Article: If you have diabetes, you are at greater risk of serious foot problems partly caused by changes in circulation to your extremities. Medical conditions like diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and any other condition that interferes with normal blood flow, warrant medical help to treat corns and calluses. Talk to your doctor before treating your corns or calluses at home. While corns and calluses rarely fall in the category of a medical emergency, sometimes the areas are very large and quite painful. Seeking help from your doctor is the safest and most effective way to proceed with treatment. Some corns and calluses are resistant to the available over-the-counter treatment options. Ask your doctor about prescription strength products or procedures that may be helpful. Your doctor can help by performing some in-office procedures to improve the condition. Using a scalpel or other tool available in the medical office, your doctor can help to trim away large areas of excess and hardened skin. Do not attempt to trim very thick areas of hardened skin at home. This may lead to more irritation, bleeding, and possible infection. In addition to corns and calluses, sometimes warts are part of the problem. Your doctor can help determine if warts, or any other skin condition, is involved and recommend the best treatment approach. Very rarely, the corns or calluses may become infected. See you doctor as soon as possible if any area of your foot or hand is red, swollen, feels warm to the touch, or is more tender than normal. Some people have deformities in their feet that cause them to have repeated problems, including recurrent problems with corns and calluses. Your doctor may refer you to a podiatrist for treatment. Some conditions that may be contributing to the problems you are having with corns and calluses include hammer toe, bone spurs, lower than normal natural arches, and bunions. Many of these conditions can be corrected by wearing inserts or specially designed footwear. In rare cases, surgery may be warranted. When calluses develop from a source of friction or pressure on your hands, it is possible for the skin to break and an infection can begin. In some cases, blisters form along with, just beneath, or beside the calluses. When this happens, fluid is contained inside the blisters, which is naturally absorbed back into the skin with time. If the blisters pop or drain, it is easy to get an infection started in the healthy tissue around the blisters and calluses. Contact your doctor if your hand appears reddened, swollen, or warm to the touch. Topical or systemic antibiotics may be needed if you have an infection.

What is a summary?
Pursue medical help in treating the condition. Ask your doctor for instructions if the areas are large and painful. Look for warts. Watch for signs of infection. Consider foot conditions that cause misalignment. Watch for complications on your hands.