--- title: "Bunion Causes and Treatment | Sutter Health" description: "I have a bunion on my large toe that becomes painful and swollen, especially when I wear high heels. What caused this, and how can I fix it?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381" --- 1. Home / 2. Bunion Causes and Treatment # Bunion Causes and Treatment * * * Medically reviewed by - Carolyn E. McAloon, DPM ## Question I have a bunion on my large toe that becomes painful and swollen, especially when I wear high heels. What caused this, and how can I fix it? ## Answer Bunions are often described as a bump on the side of the big toe, but they are more than that. The visible bump is actually the result of the gradual drifting of the bones of the great toe. Bunions are most often inherited, so it is unlikely that you did anything to cause it. Certainly, wearing shoes that crowd the toes - such as those with a tight toe box or high heels - can cause the pain and swelling that you have been experiencing. We have two basic options to deal with this problem. We can change our shoes to fit our feet, or we can change our foot to fit the shoe. Initial treatments are aimed at easing the pain of bunions, but they won't reverse the deformity itself. Wearing roomy, low-heeled shoes; wearing a bunion pad to cushion the bump; icing and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naprosyn; and using custom orthotics in the shoes are common options. When the pain of a bunion interferes with your daily activities, it's time to discuss surgical options with your podiatrist, so together you can decide if correcting the bunion is best for you. Your podiatrist will perform a thorough exam, including x-rays, to determine a treatment plan with the goal of eliminating your foot pain. ## Explore related topics Bones, joints and musclesFoot health ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Ankle Rehabilitation After Injuries I have fractured my ankle multiple times. Do you have any suggestions for exercises that would strengthen this area? - Health Q&A ### Pain in Ball of Foot I have pain across the ball of my right foot, making it tender to walk on. I've been doing a new type of activity - dancing Zumba in new shoes - but this pain showed up five days after the last class. Could it be related? If not, what are likely causes? - Health Q&A ### Pain on the Ball of the Foot For the past five to six years, the balls of my feet hurt and burn all the time. I've tried inserts, Dansko shoes, foot soaks, as well as pain and nerve medications. 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View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bunion Causes and Treatment"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381","name":"Bunion Causes and Treatment","description":"Bunions are often described as a bump on the side of the big toe, but they are more than that.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/bunion-causes-treatment-1051061381#question","name":"Bunion Causes and Treatment","text":"I have a bunion on my large toe that becomes painful and swollen, especially when I wear high heels. 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Wearing roomy, low-heeled shoes; wearing a bunion pad to cushion the bump; icing and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naprosyn; and using custom orthotics in the shoes are common options. When the pain of a bunion interferes with your daily activities, it's time to discuss surgical options with your podiatrist, so together you can decide if correcting the bunion is best for you. 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