Bunions

goodtoknow says: Bunions run in families but can also be caused by badly fitting shoes. They can happen at any age, even in childhood, but are most common in older people. If you have a bunion you'll have a bump at the base of your big toe that sticks out. It will get painful, red and inflamed if anything rubs against it. The best way to treat bunions is to wear shoes that are wide at the front and special insoles, ask a chiropodist for advice. Bunion surgery is successful, but usually a last resort.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of bunions from patient.co.uk, read on.

A bunion is a deformity of the base joint of the big toe. The cause is not clear in many cases. The deformity may cause the foot to rub on shoes which may cause inflammation and pain. Good footwear is often all that is needed to ease symptoms. An operation to correct the deformity is an option if good footwear does not ease symptoms.

What is a bunion?

A bunion is when your big toe is angled towards the second toe. This causes a bump on the side at the base of the big toe. In addition there is often thickening of the skin and tissues next to the affected joint. The thickened skin and tissues may become inflamed, swollen and painful. Sometimes a fluid filled sac (bursa) develops over the joint.