What is a Bunion on your Foot?

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Our feet are very useful parts of our body. Unfortunately, not all people are able to experience the benefits of having feet since some are born with defects while others are victims of accidents that results to amputation. In addition to this, our feet are also prone to having abnormalities and other irregularities. One such thing is called a bunion. To help us understand this better, this article will talk about the different facts about what is a bunion on your feet.

What is a bunion? A bunion is defined as the enlargement on the side of the foot that is located near the base of the big toe or what is medically known as hallux. This particular enlargement is known as the bursa under the skin. A bursa is a type of sac that is filled with fluid. This bunion usually occurs due to a structural deformity in the bones of the feet called the hallux abducto valgus (HAV) and the metatarsus primus varus (MPV). HAV is otherwise described as the inward rotation of the big toe towards the other toes. This type of deformity can be severe that it can already overlap with the other toes. On the other hand, the MVP involves the rotation of the first metatarsal away towards the other foot. This bone shifting is usually felt whenever we touch the bunion.

Although bunions can occur in all people, this condition is still common among women. Some experts even suspect that bunions may be due to the poor fitting of shoes in most women. So are shoes the main culprit of bunions? The answer is no. Although shoes can help trigger or aggravate the situation, there are still some people who don’t wear shoes who are able to experience bunions. Nevertheless, the incidence of bunions is rather higher to those who are constantly wearing poor fitted shoes.

However, other experts have shown that about 65% of people suffering from bunions do have a family history of this condition. This means that heredity also plays a huge role in affection people with bunions. Nevertheless, it is important to make things clear that bunions are not inherited; rather the type of foot which is prone to having bunions is the one being passed on through genetics. The type of foot, including the size and shape can greatly affect the possibility of having bunions. So in case we have grandparents, aunts or other relatives by blood that do have this type of foot, we should not be surprised anymore to see some bunions in the next generations to come.

Other causes of bunions include flat footed people, short and long first metatarsal bone, round first metatarsal head, hypermobility of the metatarsocuneiform joint, amputation of the second toe, rheumatoid arthritis and a lot more. Some of the signs and symptoms of bunions include pain of the big toe joint, swelling, redness, numbness, decrease mobility of the big toe, painful bursa, pain while wearing shoes, pain during activities and callous formation. These are just some of the facts about bunions that we should all be aware of. Pain medications may be helpful in giving temporary relief, but it is important that a doctor will see the condition in order for proper and immediate attention to be given.