There is a quite popular belief that these solid bulges near the big toe are a problem for older people. But the fact is that approximately a third of adults suffer from bunions and they can appear at any age. There are some misconceptions about bunions. You might hear that regularly wearing high heels can cause them or bunions are bone growths. Bunions are actually bones that changed their position due to pressure. And you can’t develop bunions unless you are prone to them because of heredity. In this article, we will show you how to recognize if you are prone to bunions.
Bunions are a quite common condition. Despite the fact that they are hereditary, there are a few triggers that enhance your risk to get bunions if someone in your family already has them. The American Podiatric Medical Association claims that people with low arches, flat feet, inflammatory joint disease, or arthritis are more predisposed to bunions. In addition, if your job requires you to constantly stand or walk, you are also more prone to bunion development.
Despite the fact that predisposition to bunions doesn’t depend on gender and men have equal chances to get them as women, bunions more frequently occur in women. This is explained by the choice of shoes. Although heredity is the main cause of bunions, high heels can stimulate their development, as they put more pressure on the big toe area where a bunion is formed.
Exercises that strengthen the arches of your legs (such as raising your calves) can slow the curvature of the bones in your feet. Make sure that you choose the right shoes. Wearing roomy shoes with a wide toe box can also help reduce your chances to get bunions.
Shoes that are made from natural materials such as leather can provide you comfort and relief. Bunions also tend to be very bothersome for runners because they can cause pronation. This is a condition when feet roll inward while walking or running. If you are suffering from it, you can try arch supports that are adapted for pronation. But surgery is the only permanent treatment.
Many people think that bunion surgery means knocking off the bump with the help of a hammer and chisel. But in order to fix the underlying cause, it is required to narrow the forefoot in the place where the bones have shifted. The surgeon cuts the bone so that they can realign the joint and bones.
How to determine if you need bunion removal surgery? The decision depends on your symptoms. If a bunion interferes with your daily life, causes painful sensations, limits you of walking and wearing shoes, you should think about surgery. The earlier you will consider performing bunion surgery, the fewer consequences you will face later.
You should also know that the bunion may come back after surgery. There are conditions of different severity and various surgical procedures needed to correct them. If the surgeon performed the appropriate procedure, recurrence is very unlikely. But if it happens, the bunion won’t be as severe and takes years to develop.
