Your occupation may have an effect on the risk for developing bunions: Women who work in occupations like teaching or nursing, in which daily tasks involve a lot of standing or walking, are more susceptible to bunions than office workers who spend the majority of their days seated. Ballet dancers, whose feet suffer severe repetitive stress, are also at risk of developing bunions. Pregnant women, whose bodies release hormones that loosen ligaments and flatten feet, may also be at an increased risk for developing bunions, and women with arthritis, which damages the cartilage within the joint.

Am I At Risk?

Several factors contribute to an individual’s risk for developing bunions. Among the risk factors for developing bunions:

●     Inherited Foot Type: Some foot types are more prone to bunion formation than others, so if bunions run in your family, you may be at a higher risk for developing them yourself.

●     Foot Injuries: Foot injuries, or repeated stress on the foot, as in the case of ballet dancers, can increase your chances of developing bunions.

●     Congenital Deformities: Deformities present at birth, called congenital defects, may increase your risk of developing bunions.

●     Arthritis: Bunions are associated with certain types of arthritis, particularly the inflammatory types, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

●     Profession: Women who work in fields that require them to spend long periods of time on their feet are more prone to developing bunions.

●     Footwear Choices: Wearing high-heeled shoes, particularly those that force the toes into the front of the shoes and crowd the toes, put you at an increased risk for developing bunions. Similarly, wearing shoes that are too tight, too narrow, or too pointed can increase your chances of developing bunions.