Bunions, referred to in the medical community as Hallux Valgus, are one of the most common forefoot problems. A bunion is a prominent bump on the inside of the foot around the big toe joint. Your big toe joint becomes enlarged, forcing the toe to crowd against your other toes. This puts pressure on your big toe joint, pushing it outward beyond the normal profile of your foot, and resulting in pain. Bunions can also occur on the joint of your little toe (bunionette).

Bunions can occur for a number of reasons, but the most common cause is wearing shoes that fit too tightly. They can also develop as a result of injury, stress on your foot or another medical condition.

Often, treatment involves conservative steps that may include changing your shoes, padding your bunion and wearing shoe inserts. Severe cases may require surgery to relieve the pain.

Signs and symptoms 

The signs and symptoms of a bunion include:

• A bulging bump on the inside of the base of your big toe

• Swelling, redness or soreness around your big toe joint

• Thickening of the skin at the base of your big toe

• Corns or calluses caused by overlapping first and second toes

• Persistent or intermittent pain

• Restricted motion of your big toe

Pain from a bunion can range from mild to severe, often making it difficult to walk in normal shoes. The skin and deeper tissue around the bunion also may become swollen or inflamed.

Your other toes can be affected by a bunion as a result of pressure from your big toe pushing inward toward them. Your toenails may begin to grow into the sides of your nail bed. Your smaller toes also can become bent or claw-like (hammertoes), and calluses may form on the bottom of your foot.

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