Hard corns appear on dry parts of skin & soft corns on areas of skin that are usually moist (between the toes).‘Corn’ is derived from the Latin word ‘cornu’ which translates as hoof or horn.
Causes of corns
Corns are a painful type of callus which appear on the foot. Unlike a callus, a corn is separate from the surrounding area of skin. There are two common types of corn: hard corns and soft corns.
Other less common types of corn include:
Corns occur due to constant pressure on the bony areas of the feet. This can be due to a number of reasons, the most common of which include:
Symptoms of corns
Corns are typically regular in shape and can appear grey, white or yellow in colour. They usually form on the outside of the first or fifth toes but can form anywhere on the bony areas of the foot. Soft corns form between the toes.
If you have corns, pain is usually experienced when walking or wearing shoes.
Diagnosis of corns
If you are experiencing persistent foot pain visit your GP and they will examine your foot for signs of corns. They may ask about the type of shoes you regularly wear and if you've had any previous surgery on your feet.
Corns can be mistaken for verrucas and the GP may remove the top layer of skin to check for blood vessels which would be present with a verruca.
If your problem is severe, you may be referred to a podiatrist who will check for any foot abnormalities. If a problem with the foot's structure is suspected then you may require an X-ray to see if this the cause of your corns. You may also need a foot pressure pattern test, known as a 'pedobarograph'.
*Source: GoToSee.co.uk