Gynecomastia – often referred to as ‘man boob’s’ – is more common than you may think. Research from the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that it affects almost 70 percent of adolescent boys, and 65 percent of middle-aged and older men.
What is it?
Gynecomastia refers to the medical condition where male breast tissues increase in size. Those suffering from gynecomastia have excess glandular tissue present, often as a result of hormonal imbalance.
Common causes
Hormonal imbalance is one big factor. In short, testosterone controls male traits such as muscle mass and body hair, while oestrogen is responsible for female traits, including the growth of breasts. A common misconception is that oestrogen is an exclusively female hormone, but in fact, men also produce it in small quantities. When male oestrogen levels are too high, gynecomastia can occur.
While gynecomastia is naturally prominent during puberty due to changes in hormone levels, it can also be an indication of serious medical conditions such as testicular cancer. For most cases, the swollen breast tissue tends to go away without treatment within six months to two years. As for older men, the condition can peak again between the ages of 50 and 69; at least one out of four men in this age group is affected! Hormonal fluctuations as a result of health issues like kidney failure, liver problems and malnutrition, can also lead to gynecomastia.
How to check
You can use the gynecomastia pinch test method to determine whether you may suffer from gynecomastia. Use your fingertips to feel for soft, rubbery lumps in your breasts, or directly beneath the nipple area. It can develop in one or both breasts. The size of the lump varies and it may not be the same in both breasts. The swelling of the glandular breast tissue may result in soreness – especially when you press on the skin. If the pain or discomfort is significant, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible!
Many guys use non-prescription testosterone and other substances to build up their muscles.
The levels of testosterone that some people achieve by doing this can be as high as 10 times the normal level!
Cycling testosterone can turn into a bit of an obsession, and lead to the pursuit of higher and higher levels.
That’s right, too much testosterone leads to physical problems. At the end of the cycle, you can have a build-up of estrogen, leading to fluid retention in your face and neck and man boobs.
Some of the stronger horse testosterones on the market can cause serious aggression (so-called “roid rage”) and night sweats.
In the longer term, breast development is a big risk.
By the way, those small balls won’t be producing sperm anymore.
It may be difficult to reverse this effect, so if future fertility is important to you this is something to consider before starting out.
With long-term heavy use of high dose testosterone, your health can be seriously affected, including having a pair of enlarged male breasts.
This is the Truth About Anabolic Steroids & Man Boobs
Many men suffer from gynecomastia. And It’s no secret that the increased emphasis today’s pop culture places on the male physique has created a correlating effect with gynecomastia awareness. As gynecomastia becomes more well-known, various treatments for it are brought to the forefront. The most common form of treatment for this disorder is through surgery. But alternative gynecomastia treatments, such as medication or the right lifestyle are known to help as well.
Medication
When it comes to using alternative gynecomastia treatments, some medicines are used in place of surgery. Three of the most popular include Gynexin, Gynectrol, and GyneMax. These supplements are designed to reduce male breast size, but they have different ways of doing it. Gynexin is an herbal based supplement with the intention of eliminating the fat that results from gynecomastia. This supplement is able to stand apart from the other because of its 99% success rate. This is due to its possession of the natural fat burner, Guggulsterone.
Gynectrol is another supplement that has found success. But it doesn’t tackle gynecomastia by eliminating the fat like Gynexin. Instead, Gynectrol reduces estrogen amounts that might be causing gynecomastia. Like Gynexin, this supplement also contains all-natural ingredients. However, it is recommended mainly for treating pseudogynecomastia cases because breast tissue cannot be removed by oral medications once it has formed. Even though Gynectrol is not quite as effective as its predecessor, it still boasts a 96.5% success rate making it one of the most popular male breast reduction supplements.
GyneMax is the last supplement mentioned. But it is not as popular as its competitors. This supplement is branded as the best herbal supplement for gynecomastia. In reality, however, the ingredients used in this pill suggest that it is better used as a weight loss supplement, rather than a treatment for gynecomastia. Because GyneMax is not as effective, it also contends with many negative customers reviews. These reviews, along with poor performance cement its place as the most unpopular of the three supplements.
Lifestyle
Even though surgery or medication are better treatment routes, proper diet and exercise can also help break down breast fat tissue. Elements like zinc, vitamin D, and healthy fats in diets can help achieve weight loss and improve muscle strength. Foods that are high in these qualities include lean beef, eggs, avocados, and walnuts. Gynecomastia food to avoid is soy because it contains high amounts of an herbal type of estrogen. Another diet change that is helpful is juicing. Juicing is useful because it allows the intake of various nutrients the body needs while also minimizing the intake of calories.
Conclusion
While all of these methods are alternative gynecomastia treatments, they are not always the best approaches for eliminating gynecomastia. If these methods do not produce the results that you desire, surgery might be the best option for you. If you have any questions about gynecomastia surgery, get in touch with Dr. Delgado by phone (415) 577-4161 or via our contact form.
All men produce some amount of estrogen, but when you produce more than the “normal” amount, that may lead to the development of excess breast tissues.
This affects 1 out of 2 teen boys, and 2 out of 3 men above 50 years old, when hormone levels are affected by sexual development, thyroid problems, or as a side effect of some medications.
There are 4 grades in gynecomastia classification, with the mildest being just a local swelling around the nipple area, and the most severe showing a pronounced rounded appearance similar to a female breast.
Both conditions display similar physical traits an enlarged, chubby chest. The difference lies in what’s underneath.
Gynecomastia is caused by the overdevelopment of glandular tissues that comprise fat tissues and glands, mostly as a result of hormonal imbalance and pseudo-gynecomastia is caused by excess fat accumulation.
Only your doctor can confirm what you really have through a clinical assessment.
Pseudogynecomastia: Types of Man Boobs
Genetically, men tend to accumulate fat in the chest and abdomen area – your arms and legs may look slim, but you bulk up in your torso.
When fat builds up behind and around the breast area, the chest appears puffy and swollen, hence the name man-boobs.
This is clinically known as lipomastia, adipomastia, or pseudogynecomastia.
The more estrogen you have, the more your body tends to store fat.
Interestingly, fat also causes your body to produce the aromatase enzyme, which can convert testosterone into estrogen and slow down your metabolism.
Unfortunately, a lower metabolism will also mean you burn less fat, and this triggers a vicious cycle where you store more and more fat in your chest area and worsens your hormonal imbalance.
However, one clear sign that you have real true gynecomastia is you can feel a firm mound of glandular tissue around your areola area and painful to touch.
For some, the nipple may even feel sensitive. But if it’s pseudogynecomastia, the entire breast is evenly enlarged.
Ratio imbalance of low testosterone and high estrogen can lead to man-boobs gynecomastia. Here are 8 reasons why your testosterone level may drop!
Obesity
Obesity decreases testosterone levels, causing estrogen to take over and cause enlargement of the breast tissue.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
We know this may sound ironic, but Testosterone Replacement Therapy can also cause some temporary breast growth.
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroid is a synthetic version of testosterone that may convert to estrogen. The side effects are way worse than regular testosterone treatment.
RELATED: The Two Types of Man-boobs According to Science
Plant Oils & Natural Grooming Products
Certain plant oil ingredients contain estrogen-like properties such as lavender oil.
Hair Loss Drugs & Other Medications
Anti-hair loss drugs can cause dihydrotestosterone, which has an anti-testosterone effect.
Severe Liver or Kidney Diseases
Liver disease can cause protein synthesis disruption and even overproduction. This may affect a protein (SHBG) that binds testosterone.
Tumors
Some lung or testicular tumors can make a specific type of hormone (HCG) that while it stimulates testosterone production, it also converts testosterone to estrogen.
Age
Unfortunately, gynecomastia gets less uncommon with age (decreased testosterone levels).
These are the Cause of Man Boobs
Also Check Out: Gynecomastia Man-boobs How to Get Rid of Painful Moobs
