Corns And Blisters

Corns and blisters need to be treated well. It might be a problem with you too. Lets know more about it.

Blisters
Blisters are fluid-filled pockets that develop beneath the top layer of skin. These are usually caused when the skin rubs on shoes or socks. You might need to get drained a large, painful blister by your podiatric physician if it interferes with activity. Blisters can easily become infected therefore it is advisable that you should always let a physician drain them.

Corns And Calluses
Corns and calluses are also foot complaints. Both are layers of thick, dead, hard skin. The difference between two is that corns develop on or between the toes and calluses on the sole or heel of the foot. Rubbing and pressure of the skin against bony areas in your foot cause both of these. Many over-the-counter medications used for corns and calluses contain mild acids that damage healthy tissue as well along with these.

In case you are suffering from problems like poor circulation, diabetes or arthritis, you need to be especially careful about using these medications. Sometimes use of over-the-counter medications successfully takes away the symptoms but leaves a serious problem which may be difficult for you to detect on your own. The best way is to let your podiatric physician treat your corns and calluses, as he would do it by gentle and precise trimming.

Your podiatric physician can make your problem disappear by identifying and treating the causes of your corns and calluses. He can also prevent their return. Prompt treatment of the blister helps avoid pain, inflammation and possible infection in that. Keep remember that before draining the blister, the skin should be cleaned with a topical disinfectant. Before making the actual puncture sterilize well the needle or scalpel blade. After the blister is completely drained, leave the roof intact to form a biologic dressing over the underlying, irritated tissue.

Then dress the blister with a topical antibiotic ointment and cover it with a pad, tape or bandage. To accommodate the underlying blister, you may want to use felt pads cut with appropriate apertures. Reducing friction on the patient's feet can also prevent blisters. Hence it is imperative to select shoes that fit properly. Socks may be beneficial because they can absorb or wick away moisture.

Avenues Of Prevention
Some avenues of prevention that are beneficial include the following:

• Use of an astringent agent such as aluminum chloride hexahydrate (Dry sol)


• Use of insoles that resist friction (neoprene)


• Applying petroleum jelly to friction-prone areas


• Padding those areas with moleskin or tape

How To Minimize Corns, Calluses And Toenail Trauma
Unlike blisters the cause of corns and calluses is chronic friction. This chronic friction leads to the formation of excess epidermis rather than destruction of the dermal-epidermal junction. Hence in due course of time both tend to occur over bony prominences. However calluses tend to be more diffuse and usually aren't painful. But corns have a deep core and are often quite painful. Deriding the lesions could treat corns and calluses. You can also use a pumice stone for repeated abrasion

It is advisable that you should apply various pads and appliances and also add cushioned insoles to the shoes. Well, to prevent this problem it's important to choose the shoes with adequate room in the toe box. Thus you can get rid of corns and calluses.