Gynecomastia (Man Boobs) Causes, Facts, And Treatment

Gynecomastia (man boobs) is a condition that is linked to male breast enlargement. To those affected, it’s embarrassing and they feel awkward, resulting in low self-esteem.

This can happen at any stage of life, be it in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. Therefore, it is not related to any particular age. It is usually reciprocal that is, it affects both the breasts at the same time. Sometimes, however, it may be unilateral. The enlargement centers around male breast nipples.

Gynecomastia or man boob

Factors That Lead To Gynecomastia

  1. Hormone levels: The human body contains both estrogen (the female hormone) and androgen (the male hormone). Androgen composition is more typical in males. However, gynecomastia sufferers have a higher estrogen present in their bodies.
  2. Medicines and drugs: This may also be caused by the side effects of ingestion of certain medications or products such as vaccines, anti-anxiety medicines, tea tree oil, soy-containing estrogen hormones, heartburn medication, opioids or corticosteroids, and anabolic steroids.
  3. Medical illness or symptoms: Man boobs may also be attributed to certain medical conditions or signs. For example chronic kidney disease, malnutrition, low levels of testosterone, obesity, hyperthyroidism or liver cirrhosis.

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Important Facts About Man Boobs

  1. It is very important to note that in obese men, gynecomastia is not the same as the large breasts that occur. That is because of the concentrations of fat.
  2. The disorder sometimes starts in one or both of the breasts as a small lump below the nipple which may feel sensitive.
  3. Similarly, it’s not the same as breast cancer either. Breast cancer may involve one breast and does not dwell on the nipples.
  4. surgery can be a safe treatment option for men with man boobs that does not fix itself when hormonal imbalance is resolved by changing the condition-related drugs. Depending on the severity of the condition there are a few options for operation.
  5. There is a belief that improving the amount of exercise or doing workouts that concentrate on chest toning would help the problem. That could be so if only extra fat muscle caused the swollen breasts. Yet, because gynecomastia is breast tissue growth, there is no way for the excess tissue to regress.
  6. One common myth about gynecomastia is that only very overweight men develop it. A man who’s at a healthy weight might assume that he is in the clear because he doesn’t have a  lot of extra fat. While there are cases where excess  fat can make a man’s breasts look larger, fat alone isn’t the cause of the condition. Gynecomastia occurs when a male develops actual breast tissue, not just a bit of fat in the chest area.
  7. Other symptoms of man boobs may be similar to other medical conditions, so it’s important to talk to your doctor if you notice anything out of the ordinary.

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Diagnosis Of Man Boobs

Gynecomastia is diagnosed through a physical examination and diagnostic procedures which may include blood tests, urine tests, mammograms or a consultation with an endocrinologist.

Tissue growth in gynecomastia

Treatment For Gynecomastia

There is no such best treatment for this problem, as it is not a major issue and it is not seen that the therapies are also very successful. Also, it mentions the usable ones below:

  • Hormone replacement: It can be treated through testosterone replacement among those adult males that have a lower testosterone level inside them. But for those who have normal male hormones in their bodies this is not successful.
  • Clomiphene: Clomiphene is a therapeutic drug that can treat this condition within 6 months of continuous use.
  1. Surgery: Man boobs operation is the available treatment choice if the medications fail to reverse the gynecomastia within 12 months. Where this continues for too long, breast reduction surgery known as reduction mammoplasty becomes the next option that is beneficial.

What are the risks of gynecomastia surgery?

The choice to have plastic surgery is extremely personal, and you will have to determine whether the advantages will achieve your goals and whether gynecomastia surgery’s danger and potential complications are appropriate.

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You will be asked to sign consent forms to insure you fully understand the treatment and any hazards and problems that may occur.

Risks of surgical gynecomastia include:

  • Reactions of bandage, suture products, glues, topical treatments or injection substances
  • Anesthesia threats
  • Bleeding (hematoma)
  • Blood clots
  • Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
  • Fatty tissue found in the breast may die (fat necrosis)
  • Accumulation of fluid (seroma)
  • Infection
  • Persistent pain
  • Poor wound healing
  • Possibility of revision surgery
  • Adverse scarring
  • Breast asymmetry
  • Breast contour and form abnormalities
  • Changes in the feeling of the nipple or breast may be temporary or permanent disruption to underlying tissues, such as nerves, blood vessels, organs and lungs, and may be temporary or permanent.

These and other risks must be discussed in full before you consent. It is important that you contact your plastic surgeon directly to address all your questions.

Prevention Of Gynecomastia

Man boobs

The man boobs that develops during the growth stage due either to hormonal imbalances or due to ageing can not be avoided.

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The medical information provided in this article is provided as an information resource only. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Gynecomastia induced by medications can be avoided only when checks are rendered on the condition for which medication is being used.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that gynecomastia is not a condition or issue that has major adverse effects. The only thing that’s happening because of this is the shift in men’s look. This is just for a short amount of time, as this disease reverses entirely on its own within 6 to 12 months.

Sources:

5 Gynecomastia Facts You May Not Know

Myths and Facts About Gynecomastia

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