Bunions: symptoms, causes, and how to treat

Definition of a bunion

What are bunions?

Bunion or bunion feet is a bony lump at the base of your big toe that is caused by the less width of the base of the foot to accommodate your toes. Another term for this condition is hallux valgus.

The word "bunion" itself comes from the Greek which means radish. This is because the bumps on the big toe appear red and swollen like turnips.

The lump that appears on the big toe develops slowly, initially as a result of constant pressure, causing the big toe to incline towards the second toe. Over time, this condition will change the normal bone structure and form a bulge.

The change in the direction of the big toe bone causes a lump, causing pain that over time can make it difficult for a person to wear shoes and walk.

How common is this disease?

Bone abnormalities in the movement system, namely the legs, and can affect anyone. But than men, women are more often affected by this disease.

Most likely this happens because women tend to use more tight and narrow shoes at the end, such as high heels or flat shoes.

Bunion signs & symptoms

Bunions cause a variety of symptoms. Here are the symptoms you may feel:

• A lump forms on the outside of the base of your big toe.
• There is swelling, redness, accompanied by pain around the affected thumb.
• Problematic feet often develop calluses because the big toe keeps rubbing against the second toe.
• Persistent pain around the area.
• Your thumb movements are limited.

Everyone experiences symptoms differently. In fact, there are those who experience other symptoms that are not mentioned above.

When to see a doctor

If you experience the symptoms mentioned above, see a doctor immediately to get the right treatment. Especially, if you experience the following conditions:

• Pain in the big toe that doesn't get better.
• There is a visible lump on the thumb.
• The movement of the big toe is limited.
• You have trouble wearing your shoes or are uncomfortable wearing them.

Causes of bunions

Your big toe is made up of two joints, one of which is the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. It is located between the first long bone of the foot (metatarsal) and the first bone of the toe (phalanx).

Bunions form around the bones that make up the MTP joint. The bone slides into the inside of the foot, causing the thumb to slide in toward the second toe

In certain cases, the exact cause of the lump on the big toe is not known with certainty. However, quoted from the Mayo Clinic page, the following are possible causes of bunion feet:

• The shape of the big toe bones that does stick inward.
• Stress or injury to the foot.
• Congenital deformities in the shape and size of the bones of the toes.

Assess the risk of bunions

Although the cause is sometimes not known with certainty, there are various factors that can increase the risk of bunions on the big toe, including:

• Too often wearing high heels

These shoes force your toes against each other, which can exert pressure and change the direction of the footbones inward.

• Use of narrow shoes

The use of shoes that are too tight, puts great pressure on the toes which can cause inflammation and ends with changes in the big toe bones.

• History of rheumatoid arthritis

This inflammation of the joints puts a person at a higher risk of developing bunions.

• Genetic inherited disorders

There is a tendency for these abnormalities in the leg bones to be inherited from families that have problems with the structure and anatomy of the feet from birth.

Bunion complications

These musculoskeletal disorders can progress to worsen and can cause complications, including:

• Bursitis

Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae sacs or small bags filled with lubrication to protect the bones near the joints of the feet, elbows, hips and knees.

• Hammertoe

Hammertoe is an abnormal curve that occurs in the middle joint of the toe and causes severe pain.

• Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is inflammation of the metatarsals that causes swelling and pain.

Bunions diagnosis & treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

The following are medical tests that doctors perform to diagnose bunions:

Physical examination

Your doctor will ask about your medical history, symptoms. Your foot will be examined, for both the lump and swelling, to make a diagnosis of the bunion.

X-rays

X-ray imaging helps the doctor to check the alignment of your toes and look for inflammation around the MTP joint.

The alignment of your leg bones changes when you stand or sit. Your doctor will take an x-ray while you stand to see more clearly the condition of your leg bones.

What are the ways to treat bunions?

There are various ways to treat bunions, including:

Treatment without surgery

• Wear pads to protect the bunions.You can protect the bumps on your big toe with a gel-filled pad. This aims to reduce pain and pressure in the leg joints. Usually, you can buy these pads at the nearest pharmacy.
• Take pain relievers. If the pain you are experiencing is unbearable, try taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen or ibuprofen. Both can be your quick solutions to reduce swelling and pain.
• Get a corticosteroid injection. If the bursa in your leg is inflamed, it is time to relieve the pain with a corticosteroid injection. Bursa are fluid-filled pouches, whose job it is to protect your joints by surrounding them.

Surgical procedures

The treatments that have been mentioned above cannot get rid of bunion feet, it's just that the symptoms can be relieved. If you want the lump on the big toe to heal, your doctor will recommend a surgical procedure.

This procedure should be used if home remedies or medications are not effective enough to relieve symptoms, or even make your activities become disturbed.

There are many surgical procedures to treat lumps on the big toe. It can be resolved by single or combined surgery, depending on the condition of the lump. But more specifically, surgery for bunions, includes:

• Removes the swollen tissue around the big toe joint.
• Straighten bent big toe by removing some of the bone.
• Align one or more of the forefoot bones into a more normal position to correct the abnormal angle at the big toe joint.

There is a chance that you can walk on your feet right after the surgical procedure. However, full recovery can take weeks to months.

To prevent recurrence, you must wear the right shoes after recovery. It is highly recommended to avoid wearing narrow shoes.

Bunion care at home

Apart from doctor's medication, there are a variety of home remedies that can help you relieve pain due to bunions, including:

Use comfortable and safe footwear

First of all, choose footwear that is comfortable to wear. Shoes or other footwear are an important factor in relieving pain caused by bunions. Therefore, here are tips for choosing footwear for those of you who have bumps on the big toe.

• Choose footwear with wide toes and low soles.
• Avoid using shoes that are too narrow.
• Avoid using high heels or shoes that have pointed ends, such as stilettos .

Rest your feet

Long standing can worsen the bumps on your big toe. One easy way to prevent this is to rest your feet often. If you have bumps on your legs but stand up frequently, try taking a break.

In addition, standing up can actually compress the lump, increase pain, and make inflammation worse. Therefore, try to sit for 10-15 minutes. If possible, removing the shoes also relieves the pain.

Cold water compress

In addition to taking pain relievers, you can reduce pain and inflammation by compressing them with cold water. Prepare ice cubes wrapped in a towel. Then, apply the towel to the sore big toe area for about 10 minutes.

Bunion prevention

One way to prevent bunions is to avoid wearing narrow shoes. The reason is, this shoe has a narrow tip, which causes pressure on the toes and forces the toes closer together.

Apart from narrow shoes, the use of high heels should also be limited. The reason is, because this type of shoe can add pressure to the toes by shifting the weight of the heel to the area of ​​the forefoot.

So, you will have to change your shoes over time as your foot size changes. Also, make sure you wear sandals between times when you have to wear high heels.