Natural Health: What can I do about my painful corn? 

Plus: natural ways of dealing with earache

Corns and calluses usually appear due to pressure in a specific area where the skin provides additional protection from friction and pressure by building a thicker surface.

I’ve a painful corn on the sole of my foot. I tried using a corn plaster, but it didn’t help. What would you suggest?

Corns and calluses usually appear due to pressure in a specific area where the skin provides additional protection from friction and pressure by building a thicker surface. Often, the type of footwear you wear triggers the development of the thickened skin. Corns are generally deeper and affect a specific point, whereas calluses are more diffuse and shallow.

Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for softening skin and relieving painful corns. If you have a foot bath or suitable tub to soak your feet in, add half- to one-cup of cider vinegar to the water to help soften and gently exfoliate the skin. Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes each night, then apply a beeswax-based balm. Wear cotton socks over the freshly soaked and prepared feet, and leave the balm on overnight.

To minimise the risk of suffering from corns and calluses in the future, consider making an appointment with a podiatrist. A podiatrist will safely debride the hardened skin found with corns and calluses and may also assess whether your footwear, foot physiology, or gait are contributing to your problem.

A chiropody sponge, which is hard like a pumice stone rather than soft like a sponge, is an excellent tool for maintenance once the podiatrist has addressed any corns and calluses. Wet the sponge, add a little soap to assist in the process, and file off and remove any hardening skin. This is much easier when your skin is softened, so ideally, use this method following a bath or foot soak, which means you don’t need to use much pressure.

I’ve had an earache since I went sea swimming a week ago. The pain is mild and seems to come and go. I placed a few drops of warm olive oil in the affected ear, which was helpful. What else can I do?

Ongoing earaches can make you miserable, leaving you feeling like you are functioning below par.

You can boost your olive oil treatment by infusing it with garlic to help with pain and prevent infection. Crush a clove of fresh garlic into a tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil and infuse overnight (up to 24 hours). Strain out the garlic and keep the oil in a cool, dark place — an amber dropper bottle is ideal, but any glass jar or bottle will do in a pinch. Place a single drop of garlic-infused oil on a small piece of cotton wool and gently put it in the outer ear. I pull out a small section of the cotton ball and twist it into a point so that it sits in the earhole. The bulkier part of the cotton wool fits in the outer ear, holding it in place. You can also rub this garlic oil along the jawline before bed to help with the pain.

Ear and Nerve Formula, developed by the late Dr John R Christopher, a naturopathic physician from the US, is widely used to help with ear infections, earaches, swimmer’s ear, and even to stop hiccups. This formulation combines five herbs: black cohosh, blue cohosh, blue vervain, skullcap, and lobelia.

To treat your earache, use four to six drops of the Ear and Nerve Formula in each ear and, as mentioned earlier, plug the infected ear or ears with the garlic-olive oil cotton wool.

If you can’t find this formula locally, it is available from Nature’s Fix (naturesfix.co.uk), 59ml/2fl oz costs £16.88.

• If you have a question for Megan Sheppard, please email it to [e-mail] 
• NOTE: The information contained in this column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor.