The joint at the base of your big toe bulges out. The skin is red and swollen. Your big toe bends inward abnormally. The shape of your foot has changed, it’s hard to walk, and it hurts like heck.
You have a bunion. Anyone can develop a bunion, but they’re more common in women. Tight-fitting shoes are often to blame. Squeezing toes into narrow spaces puts pressure on all of the bones of your toes. Similarly, wearing high heels puts more of your weight directly on your toes, causing pain and swelling.
While wearing narrow-toed or high-heeled shoes definitely makes a bunion worse, there are other risk factors. Bunions may run in your family. Your chances of developing a bunion increase if you have arthritis, gout, or flat feet. And, the truth is that if you’re older, you have a good chance of developing a bunion no matter what your family or medical history is. Older feet have put on a lot of miles, and those years of stress can manifest themselves in those aching, bony deformities.
Avoid activities that put pressure on the affected joint.
Simply living with a bunion may work for a little while, but it’s not a good strategy in the long run. Bunions affect the other bones of your foot and can lead to other problems with your toes, such as bursitis or hammertoe. So, if you suffer from the pain and swelling of bunions, call us today at (334) 396-3668. Our skilled podiatrists, Dr. Michael L. Rosenberg and Dr. Heidi M Christie, together with our knowledgeable staff, will be pleased to help you relieve your pain as soon as possible.