Bunions
You've started to notice a bump on the side of your toe.
Your mom has one also even though it's much bigger and she
complains all the time how it hurts. Are you next?
Probably! A bunion is an enlargement of bone or
tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe. The big
toe may turn in toward the second toe, and the tissues
surrounding the joint may be swollen and tender.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of bunions include irritated skin around the
bunion, pain when walking, joint redness and pain, and possible
shifting or crowding of the big toe toward the other toes.
Blisters may form more easily around the site of the bunion
as well.
Having bunions can also make it harder to find shoes that fit
properly; bunions may force a person to have to buy a larger size
shoe to accommodate the width the bunion creates. Wearing high
heels also becomes more of a problem for those with bunions as the
heel puts pressure on the toes, which may be irritating to most
people in general but particularly for people with bunions.
When bunion deformity becomes severe enough the foot can hurt in
different places even without the constriction of shoes because it
then becomes a mechanical function problem of the forefoot.
Treatment
Conservative treatment would
include
changing your shoes, padding your bunion, possibly getting
different orthotics (accommodative padding and shielding), rest,
ice, and medications. These treatments help manage the
often painful symptoms of a bunion rather than correct the
actual deformity. However, early intervention can help prevent a
bunion from becoming larger or more painful.
Surgery may be necessary if discomfort and pain is severe
enough or when correction of the deformity is desired.
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