When an area of skin rubs against a hard surface for a long time, an unpleasant formation occurs, such as a wet callus or blister. Most often, chafing appears on the feet and toes when wearing uncomfortable shoes. If you treat the callus correctly, it will go away in a few days. But there are exceptions, for example, suppuration. Let's consider what to do if a callus on your foot festers.
Signs of infection
There are water and blood calluses. They differ in their contents: the first are filled with a clear liquid, the second, purple in color, with blood. Any of them can fester. An infected callus requires immediate treatment; it is recommended to immediately consult a specialist to prevent the occurrence of blood poisoning and prevent the infection from spreading throughout the body. Most often, inflammation of the callus is observed on the toe and heel due to wearing tight shoes.
The main symptoms of callus suppuration:
- Change in color of exudate (liquid in the callus),
- The appearance of redness and inflammation around the callus,
- Discharge of pus
- Sharp pain when touched
- There may be a slight increase in body temperature.
If you notice that a callus is festering, then take action immediately!
Reasons for appearance
The formation of calluses on the hands has external and internal causes. External ones include regular friction that damages the integrity of the epidermis. He is called:
- physical exercise;
- playing sports;
- work in the garden and vegetable garden;
- professional activity.
Systematic irritation provokes the appearance of blisters filled with light liquid. If the capillaries are injured, it turns red.
Regular squeezing of the skin of the hands leads to keratinization of the upper layer. Yellow lumps of random shape appear on the fingertips and palms. Painful sensations are rarely disturbing. They are observed when the growth cracks if bacteria have penetrated the wound. The inflammatory process begins. The area around the callus swells and hurts when pressed.
Internal causes include disruption of metabolic processes in the body and lack of vitamins. Under the influence of these factors, the immune system weakens, the skin on the hands dries out, becomes rough, and calluses often appear on it.
Mechanism of infection
A callus with pus most often appears when the blister is not treated and antiseptic rules are not followed when treating it. An open callus is a gateway to infection, so it must be isolated from the surrounding aggressive environment.
Purulent exudate (liquid inside the callus) consists of dead leukocytes that protect the body from pathogenic bacteria and dangerous infections. Its appearance indicates that the immune system is working properly. But in our body there is a single network of blood vessels, thanks to which oxygen and nutrients reach the organs and tissues. The same transport system can lead to the spread of infection, which can lead to sepsis (blood poisoning), embolism (blockage of blood vessels) and gangrene.
Causes and symptoms of pus formation
If the rubbed area is not treated for a long time, pus may appear in the callus, which leads to sepsis. Pus is a consequence of the fight between protective (immune) cells and microbes. Infection occurs if the rules of personal hygiene are not followed and antiseptic treatment of injuries is not carried out.
You should seek medical help if infection begins and the following symptoms appear:
- severe pain even at rest, tingling, burning sensation;
- a grayish cloudy liquid is visible inside the callus - this is pus collecting;
- redness of the skin that extends significantly beyond the edges of the callus;
- swelling of tissues in the area of injury;
- local hyperthermia - the temperature rises due to the inflammatory process.
These symptoms should not be neglected, as if treated incorrectly or not, the result may be gangrene or blood poisoning (sepsis).
Treatment with professional methods
It is recommended to ask your doctor how to treat a purulent callus. This disease is dealt with by specialists in purulent surgery; only a professional will be able to properly open and drain a festering blister in order to prevent infection. If improperly processed and incompletely pumping out the contents, purulent calluses can recur, and the infection can spread through the blood vessels throughout the body. After the procedure, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to prevent infection.
Three main ways to remove purulent callus in a medical institution:
- If the callus is cored, the root is drilled out by a surgeon using a specially selected cutter of a certain size. Antiseptic drugs are instilled into the resulting wound to prevent re-festering.
- The laser immediately coagulates (cauterizes) nearby blood vessels, so pathogens do not spread through the blood vessels. Healing time is 3-5 days
- Cryotherapy is the most effective treatment method. During the procedure, healthy skin is not affected; only the purulent callus and its contents are removed. Usually carried out in advanced cases when a lot of pus has accumulated.
Prevention
To prevent calluses from appearing, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- Shoes should be comfortable and made of quality materials. This prevents the appearance of watery and bloody calluses, which means the appearance of pus in them is also impossible.
- It is necessary to ensure that the material of the socks is natural and the size fits exactly. Socks that are too large create wrinkles, which increases the risk of chafing and therefore infection and pus in the chafing area.
A pasty liquid that is odorless and tasteless - Vaseline is the best assistant for lovers of new shoes. If you treat the places where calluses most often appear, the risk of their development and suppuration becomes minimal, because friction turns into sliding.
- You need to avoid high-heeled shoes and watch your body weight. The more a person weighs, the greater the chance of developing very painful chafing, which can accumulate a lot of pus and be difficult to get rid of.
If the problem of pus does arise, it is important to treat it with an antiseptic and cover it with a band-aid to prevent infection. This will prevent the appearance of pus in the skin formation.
Painful lumps on the skin: basic rules for dealing with pathology
Strictly speaking, a purulent callus is not such a terrible problem. With proper processing, it passes without leaving a trace behind. It is important to remember that the process should not be started under any circumstances, because timely initiation of treatment is a guarantee of a speedy recovery from the disease.
Self-treatment
Not everyone has the opportunity to see a doctor right away, so many people ask the question: “A callus on my foot has festered, what should I do?” In the first days of the development of the disease, you can try to solve the problem yourself, using medications or folk recipes.
Medications
When you detect the first signs of the disease, you need to know what to do if the callus is inflamed. Doctors recommend using Vishnevsky ointment or Levomekol. To do this, you need to apply a thick layer of the selected drug to the festering area, then seal it with a band-aid or wrap it with a sterile bandage for a day. It is advisable to keep your foot at rest for the duration of treatment; you should not wear tight shoes. The dressing is changed twice a day. The next day the pus should come out.
When changing the dressing, the purulent callus is treated with hydrogen peroxide, furacillin or chlorhexidine.
Folk recipes
You can try treating an infected callus using home recipes. These techniques are simple and effective, and the ingredients for them are available in every home.
A leaf of aloe, peeled and tied to the sore spot overnight, is good at drawing out pus. Lemon pulp will also help get rid of suppuration if applied overnight. In the morning, you need to rinse your leg with warm water and apply a bandage.
Try a salt compress to get rid of the callus. Dissolve 1-1.5 tbsp. in 1 glass of water, moisten a swab or cotton wool and apply to the blister for 2-3 hours. The mixture softens the skin, stimulating the removal of exudate. The procedure can be combined with the use of anti-inflammatory ointments, repeating them 2-3 times a day.
The onion peel tincture is prepared simply: onion peels are infused in vinegar for 7 days, then they are taken out and applied overnight to the affected area.
If the callus is festered and swollen, foot baths can help. For their preparation, ingredients that are found in every home are used.
- Pour warm water over baking soda (3 tsp) and baby soap (1 tbsp), and soak your feet in the mixture for 30 minutes. This recipe will help relieve inflammation and soften rough skin.
- Salt baths reduce pain and swelling. To prepare them, table or sea salt dissolved in warm water is used. The duration of the procedure is 20-30 minutes.
Important:
Any of the listed remedies should be used no more than 48 hours after the appearance of a festering blister. If home therapy for an infected callus does not produce any results, then you need to seek help from a specialist, only he can help get rid of the disease without consequences.
How to smear a purulent callus
The main drugs for the treatment of pustules at the site of calluses are the following:
- Levomekol;
- Vishnevsky ointment.
For treatment, it is necessary to apply liniment to the affected area, generously filling the entire area of the blister. Afterwards, you need to apply a patch and secure the treatment area with a bandage. In the morning the pus should come out on its own. There is no need to preheat the skin of the feet; there is no need to open the resulting blister. Each change of dressing should occur simultaneously with antiseptic treatment with water-based Chlorhexidine, Furacilin, Miramistin, Sodium Chloride.
Tips to avoid infection
A purulent callus requires long-term and unpleasant treatment, so it is better to avoid its appearance. To do this, just follow these simple tips:
- Choose comfortable shoes and socks of the appropriate size,
- Give preference to shoes made from natural materials, do not wear synthetic socks,
- Pay attention to the health of the skin on your feet: lubricate with Vaseline the places most susceptible to rubbing calluses.
- If a blister appears, do not neglect treatment: be sure to treat it, cover it with a band-aid to prevent infection,
- Watch your weight - obese people have a higher risk of developing purulent calluses.
The appearance of pus is the body’s protective reaction to infection, but if the callus festers, it is advisable to immediately consult a specialist. If it is not possible to visit a specialist, then you can use medication and folk methods to eliminate the blister. Home therapy is carried out for no more than 2 days; if a positive trend is not observed, then you need to consult a doctor to prescribe treatment. An infected callus can lead to blood poisoning, blockage of blood vessels, and even gangrene.
What to do if the callus is inflamed?
Due to prolonged mechanical impact, which is caused by friction or pressure on the foot area, a person develops a callus. This neoplasm does not pose a threat to health and life. Growths are considered a common problem and can be easily removed using medications or hardware techniques. Despite the discomfort from the pathological element on the skin, many do not seek timely medical help, which can lead to an inflammatory process. Let's look at the reasons why the callus became inflamed and what to do in this situation?
Kinds
To choose the right treatment, you need to determine the type of skin formation. Calluses on the hands are divided into several types, which have individual differences.
Water
Strong friction irritates the top layer of skin. The person feels a burning sensation, the sore spot turns red, and a bubble grows. The liquid under the dead film protects the wound from microbes and promotes tissue regeneration.
If pressure continues to be applied to the blister, it may burst. The fluid leaks out, and the wound becomes a conduit for infection into the body.
Dry
A hard callus forms in a place that receives constant moderate irritation. The fingertips, palms, and elbows are at risk. The skin slowly becomes coarser and thickens.
This is a kind of protective reaction of the body that prevents damage to the deep layers of the dermis. A hard, rough coating reliably protects your hands from injury, but it looks unsightly and can interfere with your usual work.
Rod
Severe keratinization on the hands can transform into a callus. The peculiarity of the formation is that it has a root that grows deep into the skin. As it grows, it provokes acute pain, compresses nerves and disrupts the integrity of capillaries.
It takes a lot of time and effort to treat internal callus. For complete elimination, it is recommended to seek medical help.
Professional
Hands with dry calluses that appear in the same place indicate that a person is professionally engaged in some type of activity.
- Dense calluses on the fingertips are a calling card for guitarists and secretaries. Constant playing of strings and typing on the keyboard provokes roughening of the fingertips.
- A callus on the index finger appears in people who have to write or draw a lot, for example, high school students and students. Pressure from a pen or a simple pencil causes dropsy, in the place of which a hardening and dry growth often remains.
- Fans of computer games often suffer from fingertips. Scrolling the mouse wheel for many hours traumatizes thin skin and stimulates its thickening.
Professional calluses on the palms can be seen in athletes, builders, summer residents, and goods packers. To reduce physical stress, these people should wear gloves while working or exercising.
