Corns

What are corns?

A corn is a thickening of hard skin on the foot due to increased pressure on a spot on the skin caused by shoes, overweight or a malposition of the foot.

What are the complaints associated with corns?

Corns can be painful when subjected to pressure. People with intellectual disabilities sometimes find it impossible to communicate that pain. The people around them may then notice only a change in behaviour.

How common are corns in the general population?

GPs are consulted annually for corns by 0.36% of the population ³³⁶ . This is probably an underestimate of prevalence because not everybody goes to the GP with this complaint.

How common are corns in people with intellectual disabilities?

It is not known how often people with intellectual disabilities suffer from corns.

Given the risk factors (malposition, overweight) and the fact that not everyone is equally able to say that shoes are ill fitting (causing pain or squeezing), it is reasonable to expect that corns will be as prevalent as in the general population, if not more so.

Not known for the general population
Not known for people with intellectual disabilities