Dear Foot Blogger Chick:
Help! There is a bump on the side of my foot right under my big toe! It is UGLY! Sometimes it even hurts. What is it and what do I do about it?
Under cover feet
Dear Under cover:
You know those things that sound like someone old has it but then you have it? Well, get ready because I think you may have a bunion. Bunions do not practice age discrimination. It is an equal opportunity foot problem.
Where Oh Where, did my bunion come from?
A bunion is a swelling on the side of the foot at the base of the big toe. It looks like a lump on the side of the foot. It can be red and sore looking or it can just be slightly enlarged and have a callus. The bump consists of bone deviation and may have a fluid filled sac called a bursa.
How did it get there?
Well, there are a couple of factors. The main reason is heredity. If your feet look just like your mother’s and she had a bunion then you may have gotten your foot bone construction from your mother along with your brown eyes. It could be that the bones in your foot are just turned a bit more than the norm and that has caused a bunion to form.
Ill fitting shoes can exacerbate an existing tendency toward a bunion. If your shoes are tight they could be causing your feet to react in protest. Any shoes that constrict the foot can cause a bunion. It is important to wear shoes with a wide and deep toe box.
The third thing that can cause a bunion is trauma to the foot. If you suffered an accident that misaligned the bones in the foot, you could develop a bunion over time.
Arthritis can cause a bunion to form as well.
What am I going to do about it?
That really depends on a couple of factors. The first evaluation factor is your pain level. Some people can have large bunions that do not cause any pain or some will have a very small bunion that causes them great discomfort. There are some non-surgical remedies that you can try to help. First and foremost, you could wear shoes that have a deep wide toe box so that the area is not rubbed by your shoes.
Going to see a podiatrist will be your biggest help. The doctor will be able to tell you if you have a bunion and will be able to listen to your symptoms and work with you on the best treatment plan. It may be that making a few simple changes will relieve you of the pain. It could be that your bone structure is such that surgery is necessary to relieve the bunion. The doctor will use an x-ray to look at the bone structure of your foot. You can then decide on the course of action that is best for you.
Your pal,
Foot Blogger Chick
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to send them to footbloggerchick@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below. I am not a doctor but I check with one before answering questions.
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