Wart Vs Corn – How Do You Tell The Difference

Here’s the problem, if you can't tell the difference between a corn and wart, how do you know the correct treatment to start on? If you choose the wrong treatment, this could cause you problems in the future. Using acids on your corn thinking it's a wart won't help and may even damage your skin. If you are trying to file down a wart thinking it's corn, you could actually spread it and make the problem worse.

So what is a Corn?

Well a corn is a small lesion made up of hard skin. It is similar to a callus and is caused by direct and localised pressure - like shoes rubbing on the skin. We often describe a corn’s shape like the shape of an ice cream cone, with the pointy part digging into your foot. The pointy end of the corn sits quite deep and if left for long it can be very painful.

Now a wart on the other hand is actually a lesion that comes from the Humanpapilloma Virus (HPV) that we all have in our bodies. Usually our bodies are able to fight off this virus. But sometimes in times of stress, lowered immunity or direct exposure to the infection from things like communal showers or from swimming pool floors can cause the wart to pop up. If they are left untreated, it can simply spread and multiply.

Here are some of the things that a Podiatrist is looking at to differentiate between a corn and a wart.

• The Pinch test - we perform a pinch test where we squeeze the sides of the lesion. If it hurts more when you squeeze it, then it's most likely a wart. But if it hurts when you apply direct pressure on it, then it's most likely a corn.
• Warts also tend to bleed a lot easier too and have a more cauliflower like appearance. You will also tend to see a disturbance in the normal skin lines and maybe even specs of dried blood.

How Do We Treat Them

General treatment for a corn would be gently removing it and trying to offload that area since it is pressure related. However, with a wart, we want to treat it by stimulating the immune system, that includes a number of different treatment styles like microwave therapy, needling, freezing or applying acids.

So if you do have a corn or a wart or your not quite sure, see us at Feetology Podiatry Centre. Our highly trained podiatrists will be able to tell you exactly what is going on. They can then create the right treatment plan to get you back on your feet.

Book online or call us on 1300 855 814 to make an appointment so you can get started now.