Feet and toes are abused daily and taken for granted until a problem comes up causing you to focus your attention to the problem area. Common problems include dryness, redness and cracking which can be attributed to improper care and poor maintenance. If you are suffering from joint pain and swelling of the big toe, it could be the common bunion.
Bunions are areas of the big toe that can become red and sensitive. Usually the symptoms develop over a period of time and can manifest themselves like:
o The base of the Big toe is swollen and irritated
o The toe is abnormally bent toward the inside of the foot toward the smaller toes.
o The toe is red and can be painful at the joint base.
Usually this is the result of wearing high heeled shoes if you have narrow toes. Common padding can be used to help relief pain, irritation and potential infection, but surgery may be necessary to re-align the toe to the proper position. Bunions can occur in one or both feet.
Gout is a form of arthritis and can be felt as an immediate sharp pain in the big toe without notice. You can awake with twinges of pain and soreness in your big toe without knowing the cause. The pain may last for several days and go away but the condition can re-surface at any time as you grow older.
Over 2 million people in the U.S. alone deal with gout and most often it afflicts men more than women. Gout usually develops in men over 30 and can be more likely to occur if overweight and diagnosed with high blood pressure. Women can suffer from gout, but usually post menopausal women are affected more. Gout most likely affects the big toe first,but can cause issues in wrists, knees and other joints.
In summary, proper sizing of your footwear is important in keeping your feet healthy from issues like bunions. Bunions are preventable where gout is a more serious issue to contend with. If you are dealing with joint pain and swelling in your big toe, your shoes may be the root cause.
No comments:
Post a Comment