My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
Subungual helomas, also called subungual corns, are corns that develop underneath the toenails. Here are three things you need to know about subungual helomas.
What are the signs of subungual helomas?
If you develop a subungual heloma, you'll feel pain beneath the affected toenail. You'll be able to see a dark spot beneath your toenail, which is the corn. You'll also notice that your toenail is detaching from your toe; this occurs because the growth of the corn pushes the toenail upwards and detaches it from the nail plate.
How do corns form underneath the nails?
Like corns on other parts of your feet, subungual helomas are caused by repeated minor trauma to the area. This minor trauma includes wearing shoes that don't fit properly. If your workout shoes are too tight, your toenails will be compressed against the ends of your shoes, which puts repeated pressure on the skin beneath your toenails. Too-loose workout shoes can also lead to problems as your toenails will rub against your shoes, which also irritates the skin and can cause corns.
Not wearing socks is another mistake that can lead to subungual helomas. Socks provide a barrier between your toenails and your shoes and help to prevent friction, so not wearing socks while you're training subjects your toenails to unneeded friction and trauma.
How do podiatrists treat subungual helomas?
Corns don't go away by themselves, so your podiatrist will need to surgically remove them. Since the corn is underneath your nail, some or all of your nail will need to be removed first to allow your doctor to access the corn. Once the corn is accessible, it will be cut away with a scalpel.
Once the corn has been removed, your nail will slowly grow back. If your toenail was completely removed, it will take anywhere between 12 and 18 months to grow back. During this time, your podiatrist may want to monitor your nail's growth to make sure it's growing back properly.
To prevent a recurrence, it's important to address the friction that caused the corn in the first place. Your podiatrist will check the fit of your shoes and let you know if they're too big or too small for your feet. If your shoes don't fit appropriately, your podiatrist can recommend the right size or style of shoe for your feet. If you're not wearing socks with your shoes, it's important to start making socks a habit.
If you think you have subungual helomas, contact a podiatry clinic, such as Elmhurst Podiatry Center Ltd, as soon as possible.
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