Causes of bunions

Information on Bunions

A bunion is a medical condition which can be characterized by a swollen base of the big toe. This condition is medically referred to as hallux valgus. The foot contains five bones which connect the heel bone and the bones that are located inside the toes. These five very important bones are called metatarsals.

Each toe is appropriately lined with its own individual metatarsal. Some persons may have a big toe that is angled inwards towards the middle of the foot. This condition causes the protrusion of the first metatarsal from the side of the foot. It actually protrudes at the base of the big toe and causes a formation of a big swollen bunion which can be very painful in some cases.

One of the possible causes of bunions is wearing shoes that do not fit the foot in an appropriate manner. If one does not treat bunions on time they can lead to some serious medical conditions such as arthritis which may occur inside the joint of the big toe.

Bunions can be treated by using bunion pads while numerous over-the-counter painkiller medications can be of help in relieving the pain which is commonly associated with this medical condition. Some severe cases of bunions may require a surgical procedure in order to be treated properly. Bunions may occur in virtually any person, but they have a tendency of affecting women just slightly more than they affect men.

Causes of Bunions

When the big toe gets bent inwards it also pushes its metatarsal away from its neighboring counterpart and it creates a lump located at the side of the foot.

If a person comes from a family whose members previously had bunion it is very likely that that person is going to have bunions as well. The bended big toe has a tendency to run in families.

As mentioned above, most cases of bunions are caused by wearing shoes that do not fit the feet in a proper way. Bunions affect women more than they affect men because women often wear pointed and high-heeled shoes which are often tight fitting and they also place a lot of strain on toe joints.

Arthritis can also be the cause of bunions because the damaged cartilage causes the joints to become very stiff. As soon as bunions get developed one should seek professional medical care, because they need to be treated as soon aspossible.