I hate my bunions. They are ugly and sometimes hurt. And wouldn’t you know it – bunions are much more common in women than men. And women, of course, tend to care much more about wearing cute shoes – which usually translates to narrow shoes.
A bunion, also known by the appropriately ugly name “hallux valgus” is a boney bump that sticks out at the base of the big toe joint. It’s a structural problem that can worsen over time, as the big toe pushes against the toe beside it – sometimes even crossing over it.
A lifetime of wearing narrow shoes may cause this to happen, but so can foot injuries and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. The structural conditions that cause bunions are also hereditary.
Bunions, of course, are not life-threatening, but they can impact your quality of life – especially if they cause you to give up active recreation.
To reduce the discomfort of bunions and prevent them from getting worse: