Bunion is the hump in the bone found on the base of big toe. Hallux valgus is the medical term for bunion. It is marked by the deviation of big toe that would push outward putting pressure on the metatarsal bone thereby forming a bunion. The bone that is located just behind the big toe gets affected making it difficult to walk. When this condition occurs on the little toe it is known as bunionette.
When there is hump on the bone the body weight will be put on the bunion in every step causing intense pain. It may cause calluses when the shoes will also exert pressure thereby aggravating the pain.
Causes :
• Bunions are formed during adulthood and become intense as time passes since the foot spreads when a person grows old.
• Bunions are caused due to hereditary factor since it is passed to the next generation. It is found to run on families.
• Structural abnormality in foot may also cause bunion. Increased arthritis problem can also trigger formation of bunion in the big toe.
• People who wear tight fitting shoes and high-heeled shoes are more prone to get bunion than others. The repeated pressure exerted by the shoes may push the bones of the foot causing irregular shape.
Symptoms :
It is marked by the presence of bony bump on the foot seen on the big toe. Some people may experience hardness in the skin or formation of calluses. There may be swelling and tenderness of the affected area of the skin and moderate pain on the big toe. The area feels warm to touch and becomes shiny.
Diagnoses :
The doctor will obviously listen to the symptoms of pain and bony bump and examine the shape of the big toe. If needed, X-ray will be taken for assessing the intensity of deformity.
Treatment :
For mild pain and discomfort it is enough it you use heating pad and warm compression on the big toe for getting relief. You can also take over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen for relieving pain.
In early stages of detection, bunion can be easily cured by wearing well fitting shoes. It would be wise if you wear splints or bunion pads for making good the inflammation. By using shoe insert, one can easily avoid the pressure exerted by the shoes on the foot. Some doctors prescribe special kind of shoes that take out the pressure from the joints so that the foot will regain its normal shape.
Surgery is not the best option and it is done only if other methods of treatment become futile. Some types of bunions are severe and highly painful but the surgical process has great risk.
Bunionectomy is the name of the surgery that is done in a clinic. The patient will be given local anesthesia for numbing the affected part of general anesthesia depending on the intensity of the disease.
The surgeon will realign the bone after cutting down the ligaments from the big toe. In severe cases, the bone is cut down by osteotomy in which excess of bone may be removed.
For some people, bunions may recur if the surgery is not done perfectly and for some it may be overcorrected. In such cases, the person will have continuous pain and it would also restrict the movements of big toe.
Pictures of Bunion :
Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Bunion
Prevention :
You can prevent bunions from occurring by taking care of your feet from childhood and more particular in adulthood. People with family history of illness need to be more careful than others. Always wear right fitting shoes that do not exert pressure on the toes. Do not indulge in cramping or pinching the toes.
Women who are wearing high heeled shoes are prone to get bunion and other bone deformity in the foot.