This is a guest post for a podiatrist in Utah County. Dr. Savage is dedicated to providing quality foot and ankle care to all of our patients in a caring and open environment. We believe that prompt diagnosis, early intervention and prevention are essential for the care and treatment of your foot.
What is a callus?
Calluses form on feet and hands as a result of consistent pressure or friction. Corns can develop if pressure or friction is applied to a very small area for long periods of time. As always, prevention is better than cure in these circumstances, so do all you can to relieve the pressure building on your foot.
If prevention didn’t work, and those pesky hard-formed areas of skin are causing pain and discomfort, here are some potential options:
- Customized foot padding to redistribute pressure.
- Professional corn or callus reduction to relieve pain.
- Professional advice on appropriate foot wear and foot care specifically for your feet.
Most often, calluses may go away completely of their own accord if given enough time and relief from pressure. It is good practice to routinely check your feet for calluses and other issues that may have occurred during the day.
Diabetes & Calluses
Calluses are frequent in people with diabetes and should be even more thoroughly cared for. Calluses formed on someone with diabetes may have an increased risk of foot ulcers and other foot problems. Bleeding calluses on the feet can even be a potential early sign of diabetes.
How to Prevent Calluses
Be diligent in keeping your feet healthy and happy.
Check your feet for unnatural problems each night before you go to sleep and remember to listen to your feet when they feel too much pressure.
Want to know more?
We’ve recently talked about giving your feet some freedom and staying hygienically healthy at the same time. Common occurrences in active feet are calluses that build up. But don’t let fear of calluses cause you to keep off your feet. Active feet are healthy feet!