Every person at least once in his life has encountered such a thing as corns. This painful neoplasm is not only uncomfortable, but very often it requires treatment because of the risk of infection. Bloody corn is especially dangerous in this regard.
Types of neoplasms
Corn is a modified skin in a small area of the palm or foot. Neoplasms, as a rule, appear only in these places, due to the fact that they have the roughest and thickest skin. Where the surface layer is thinner, mechanical friction will lead to open wounds.
Corn is a thickening of the dermis caused by mechanical stress. There are several types of corpus callosum:
- Dry. They are a layer of keratinized dermis of gray or yellow color, which rises slightly above the surface of the skin. Often dry callus appears gradually: at first a soft growth is formed, over time its thickness increases and it hardens. This happens in cases where the mechanical effect is small, but prolonged. Dry formation is almost painless and does not cause much discomfort, but cracks may appear in it over time.
- The core. A kind of dry callus, but it has a more dense core (core), which deeply grows into the body and causes severe pain when walking.
- Wet. These corns look like a bubble with a cloudy, clear or bloody liquid inside. They are always accompanied by painful sensations and require careful care and timely treatment.
- Bloody corn. This is a type of wet neoplasm, but it is customary to separate it into a separate group, since it is especially painful and requires immediate treatment due to the high risk of infection. They are formed in those cases when a mechanical effect is exerted on the skin area, near the surface of which there are blood vessels and capillaries.
Mechanical impact
The appearance of neoplasms is due to a number of factors. But the most important of them is the mechanical effect (friction or pressure) on the area of thick skin. It is on its duration and intensity that the type of future callus will depend.
If the skin is compressed or rubbed with a little effort, then a dry formation is likely to appear on it. Such callus on the leg is often called corns. It differs from others in large size and uneven edges.
A wet or bloody callus appears when friction or pressure on a skin area has been intense.
Epidermal properties
The formation of the corpus callosum is also affected by the individual properties of the skin. They can both slow down the development of corns and accelerate it.
- Skin thickness. Corns most often appear on rough and thick skin. In rare cases, when they form on a thin area of the dermis, it is always a wet, painful formation.
- Humidity of the skin. The friction coefficient directly depends on it. If the skin is too dry, the effect will be stronger. A slight increase in humidity will result in a small film on the surface that makes it easier to slip. However, if humidity increases significantly, then the skin becomes more loose and more vulnerable to mechanical stress.
- The stiffness of the dermis. The higher this indicator, the lower the risk of corns.
- Elasticity. The faster the skin restores its shape after pressure is applied, the less it is damaged.
- Blood supply to the skin. In case of its violation, for example, due to chronic diseases (vasculitis, diabetes, etc.), the epidermis becomes extremely sensitive to external influences.
Individual characteristics
The frequency of formation of dry and bloody corns also depends on the individual characteristics of a person. So, with age, epidermal cells renew much more slowly, because of this, the skin becomes not so elastic and, as a result, more vulnerable to environmental factors.
It has also been proved that the structure of the surface layer in men and women is different: in the stronger sex, the dermis is coarser and stiffer, but in the fair half of humanity it is more elastic, elastic and more moist. In terms of factors, men are less likely to suffer from corns.
Excess weight also increases the risk of dry and wet formations on the legs.
Other factors
Some diseases increase the likelihood of skin lesions. We have already mentioned diabetes and vasculitis. In addition, all people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, pathologies of the nervous system, fungal infections, excessive sweating, lack of vitamin A and any diseases associated with a decrease in general or local immunity are at risk.
Even the appearance of corns can provoke a special structure of skin cells, including defective proteins, which make the epidermis extremely sensitive to external influences. Also, the condition of the skin depends on climatic conditions: temperature, humidity, the intensity of solar radiation.
If we talk about where the mechanical effect comes from, leading to the appearance of dry and bloody corns on the legs, then most often the shoes are to blame. Incorrectly selected, tight, too stiff shoes are dangerous in the first few days after purchase. It is during this period that corns most often appear as a response to a traumatic factor.
How to help self-healing
Dry corns practically do not cause problems, and if you stop the action of the traumatic factor, then they will soon heal on their own. The treatment of bloody corns will require much more manipulations from a person, namely:
- Immediately stop the mechanical effect on the affected area, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the blister.
- Change shoes. In the summer, it is worth letting the skin “breathe” by putting on sandals or flip flops so that the liquid bubble is open. In winter, you need to change the boots to more free, old and worn.
- To reduce the risk of infection: disinfect the blister and apply a patch or sterile dressing. When attaching the patch, special attention should be paid to ensure that the sticky part does not fall into the damaged area.
- Put ice in gauze, this will reduce pain for a while.
- Do not use iodine and brilliant green as an antiseptic, these drugs slow down the healing processes.
- If within a few days the bladder did not begin to heal, then it is worth using more radical treatments: special ointments or creams.
Is it possible to pierce a bloody corn
Wet corns with liquid do not pierce at home. The risk of infection is too high, even if manipulated with a sterile needle. If piercing is necessary for a number of reasons, for example, due to the fact that the blister is already infected or because of the large amount of fluid in the bladder, then the medical worker conducts this procedure under conditions of absolute sterility.
But it often happens that a blister bursts by itself, due to a careless action. As a result, a fresh open wound is formed and it must be treated as follows:
- Squeeze out all the liquid, but do not tear off the skin.
- Rinse the wound with a large amount of any antiseptic, such as hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin, Furacilin solution, Chlorhexidine, etc.
- In case of severe pain, attach a piece of ice wrapped in a sterile bandage.
- Apply a gauze dressing and change it twice a day, each time treating the wound with an antiseptic.
- Exclude any mechanical impact.
I should remember that an opened bladder is an open door for infection. And in the case of blood corns from shoes, the risk of infection increases several times.
Signs of infection
In cases where there is a risk of infection through an open wound, the main thing for a person is to notice the danger in time and start treatment. The following signs indicate infection:
- redness of the skin around the callus, especially if redness has spread to a large area;
- an increase in body temperature in the area of the affected area, as well as a general increase in body temperature;
- pulsation (jerking) of the blister;
- clouding of fluid in the bladder (pus formation);
- swelling;
- pain not only when moving, but also at rest;
- the appearance of red stains on the skin;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
Any of these signs is an occasion for immediate medical attention.
Drug treatment
If the skin neoplasm does not heal for a long time, then it is time to take more radical measures. Treatment of wet calluses on the heel, foot, palm, fingers or toes is done only after consulting a doctor. This must be done because there are a lot of drugs. There are healing, softening ointments and creams, there are various antiseptics in order to reduce the risk of wound infection, there are also various complex preparations.
If you supplement the list of drugs, then, in addition to those antiseptics that were mentioned earlier, you can use the following tools:
- weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- Streptocid tablets - they make gruel from them and lay on the wound;
- bactericidal plasters with therapeutic impregnation - they can be used if the corn is small, since the concentration of drugs in them is low;
- Tetracycline ointment - contains an antibiotic, therefore, without the approval of a doctor, it is not recommended to use it;
- "Bensalitin" is a complex ointment for calluses.
This list is far from complete, and detailed information about the necessary medicines in a particular case can be obtained from your doctor.
Treatment of wet corns on the heel or dry keratinized formations on the feet often involves their complete removal. This is because it is on the feet that corns cause the most problems, often they do not go away for long months and cause pain and suffering. In this case, the corns are removed with a laser, using cryotherapy or drilled.
Folk remedies
Home methods of treating blood corns on the fingers, feet and heels - a long process and an immediate result is not worth the wait. In addition, the effectiveness of traditional medicine is always in question.
Here are popular folk treatments for corns:
- Salt baths - salt dries and slightly disinfects.
- Strong saline dressings.
- Aloe leaf tie to the affected area at night.
- Baths or compresses from medicinal herbs: chamomile, calendula or coltsfoot.
- Raw chopped potato compress.
If there is no improvement within a week of such treatment, you should consult a doctor.
How to carry tight shoes at home
I would like to immediately note that you can carry shoes that are slightly anatomically inconsistent with the shape of the foot. But this does not apply to shoes or boots that are smaller in size. In addition, genuine leather products are not difficult to stretch, while a leather substitute does not have the necessary elasticity.
Here's how to carry tight shoes at home:
- Moisten it inside with vodka or cologne and walk around the house for several hours.
- Winter boots or boots can be carried by putting them on a thick woolen sock. So the fur will take a little, and they will become freer.
- Hard leather shoes need a little hold over the steam.
- Faux leather is stretched with wet newspapers. Just need to make sure that they do not deform.
- If the shoes have not been worn for several days and continue to injure your legs, then discard them. A purchase within 14 days can be returned to the store.
Thus, you protect your legs from the formation of corns.