Bunions can take a variety of shapes and sizes – none are particularly pleasant. They typically start out small and indiscrete and proceed to grow from there, becoming more and more obstructive and irritating. Oftentimes, patients will wait until theirs has become something of an issue before they seek treatment for it. Below, we look at key warning signs you need to remove a bunion.
Warning Signs You Need to Remove a Bunion
However, there can be somewhat severe consequences for waiting too long to remove a bunion. One’s abilities and lifestyle can become impaired should a bunion become too large. Because of this, it is important to stay aware of when you should have a bunion removed.
What Is a Bunion?
Bunions are bony bumps that form on the joint at the base of your big toe. Bunions occur when some of the bones in the front part of one’s foot get moved out of place. This, in turn, can cause the tip of your big toe to get pulled toward the smaller toes. This forces the joint at the base of one’s big toe to jut out. Smaller bunions can also develop on the joints of the smaller toes.
Bunions aren’t considered a medical emergency per se, but they can range from irritating and obstructive to painful and prohibitive, depending on how severe they become. Bunions that are especially severe should ultimately be surgically removed. This type of procedure is known as bunionectomy surgery.
There are some questions that you can ask yourself in order to determine whether or not your bunion is severe enough to warrant surgical removal. Some of those questions include the following:
- Is the bunion causing your severe pain?
- Is your choice of footwear being affected by your bunion?
- Are your daily activities impacted by the presence of your bunion?
- Is the presence of your bunion affecting the other toes on your feet?
If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, it may be a sign that you should seek out professional surgical help in terms of removing your bunion from your feet. If you experience any of the following phenomena, it should spur you to seek out treatment.
1. Your Bunion is Obstructing Your Normal Life
One sign that you should have a bunion removed is if your bunion is starting to obstruct your ability to live a normal life and perform typical day-to-day activities. For example, if your bunion is getting in the way of you being able to wear normal shoes, or being able to walk or stand, you might consider getting it removed.
Sometimes, for bunions that are this severe, surgery becomes the only realistic option for returning a patient’s life to normal levels of functionality.
2. Your Bunion Pain is Intense
If you have a bunion that is particularly painful, or one that seems to become gradually more painful over time, you might consider having it surgically removed. This is partially due to the fact that bunions like these do not typically become less painful over time. Surgery to remove the bunion might be the only legitimate treatment available for bunions that have reached this level of severity.
3. Modest Treatments Aren’t Fixing the Problem
If you have tried other at-home treatments and conservative methods for trying to get rid of your bunion and they haven’t worked, then you might want to consider surgical treatment to help rid you of yours. Bunions that have grown too large may be unable to be removed by more conventional methods.
Why Get Bunion Surgery?
Bunion surgery is typically considered the last line of defense in terms of ridding a patient of their bunions. This is partially due to the fact that most bunions can be cared for more easily using the other, simpler methods for bunion removal.
The plus side of bunion surgery is that despite the hassle, it has a very strong chance of eliminating all of the negative effects that bunions can impart on one’s day-to-day life. Some of the following effects are included in this:
- Correcting the physical deformity of the bunion
- Improving foot function and mobility
- Alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with having a bunion
- Generally enhancing one’s quality of life
In the long run, it’s considered highly advantageous to remove a bunion and spare yourself the ill effects of them. This is taken into account even with the inconveniences of surgery.
LA’s Best Foot Doctor
Jamfeet Foot and Ankle Doctor is LA’s trusted resource for treating foot-related maladies for patients in Southern California. If you’re suffering from an irritating or obstructive bunion that you think may need to be removed, contact us in order to schedule an appointment with our Los Angeles podiatrist.