One of the most neglected parts of your body are your feet. This may sound surprising to you, but the reality is that we care less for our feet despite the fact that they are absolutely essential. If your feet hurt or you have suffered an injury, it can make your life exceedingly difficult to navigate. Walking can become excruciating, which limits your mobility and independence.
You may find this surprising but consider in the shower that the part of your body that is least likely to be washed by you is your feet. You expect that the soap and water will simply run over them, so there is no need to wash them directly. It is an example of why feet issues can arise, and as you get older the problem can become exacerbated. With each passing year, you need to ensure that you remain active, but sometimes problems with your feet can diminish your ability to participate in physical activities.
Bunions and their causes
One such reason is due to a common foot condition known as a bunion. A bunion is a bump that forms on the outside of your big tell. This is a type of deformity that occurs when pressure is applied to the big toe joint over a large number of years. This causes the toe joint to get out of alignment and a bony bump begins to form on the toe.
What you may not have realized is that one out of every three Australians is likely to have bunions form on their toes. It is much more common in elderly people, especially in women. You may find that a bunion forms on just one foot or it could occur on both.
However, bunions are not exclusive to the elderly. There is a condition where babies are actually born with bunions, called congenital hallux valgus. It is not dangerous but can be irritating to the child and is often treated by the physician early on.
Teens are also likely to grow bunions, referred to as adolescent hallux valgus. This most often occurs in young Boys and Girls Club between the ages of 10 and 15. There is also a type of bunion known as a tailor’s bunion, which occurs on the little toe at its base.
Why You Get Bunions
The most common reason why people get bunions is because of the amount of pressure placed on their foot as a walk or by the shape of the foot itself. As the person walks, the big toe bends in toward the second toe. This starts to affect the joint in the big tell, and bunions begin to form.
In addition to walking, bunions can often occur when you are forced to stand for lengthy periods of time. Also, if you wear shoes that do not fit properly or wear narrow shoes, this can exacerbate your bunion problem. One other problem is diet! They saying, what you are is what you eat is very true. Poor diet and too much alcohol can lead to problems with bunions or make them even worse. It can be a very painful experience so please look after yourself.
You may also find that the likelihood of developing a bunion increases if there is a history of bunions within your family. If you have suffered a foot injury or have a type of inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, then you are more likely to develop a bunion.
If you are noticing that there is thickening of the skin around your toe, you are developing hammer toes, there is numbness in your big toe, or you cannot bend your big toe, then you may have a bunion. Visit your doctor to start treatment.