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With a bunion, your big toe usually points toward your other toes.^{1 2} It may even push your other toes out of line.

Sometimes you get a sac of fluid over the bump too. Doctors call this a bursa. It's like a blister. If it gets inflamed, you also have bursitis.

A bunion can hurt a lot. You may not like the way your foot looks. And you may find it hard to buy shoes that fit and don't rub.

You may notice that the area around your bunion:³

• Hurts
• Is swollen, warm or red
• Burns
• Doesn't have any feeling in it
• Is stiff
• Doesn't move properly.

But you may not get these symptoms. Some people have big bunions that don't hurt but make it hard to wear shoes. Other people have small bunions that hurt a lot. You may also get other symptoms with bunions:

• Calluses on the bottom of your foot. Calluses are patches of skin that are thicker and can hurt. If your bunion hurts when you walk, you may walk more on the middle of your foot instead. That can make the skin there get thicker.
• Sores between your toes. As your big toe moves out of line, it pushes your smaller toes into each other. You may get sores if your toes rub together.
• Toenails that are ingrown. If your toes are pushed together, your toenails may grow into the sides of the nail bed.

Bunions usually get worse if you don't treat them. If your bunion gets too bad, you may have problems walking.⁴ A study of older people with foot problems found they walked more slowly and didn't have such good balance.⁵

And you may get arthritis in your big toe joint. This happens because the bunion puts extra wear and tear on the cartilage in your joint. Arthritis makes your joint hurt. For more, see our articles on Osteoarthritis.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.