Condition Library
Forefoot
Hallux Valgus
A bunion is a bump at the base of the big toe that forms as the toe drifts toward the other toes.
Symptoms
- Bump at the big toe joint
- Pain in shoes
- Redness over the joint
- Crowding of lesser toes
Risk factors
- Family history
- First-ray hypermobility
- Narrow footwear
- Flatfoot
What usually helps
- Wide toe-box footwear
- Padding and spacers
- Activity modification
When to see a podiatrist
When pain limits walking or shoe choice, or if you have diabetes and skin breaks down over the bump.
Warning signs
- • Sudden hot swollen joint (consider gout or infection)
- • Open wound over the bunion in a person with diabetes
Podiatrify provides educational information and risk guidance and does not provide a medical diagnosis. Symptoms involving severe pain, rapidly spreading infection, black or blue tissue, major trauma, loss of circulation, or systemic illness may require urgent medical evaluation.