Bunion Answers for Patients with This Condition
The development of a bunion is one of the more routine problems that a person can experience with their feet. Despite bunions being common, individuals will frequently lack the information needed to take effective steps to address their bunion.
How Will You Know That You Have a Bunion?
A bunion is essential a bone growth that starts to develop where the big toe joints the rest of the foot. This growth can put a strain on the bones in the big toe joint. Over time, this can cause the toe to start to point inwards and develop a visible growth on its side. In addition to these visible symptoms, a bunion can also become extremely painful when you are standing or walking. Since the problem is the result of a bone growth, it will tend to develop fairly slowly. However, the problem will continue to worsen until corrective treatments are administered.
Will Ointments and Shoe Inserts Be Enough to Address the Bunion?
There are a variety of ointments and inserts that are marketed to patients that suffer from bunions. While these products may be somewhat effective at lessening the pain from this foot condition, they will not be able to effectively reverse this condition. To completely address a bunion, surgery will likely be required. This is needed to remove the bone growth and fix the underlying mechanical problem that is leading to the formation of the bone growth. Luckily, bunion surgery has a short recovery time, and patients will usually be able to recover from this surgery within a matter of days.
What Happens If You Fail to Have the Bunion Treated?
Individuals may make the mistake of attempting to ignore their bunion. While it may be possible to ignore the symptoms of this condition for some time, it will gradually become severe enough that it can have profound impacts on your quality of life. For patients that have particularly severe bunions, walking for even short periods of time can be excruciating due to the strain on the toe joint. When individuals wait an excessively long time to undergo this surgery, they may also be at a higher risk of suffering permanent damage to their toe joint. This can lead to chronic pain, while also increasing the risk of additional joint issues, such as arthritis.
For more information on how to treat your bunion, contact a specialist like Bazzi Podiatry.
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