A bunion is when your big toe points toward the second toe. This causes a bump on the edge of your foot, at the joint of your big toe.
Alternative Names:
Hallux valgus
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Bunions are often caused by narrow-toed, high-heeled shoes. These compress the big toe and push it toward the second toe. The condition may become painful as extra bone and a fluid-filled sac grow at the base of the big toe. This leads to swelling and pain. Bunions occur more frequently in women and sometimes run in families.
Red, calloused skin along the foot at the base of the big toe
A bony bump at this site
Pain over the joint, aggravated by pressure from shoes
Big toe turned toward the other toes
Signs and tests:
A doctor can usually diagnose a bunion by looking at it. A foot x-ray can show an abnormal angle between the big toe and the foot and, in some cases, arthritis.
Review Date: 5/6/2007
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Foot and Ankle
