Heads up, gents: you may want to check your chest area after reading this. If you’re suffering from the dreaded “male boobs”, it could reflect a medical condition more serious than you think.
While the topic of gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts) has its fair share of stigma, it affects almost 70 percent of adolescent boys, and 65 percent of middle-aged and older men.
So, what exactly is gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is a common medical condition where the male breast tissues increase in size. While it may be every woman’s dream to inherit a set of well-sculpted breasts, it is, however, a man’s nightmare to find a pair of “man boobs” hanging from his chest. For most men, gynecomastia robs their self-esteem and becomes a stumbling block in achieving a masculine physique. But it’s more than just the embarrassment of having a flabby chest that makes it a cause for concern. While it’s relatively common in adolescent boys going through puberty, it may also reflect serious medical conditions like testicular cancer.
What are the symptoms involved?
The main symptoms of gynecomastia include the enlargement of the glandular tissue in both breasts and a tenderness experienced around the breast and the nipple. There are a variety of reasons that contribute to gynecomastia. Ageing, side effects of medication, hormonal imbalance and a dip in testosterone level are common culprits for the condition.
Can it be treated?
While the symptoms are common during puberty due to hormonal changes, if they do not go away when one reaches adulthood, surgical intervention would be the answer to counter the condition. Not only does it permanently remove the excess glandular tissues, the surgery also sculpts the chest area, resulting in a more defined physique. The surgery has a short recovery time, too, thereby causing little disruption to your daily routine.
Gynecomastia surgery also requires a keen technical knowledge and artistic skill, so you’ll want to carefully research your options and your doctor’s experience, and plan when you’re having the surgery. During your consultation with your doctor, it’s essential to discuss your goals and raise any concerns you might have in regard to the procedure.
Gynecomastia is a common condition that causes enlarged male breast tissue along with breast pain or tenderness. While teenagers often develop gynecomastia due to puberty, it can also affect men later in life. While up to 80% of boys in puberty experience gynecomastia, up to 65% of men later in life are also affected. Read on to learn more about gynecomastia, how it can affect men later in life, and treatment options.
Gynecomastia Causes
Gynecomastia is often caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and androgen hormones and can affect one or both breasts. However, there are also certain conditions that can cause male breast enlargement such as kidney disease or kidney failure, adrenal tumors, alcoholism, liver disease, thyroid disease, and Klinefelter syndrome. There are also some medications that may cause gynecomastia including medication to treat anxiety, depression, enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, heartburn or stomach ulcers, heart failure, high blood pressure, and male infertility. Substance abuse, anabolic steroids, and tea tree and lavender oils may also be triggers.
Middle-aged and older men often experience medication-induced gynecomastia as most people begin to increase their medication consumption as they age. They may also experience gynecomastia as their testosterone levels begin to decrease, along with an increased amount of subcutaneous fat.
Gynecomastia Treatment Options
Men with psuedogynecomastia, or “man boobs” caused by excess body fat or fatty tissue can often see an improvement in the look of their chest when they lose weight. However, the only solution for true gynecomastia is male breast reduction surgery or gynecomastia surgery. This procedure involves removing enlarged male breast glands, as well as excess breast tissue with liposuction to help sculpt and shape the breasts for a more masculine appearance.
Choosing a Gynecomastia Surgeon
When considering gynecomastia surgery, it is important to do your research and seek out a properly-trained surgeon. Dr. Delgado is a board-certified plastic surgeon and is highly skilled in performing gynecomastia surgery on males of all ages to help improve their self-confidence. He employs a number of effective surgical techniques to properly treat gynecomastia, excess male breast tissue, and excess skin for optimal results. With more than 30 years of successfully treating patients with gynecomastia symptoms, you can be confident you are in good hands.
Schedule Your Gynecomastia Surgery Consultation
If you are bothered by your enlarged male breast tissue and are seeking an effective way to treat gynecomastia, contact Dr. Delgado today. Your first step toward treatment will be a consultation in his office or virtually. For personalized information about gynecomastia plastic surgery procedures, please complete Dr. Delgado’s inquiry form.
Gynecomastia FAQs
What are some symptoms associated with gynecomastia?
Common symptoms associated with gynecomastia include swelling, pain or tenderness, and nipple discharge in one or both breasts.
What prostate cancer drug causes gynecomastia?
The most used nonsteroidal antiandrogen, Bicalutamide is known to cause gynecomastia in some.
Does an estrogen excess cause gynecomastia?
If the male body produces too much estrogen or there is low testosterone, male breast tissue may become swollen or enlarged.
Can Gynecomastia cause male breast cancer?
The risk of men developing breast cancer is very small, even with gynecomastia.
Can smoking cause male breast enlargement?
Smoking marijuana can increase estrogen production in men, as well as decrease testosterone production, possibly resulting in gynecomastia.
Is surgical treatment available for gynecomastia?
Yes, gynecomastia surgery is available to remove excess glandular tissue and create a more masculine chest appearance. Be sure to seek out a skilled plastic surgeon to perform your procedure.
What types of cancer are associated with gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia has been found to be common among those with testicular germ cell cancer patients with elevated β-hCG. There is also a significant risk of testicular cancer and squamous cell carcinoma among those with gynecomastia.
I’ve been experiencing pain and swelling in my chest area. What could be the problem?
You could be suffering from gynecomastia, more commonly known as man boobs. While the condition isn’t necessarily serious in every case, it can be embarrassing.
What causes gynecomastia?
It’s brought on by enlarged breast tissue and swollen glands on the chest area. Gynecomastia can affect one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly. The causes may include hormonal imbalance, side effects of certain medications, and even aging.
Gynecomastia during puberty is not uncommon but if the problem persists into adulthood, surgical intervention is the recommended option. Older men between the ages of 50 and 90 may develop man-boobs gynecomastia due to changes in hormone levels, although other causes or health conditions may also contribute.
What are some of the symptoms to look out for?
In addition to a tender or swollen chest area, you should also check for nipple discharge in one or both breasts. If you notice these symptoms, then schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Can I use ice to ease the swelling and pain? Will exercise help minimise the size of my chest?
No, the discomfort you’re experiencing likely will not go away with these measures. In fact, it may cause more pain with each passing day. If the swelling and pain do not subside, I recommend that you seek professional help as soon as possible.
What can be done to help my oversized chest area?
Gynecomastia surgery may be the solution you need. There are two kinds: the first is a mastectomy, where the breast gland tissue is removed endoscopically. This means only small incisions are made on your chest area. The second is through liposuction, which removes breast fat but not the gland tissue itself.
However, it’s important to raise any concerns you may have about the procedure when consulting your doctor. The recovery time tends to be minimal, but this may depend on how fast your body is able to recuperate after minor surgery. Additionally, man-boobs surgery is said to sculpt the chest area and leave a more defined and “masculine” appearance.
You’ve done your homework and Googled, “How do you build up your pecs?”; read Men’s Health, watched chest training videos and, kept a full routine of bench presses, push-ups, weighted dips and dumbbell presses religiously.
Yet, after months of effort, you’re still unsatisfied with the results.
Perhaps the reason why you still don’t have Chris Hemsworth – worthy pecs isn’t due to what you’re doing or eating wrong, but because you’re suffering a medical disorder. But what exactly might you have? The challenge comes in diagnosing your condition accurately though.
Meet the twin nemesis of your efforts: gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia. In the case of gynecomastia, it is characterised by excessive growth of breast tissue which may lead to feminisation of the male breast, and it cannot be eradicated through diet and exercise alone. The exact cause of gynecomastia is not entirely clear, though it could be due to the actions of circulating hormones on specific cells in the breast area. Genetic factors, certain usage of medications and even ageing can lead to gynecomastia while its pseudo counterpart happens as a result of built up fat. To make things more confusing, how a guy’s chest will look in both cases is more or less the same!
Gynecomastia Or Pseudogynecomastia: How Do You Tell The Difference?
First things first – you’ll be better off consulting a doctor who is experienced in gynecomastia surgery.
The difference? In the case of the former, you’ll feel a firm concentration of tissue around the nipple area in the form of a disk, with or without pain when it’s touch or squeezed. The effective treatment to deal with gynecomastia is surgical removal of the overly developed glandular and fat tissue. With pseudogynecomastia, no such ring is formed as fat tissue on palpation is somewhat loose and not firm. Pseudogynecomastia, to a certain extent, can be rectified with regular exercise and healthier diet.
Why suffer from frustration by poor post-workout results, and personal pain and embarrassment caused by gynecomastia? Get professional help, and you’ll be ready to whip your shirt off at the beach action-hero style!
The use of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding is notorious to the point of being synonymous. But the trend is not limited to the sport’s competing athletes or bodybuilders only; even the regular gym-going Joe and hobbyists are onboard the steroid train. What’s more alarming is the reports on the rising numbers of its use among teenagers.
What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steroids are essentially synthetic variations of the male sex hormone, testosterone and often used to build muscles. Healthcare professionals prescribe them to address hormonal issues such as delayed puberty and muscle loss caused by diseases.
But it is the misuse and abuse of these drugs that often form the headlines. For professional bodybuilders or even anyone who’s looking to put on some muscles, these drugs may seem to be the “miracle” supplement and dismally, even a staple diet.
Side effects
One of the most common side effects is roid rage. Although it is not classified as an official medical condition, the root of this issue can be linked to the misuse of anabolic steroids as they can cause extreme irritability. In women, common side effects include reduced breast size, deepening of the voice and the growth of facial and body hair, among others.
In men, they include shrunken testicles, decreased sperm count, baldness, acne and even gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the enlargement of the breast tissue in men. The cause of this condition is hormone imbalance, primarily the rise in estrogen levels. The abuse of anabolic steroids causes this increase and overtime, men will develop oversized breast tissues resulting in the, not only embarrassing but at times also painful, condition.
Although exercise won’t help, stopping the use of anabolic steroids is the first step in preventing the condition from evolving further. For those already affected, help comes in the form of Gynecomastia Surgery.
Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia surgery, usually done in the form of liposuction or mastectomy, involves the removal of excess fat and glandular tissue. This tightens the skin leaving a more contoured and flatter chest. The procedure usually takes around one to two hours and recovery typically varies with each patient.
Muscle up without steroids
Taking anabolic steroids to build muscles knowing that there is a high probability of getting Gynecomastia is certainly not an option. Instead, there are other ways to achieve your goals. These include:
Proper nutrition and dietary habits
Custom-tailored (gym) training programmes
Getting enough rest
Additional supplementation like whey proteins
and more.
Regardless of gender, a beautiful or more defined physique is arguably a common goal. If bodybuilding is your hobby, by all means, pile those muscles on. But do it the right and do it the safe way.
