Corns are often mistaken for verrucae or warts. Read on for more about this condition and the treatment available.
There are several types of corns:
- Hard corns – haloma durum
- Soft corns – haloma molle
- Seed corns – haloma milliare
Diagnosis & Symptoms
Diagnosis is by inspection in clinic. They are often mistaken for verrucae/warts.
Often the first symptom for all types of corn is pain at the site of the corn. Pain is usually only present with direct pressure over the corn. This can be by walking on the affected area, pressure of a shoe on the affected area or even pressure between toes that are affected. The area will usually have a very localised area of hardened and yellowed skin (for hard and seed corns) or slightly raised and whitened / soggy looking skin for soft corns.
Typical causes
The usual cause of all corns is excessive pressure or friction over the affected site. In the case of soft corns this is also caused by the presence of excessive moisture.
Types of corn treatment available
Usually corns are very successfully and immediately treated in a single treatment appointment by a chiropodist/podiatrist. At this appointment we will also look at your feet and footwear to advise you on how you can hopefully avoid getting corns in future – many are preventable!
Although there are over the counter “corn cures” or “corn plasters” available at some pharmacies, we never advise use of these as they are products which are impregnated with an acid. This acid will indiscriminately destroy any tissue it contacts. This can result in a small ulcer where the corn plaster is used and can be disastrous for your foot health, especially if you have diabetes or any other condition involving poor circulation in your feet or poor healing abilities.
