Do you think you may have a bunion? You may be surprised to learn that many people can live their whole lives with bunions and never now it. But what are bunions? The answer to this is an enlargement of a certain area of your foot.
This is usually found in the inner part of your joint at the bottom of your large toe. And this enlargement that you find at the base of your toe is a bone that has formed in that area. The reason that this bone has grown in this area is often because your big toe has been misaligned. And what you will see when this happens is your toe pointing outward towards your toes rather than the correct position of pointing straight ahead.
Furthermore, you will find that the first metatarsophalangeal joint or otherwise known as your joint that is located at the base of your big toe, can get swollen, tender, and be very painful. And often you will see swelling near the area beside your joint that is filled with a little fluid sac. This sac is referred to as the bursa, and the condition of swelling is known as bursitis, and can also cause extreme pain. However, when you look at what are bunions you will find that not all are located at the base of your bit toe.
Although the vast majority of bunions are found at the base of your big toe there are some instances where a bunion can form on the joint located at the base of your pinky toe. This is the last toe in the line and the smallest. And what this bunion is often called is a tailor’s bunion.
Who Can Get Bunions
When looking at what are bunions and who most commonly gets them you will find that the answer to that is a woman. In fact, research has shown that women are ten times more likely to get a bunion than a man. But why would women suffer from this condition more than men? One theory behind this that has been studied is the fact that women tend to wear more tight fitting shoes than men. And most especially found to lead to bunions are the high heals with narrow toes. With that said the most common lifestyle associated with bunions are those that are ballet dancers. Furthermore, what the studies found is that people that go barefoot more often are very much less at risk for bunions.
However, with so many genetic issues becoming clearer you may not be too surprised to hear that there has been some links found where you can inherit a predisposition to have bunions. This most often happens in younger adults and children. So when you wonder what are bunions and what causes them can have many answers. And finally, when searching for those answers about bunions you will find that other risk factors involve the following;
Other Risk Factors for Bunions
• Congenital deformities presented at birth on the bones of your foot
• Nerve conditions that can affect you foot
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Injuries to the foot