Dry calluses on the feet with a rod and without

Due to their location and functions, human legs take on a huge load, because they are under the pressure of body weight, which often exceeds 90 kg in adulthood. At the same time, the maximum load falls not even on the bone, but on the soft tissues of the sole, which, moreover, is often found in the hard part of the shoe. Large weight and uncomfortable shoes lead to the fact that almost every adult, and sometimes a child, is confronted with the fact that on the foot there are small seals of leather, called corns. A wet or soft callus, inside which liquid is collected, usually forms between the toes and on the back of the foot, which is most susceptible to friction with the backs and straps of shoes. But dry corns on the legs choose the sole and lower surface of the fingers as a favorite place, i.e. Areas where the skin is rougher than other areas of the leg.

What is dry corn?

The foot is the lower part of the foot, which is in direct contact with the surface during walking. In newborn babies who still do not know how to walk, the skin of the foot is soft and tender. But having learned to walk, a person uses this ability regularly, so the skin on the sole and lower parts of the fingers becomes thicker and rougher. With proper care of your feet, the tenderness of the skin can be maintained for a long time, without limiting yourself in movement. But not everyone can cope well with this task, and then on the skin of the foot there appear areas of hardened skin (corns), wet and dry calluses, cracks on the heels, plantar warts, etc.

All these neoplasms do not pose a danger to human health, although they noticeably spoil the appearance of the legs, especially in the summer, when all defects are displayed. Only because a serious problem is different. The bellies and especially dry corn with a rod are capable of delivering severe discomfort while walking. Sometimes they cause great difficulty in putting on and wearing shoes, especially if the shoe sits tightly over the leg.

Natoptysh called dry calluses on the legs without a rod. The name itself speaks about the reason for the appearance of such formations on the skin of the legs. Such seals are formed mainly on the sole in the heel and metatarsus, less often on the toes. These are the areas of the foot that carry the maximum load; when walking, they always touch the surface, experiencing a lot of pressure, sometimes combined with friction. The sizes of natoptysh can be different, however as the form.

Belltops can be both single and multiple. It must be said that such hillocks on the sole, which are considered one of the varieties of local hyperkeratosis, do not always bring tangible discomfort. Usually, a person feels pain and burning in this area only after a long walk or wearing a close-fitting shoe.

Corn usually is a small seal with a bright point in the middle. This kind of corn is otherwise called growing. Its dense keratinized rod (root) penetrates deep into the tissues of the foot, sometimes reaching the muscles and nerve endings. The appearance and growth of dry corn with a rod is accompanied by a noticeable discomfort, which is enhanced. When the core of the corn begins to irritate the nerves inside the foot.

Unlike wet corn, its species is hard to the touch and does not have a free cavity inside. At the opening of wet callus, which often occurs spontaneously, a clear liquid flows out of it, and inside a dry callus there is a hard-to-remove light gray rod, after which there remains a depression in the soft tissues of the foot.

Epidemiology

If dry corns can appear with an equal chance in people of any age, then the corns are considered the privilege of older people and those who have to walk and stand a lot. With regard to sexual differentiation, the statistics states that women face this problem ten times more often than men. And this is not surprising, given the difference in men's and women's shoes. Men usually choose what is more comfortable, free, does not squeeze their fingers, and women try to be perfect in everything, so their shoes most often fit their legs tightly, have a narrower toe and a high heel. Women who prefer a small heel have a lower risk of corns.

But during pregnancy, when the weight increases markedly and the gait changes, even a low heel can be a risk factor for dry calluses and corns on the sole. Trying to balance the body, expectant mothers redistribute the load on the spine in such a way that they increase the pressure on the back of the foot (heel)

Callus on the leg with a rod is more likely to occur in people whose body has a herpes virus, HPV, a dermatotropic virus, or a fungal infection. True, given the prevalence of these pathogens, it can be concluded that more than 90% of the population, most of whom are not even aware of the infection, are susceptible to the formation of core calluses. But how the viruses and fungi act on the formation and growth of the core of corn, scientists still can not explain.

[1], [2], [3]

Causes of the dry callus on the legs

As we have already understood, the appearance of dry calluses on the legs is associated with a long mechanical impact on the skin of the lower limb. But many of us walk a few kilometers each day, stand on our feet for a long time, and this does not lead to the appearance of corns or corns with a stem on the foot. Obviously, there are some special reasons why dry calluses appear on the legs.

Yes, prolonged walking or standing can be considered as risk factors for the formation of coarse areas on the legs. But their appearance in such conditions can be promoted by various internal and external causes.

Among the internal reasons it is worth highlighting:

• Physiological changes. With age, the skin on the legs becomes drier and less elastic. It is more susceptible to various mechanical damage and is prone to hyperkeratosis.
• Violations of posture, pathology of the spine, flatfoot. Such violations lead to an improper distribution of the load not only on the spinal column, but also on the lower extremities, as a result of which individual sections of the foot experience significantly greater pressure than others.
• An identical situation is also observed in certain anomalies of the structure and development of the spine and lower extremities, which may be congenital or acquired as a result of injuries (for example, insufficient mobility of the spine or different leg lengths), as well as in neurological diseases.
• Habit is wrong to walk. When walking, the load should be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the foot. If a person is used to lean on the heel or toes, he may have skin problems in these areas.
• Violations of metabolic processes. Any disease accompanied by metabolic disorders can be considered a risk factor for the appearance of dry calluses. Such diseases include pathologies of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract with impaired absorption of useful substances, malfunctions in the endocrine system (for example, diabetes mellitus), avitaminosis, vascular pathologies that adversely affect the blood circulation in the lower extremities.
• Overweight, which is considered the cause of many even more serious diseases.
• Excessive sweating of the feet. If the feet are constantly moist, the skin becomes more tender and sensitive to mechanical stress. This significantly increases the risk of strong rubbing it with shoes.
• Fungal and viral infections. We owe them the formation of a rod in the corn and its penetration deep into the soft tissues with the development of a strong pain syndrome.

The above pathologies and disorders do not necessarily lead to the formation of dry calluses on the feet, but under the same conditions (for example, if you need to travel 5 km to work and back every day), the risk of coarsened legs is much higher for people with similar abnormalities others.

Now it's time to pay attention to external causes that increase the likelihood of dry callus on the legs:

• Wearing wet shoes. If a person in open shoes has fallen under the rain, then when he comes home, he will most likely find wet corns on his feet. But the constant work in conditions of high humidity may well cause the formation of dry callus due to regular rubbing of the legs (dry callus may well occur on the place of wet, if the negative mechanical effect is not stopped).
• Wearing shoes from materials that provide the feet a greenhouse effect. The situation is similar to hyperhidrosis. Moreover, in these conditions, the risk of developing a fungal infection increases.
• Quite often, we are faced with a situation where a callus on a finger appears from a new, cramped shoe. Usually shoes made of genuine leather wear out quickly enough, but rough synthetic materials can press and rub the skin for a long time, which contributes to the appearance of dry corn.
• Corn can also occur because of shoes with narrow toes, rough backs, not suitable in size or shoe.
• The risk of the appearance of hardened areas is higher if you wear shoes without socks, golf, stockings or Sledkov (footpaths). Such clothes for legs reduces friction of a skin about rough material of footwear. Nevertheless, preference should be given to natural tissues that allow the legs to breathe and are not inclined to gather in the foot area, forming coarse folds, which only aggravate the situation.
• In young women, high heels are considered the most popular reason for the appearance of corns and dry corns. Clearly, such shoes look very stylish, help to look attractive and sexy, making the legs more slender, but it also causes problems with the legs and spine. So corn in this case should be considered as the lesser of the evils.

But the problem is that the formation of a corn may equally cause both a high heel, and its complete absence (flat, thin sole). But if in the first case the callus usually appears on the fingers and in the tarsus area, in the second case the heel suffers.

• People say that walking barefoot on the earth helps to preserve health. So it is, but the surface is different. If you walk on the grass and flat ground, then the forces of nature and a soft massage of the reflex points, which on the foot, and the truth, very much, will contribute to maintaining health. Although foot care in this case will have to be strengthened. But prolonged walking on uneven, hard surfaces (asphalt, concrete, gravel, crushed stone, any small pebbles) can cause the appearance of corns on the legs.
• It is believed that dry calluses on the legs can also occur in the place of old wounds that have not been properly treated. Infection of the wound on the sole and prolonged inflammation will contribute to the formation of fibrous tissue and seals on the skin.
• To prevent infection of wounds and the development of fungal infections, foot hygiene plays an important role. Neglect of it can be considered an indirect cause of the appearance of corns.
• And, finally, some sports and arts (running, dancing, gymnastics, ballet, figure skating) can be considered risk factors for the appearance on the sole and toes of natoptys.

Pathogenesis

Any kind of corn is the result of strong pressure and friction of soft tissue on a hard, rough surface. Such a mechanical effect provokes keratinization of the skin, which is a protective reaction of the body. But if for the appearance of wet callus a short-term effect on the delicate tissues of the foot is sufficient, the  pathogenesis of the  formation of dry callus is somewhat different.

A dense, dry tubercle usually appears after prolonged pressure or friction over the coarser tissues of the sole and toes. This leads to the activation of the pathological division of cells in the epidermis, when new horny layers appear before the old ones are peeled off. The imposition of old and new layers of skin and translates into the formation of a low tubercle. If viruses (for example, a herpes virus, papilloma virus, a dermatotropic virus) or a fungal infection are operating in the body, the compaction begins to germinate inside to form a solid rod.

[4], [5], [6], [7]

Symptoms of the dry callus on the legs

Above, we made an attempt to understand in detail the causes of the formation of corns and corns. Now we will try to explain how dry calluses on the legs look and how they differ from wet calluses.

Both wet and dry corns arise as a result of pressure and friction of the soft tissues of the soles of the toes, but they differ significantly in appearance and touch. A wet corn is a soft bubble with a liquid that is perceptibly protruding above the surface of the body, its color hardly differs from the surrounding skin. Further mechanical action on such a corn leads to rupture of its tissues and leakage of fluid, while the risk of infection in the resulting wound is high.

Dried corns on the legs are small rounded tubercles on the skin, most often having a yellowish or off-white shade and a rough (less often smooth) surface. Dry corn can be almost flat or slightly protrude above surrounding tissues. A dry callus on the legs and arms in the center has a small dot of gray or black, which is the upper part of the root. There is no such rod at natopysh.

The form of corn with a rod can be both round and oval, and the corns are often irregular in shape and often much larger.

Toe dry callus can usually be found both on the lateral surface (most often between the two first and last toes) and on the lower part. If the callus is located on the side and is formed as a result of squeezing and rubbing the fingers against each other, it is usually dense only inside, and around the new formation the skin remains soft and tender. Corn on the coarser skin at the bottom of the fingers, as well as dry corn on the little finger of the side, formed as a result of squeezing with shoes, most often hard inside and surrounded by slightly less dense, but still coarse skin.

If a dry corn on the fingers is usually small, then on the sole of the foot it can reach one or more centimeters, because the contact area in this case is larger.

The first signs of dry callus are the appearance on the sole or toes of a small convex area, which inside is different in color from the rest of the skin, which is associated with the presence of a detached epidermis under the skin, under which interstitial fluid accumulates. The situation is similar to the formation of wet callus, but at the same time a bubble with liquid is inside the tissues and covered with coarse skin. 

By appearance and touch it can be understood that the translucent horny layer goes into soft tissues to a greater depth, it is hard and inelastic, not like normal skin of the sole.

The skin around such a tubercle can inflame, redden and swell. If you feel it, you will notice that the sensitivity of the tissues of the corn and the surrounding skin is reduced. With a strong pressure there is a noticeable discomfort, and in the presence of a rod and pain, the strength of which depends on whether the core has reached the nerve endings and whether there are cracks on the surface of the corn. Most often the pain syndrome occurs during walking with pressure on the corn.

Cracks can be formed due to the fact that hyperkeratosis sites have extremely weak elasticity and can burst under body pressure, especially if there is excess weight. In this case, the pain may become even stronger.

When corns are formed, at first a person may experience only a slight tingling or itching. As the core grows, the pain increases and soon becomes an obstacle to free movement. As the neoplasm increases, old shoes become uncomfortable, putting pressure on the corn.

Dry corn on the foot of a child

The appearance of dry calluses on the legs in adults can be surprised. But where can such an attack come from a child? It turns out that it can, and contributes to increased motor activity and delicate children's skin. However, in most cases we are talking about wet corns or such varieties of dry corns, such as corns.

The appearance of a baby corn kernel can be explained by infection with one of the viruses that contribute to the germination of the core deep into or neglect of parents. Still, from the appearance of the first symptoms to the formation of the rod, a lot of time passes, and the child for sure during this period has repeatedly managed to complain to the mother that something is pressing or pricking his foot or finger. In children, dry corn usually becomes a consequence of the subsequent rubbing of the place where a wet corn had previously formed, at the place of which the skin thickened afterwards.

The reasons that dry corns appear on the child’s feet are not in the child’s state of health, but in the oversight and carelessness of the parents. In most cases, this is the wrong choice of children's shoes.

The stratum corneum is actually dead cells of the epidermis, the death of which can be both physiological and pathological (for example, due to circulatory disorders and soft tissue nutrition, and epidermal cells that are distant from the blood vessels suffer in the first place). The reason for the violation of blood circulation in the feet is tight shoes, which either did not fit in size and fullness initially, or the child simply grew out of it.

Buying growth shoes is also risky, especially when it comes to summer shoes that a child can wear without socks. The shoes will spank and rub the delicate skin of the feet to the baby. In the closed autumn and winter shoes with insufficient adherence to the foot there is a risk that the socks and tights will gradually descend and form folds in the shoes, pressing on the skin of the feet. Growth tights and wide socks are not the best choice for a child for the same reason.

The choice of the material from which the shoes are made is also very important. If the baby’s feet do not breathe and become warm, dropsy and natoptish can form on them much faster.

Even for the summer, it is better for small children to take closed shoes made from natural fabrics. In this way, it is possible to avoid sweating the feet and sand and small stones rubbing the feet of a child inside sandals.

Quite often today you can find children's shoes with thin soles. Nowadays, manufacturers are not very worried about the fact that walking in such shoes over stones can be a risk factor for the formation of corns on the soles. Whether to buy such shoes for a child depends on the parents.

The skin of the child in density is markedly different from the adult. From mechanical impact, seals form much faster on it, which means that when buying shoes for a child, it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of rough seams and inserts that will injure the child’s legs.

In summertime, kids love to run barefoot very much. Proximity to the ground is certainly good, but surface irregularities can very quickly provoke the appearance of corns on the sole of a child.

In childhood, it is especially important to follow the baby’s gait, which is formed during this period. If a child has a clubfoot or he develops flat feet, it is not surprising that in places where the pressure of the floor on the sole most painful seals appear.

Professional activities in many sports and tanks usually begin in childhood. In this case, the delicate skin on the feet of the child can be subjected to great trials with the formation of wet and dry calluses.

Teenage girls, wanting to look taller and slimmer, are starting to buy high-heeled shoes for themselves. The result of early growing up is calluses on the legs and back pain. If, in an attempt to adjust his height, a teenager regularly rises on his toes, the load from the heel goes to the area of the tarsus, where also the tentacles can appear.

Boys of any age are very often addicted to playing football, and if the child does not get the right shoes suitable for sports games, you can again face such a problem as painful dry calluses on the legs.

Complications and consequences

We have already noted that natoptysh and dry corns do not represent a particular danger to human health and life. Another thing is that the pain syndrome caused by them can negatively affect the quality of life of a person.

Even if you do not capture the aesthetic side of the problem (and such growths significantly spoil the appearance of the legs, which is especially unacceptable for women who care about the beauty of their legs), the prospect is not pleasant. First, if the corn is not treated, it can grow in size, causing additional inconvenience when walking and putting on shoes. As the corn grows, its core grows, which contributes to increased pain when pressing on the growth. Complaints that a dry callus on the leg hurts and interferes with walking is a fairly common reason for seeking medical attention.

Secondly, such neoplasms can periodically inflame, which is accompanied by an intense pain syndrome. Most often, inflammation occurs when cracks form on the skin. If the dry callus on the leg is inflamed, then most likely the reason for this was the penetration of a bacterial infection, which cannot be ignored.

But the worst thing is that such a seemingly trifle as a callus can cause the development of serious diseases. When experiencing pain in the leg, a person tries to lean on the sore spot as little as possible, as a result of this, his gait changes, and limping appears with an emphasis on a healthy leg. Distortions of gait entail an improper distribution of the load on the spine and leg joints, which is fraught with serious problems with the musculoskeletal system, caused by inflammatory and degenerative changes in the tissues of the skeleton and limbs.

Problems with the spine often affect the work of internal organs, and the list of medical diagnoses is gradually growing. And it is very disappointing if the sources of many health problems are generally safe dry corns on the legs.

[8]

Diagnostics of the dry callus on the legs

Dry corns are tumors whose diagnosis is not difficult. The very appearance of the corns and soreness when pressed speak about the nature of the growth. And the dermatologist (namely, he is engaged in the diagnosis of various neoplasms on the skin) usually does not require information that can be obtained during laboratory tests.

But it is not enough for the doctor to reveal the fact of the formation of corns, it is also important to understand what reason led to the appearance of a pathological painful tubercle on the foot. After all, sometimes the problem has an internal character and is caused by hidden pathologies in the patient.

It is clear that with the appearance of corns on the foot, the doctor will first of all take an interest in the shoes that the patient wears, because it often begins with it. If the matter is not in shoes, questions about the nature of work, hobbies, sports preferences will follow.

Instrumental diagnostics (namely, X-ray examination of the foot, spine, joints of the lower extremities) may be necessary if the doctor suspects deformity of the foot or other diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In this case, you may also need to consult a neurologist, rheumatologist or orthopedist.

When corns are detected, the doctor may suspect the presence of a viral infection in the body and prescribe appropriate tests.

The study of the patient's history will help the doctor to identify the relationship between the appearance of corns and existing metabolic disorders and blood circulation in the lower extremities. In this case, additional studies (such as a blood test for sugar or phlebography) and consultation of narrow specialists (phlebologist, vascular surgeon, endocrinologist) can be prescribed, which will prescribe a complex treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of dry calluses on the legs.

Differential diagnosis

Doctors pay special attention to differential diagnosis. Still, the little natoptysh bears a lot of similarity with the usual core callus, if you do not take into account the fact that the latter can see a small rod. But the treatment of corns and dry rod calluses is very different.

Papillomaviruses 1,2 and 4 types are considered guilty in the formation of plantar warts, while they contribute to the growth of the dry corn core indirectly, weakening the body's defenses. Plantar warts are similar in appearance to dry corn. However, in the case of papillomatous growths, we are talking about multiple thin rods with black dots at the top inside a small depression in the center of the wart, which are easier to remove than a hard dry corn root. In addition, with increased immunity, plantar warts can disappear on their own, but it is not characteristic of calluses.

[9], [10], [11], [12]

Treatment of the dry callus on the legs

There is an opinion that if the corn does not cause much discomfort and pain, then there is no need to treat it. It is not surprising that people usually turn to the doctor even when the natoptysh and dry calluses on the legs start to ache, they interfere with walking and shoes. But is it worth bringing to this? After all, if nothing is done, there is a risk that the corn will continue to grow, and the core will go deeper into the fabric. Therefore, the appearance of pain can be considered a matter of time. For more information on how to get dry calluses on the legs, read this article.

Prevention

What you need to do to not get on the surgeon's table and not wrestle with the problem of removing corns and corns at home? Probably, to adhere to preventive measures, which we now talk about:

• When buying shoes, you need to make sure that it matches the size and fullness of the foot, does not squeeze the fabric of the foot, does not squeeze the toes, and ensures that the sole is completely adherent. High-heeled shoes should be worn for solemn occasions, and in everyday life a heel of no more than 5 cm is sufficient. This is useful for both the spine and the feet.
• New shoes, even if she came in size, tend to squeeze and rub feet, until her material becomes softer and more pliable (spreads). Refuse to purchase is not worth it. But you need to take care of your legs. For shoes that are difficult to wear, there are special tensile sprays. In other cases, it is enough practically invisible silicone liners that need to be fixed in the places where the shoe rubs.
• If possible, you should avoid wearing shoes on bare feet, too thin soles, numerous fasteners. It is important to ensure that the feet in the shoes do not sweat and as often as possible wash socks, tights, knee socks, followers, the shoes inside, constantly monitor foot hygiene.
• While enjoying the outdoors, walking barefoot on a soft surface, avoiding asphalt, concrete, small pebbles. Grass and sand are best suited for this, providing a soft, relaxing massage.
• While walking you need to pay attention to your gait, trying to evenly distribute the load throughout the foot.
• Excess weight is considered to be one of the important factors provoking the appearance of corns on the sole, therefore, it is necessary to monitor your weight not only from an aesthetic point of view.
• Foot care involves not only cutting / painting nails and skin hygiene, but also a careful examination of the foot for various injuries and tumors. Thus, you can notice the appearance of a corn at an early stage, when its removal does not require a large investment of time, effort and finances.
• Careful attention to your health, regularly undergoing medical examinations and turning to doctors when any suspicious symptoms appear, it is possible to prevent the development of not only corns, but also more dangerous pathologies.

[13], [14]

Forecast

Dry calluses on the legs are not neoplasms that are dangerous to human life or health. However, if they are not treated, the resulting pain syndrome can cause the development of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, which will lead to violations of the work of other organs. For this reason (and in order not to suffer from pain), doctors and recommend removing corns, preventing them from growing.

Treatment of corns without a rod does not cause difficulties and almost always leads to a positive result. But even with ingrown dry calluses, the prognosis is usually favorable, because there are many effective ways to treat them. The main thing is to observe hygiene and sterility during the removal of corn and during the recovery period, to prevent friction and pressure on the former corn, in parallel to carry out the fight against an activated viral or fungal infection.

But self-cutting or exfoliating the corns can end badly if an infection gets in the wound, because at home it is not so easy to maintain sterility. In addition, there always remains the possibility of incomplete removal of the root and recurrence of the pathological growth.

Dry calluses on the feet should be considered not only as a cosmetic defect. After all, this is one of the signals that our body gives us to think about important issues. Are we doing everything right? Do we care enough about our health, which is given to us by birth, or put some of our own interests, hobbies and goals ahead of him? So far, we hear the first bell, which later, if nothing is done, can turn into an alarming alarm.

[15], [16]