What is Gynecomastia?

The word Gynecomastia comes from two Greek words, Gyne meaning Woman and Mastos which means breast. A loose translation would be “woman like breasts”. They are also know as man boobs, steroid breasts or bitch tits as some people unkindly call them.

Gynecomastia actually describes a condition whereby breast tissue builds up in a males chest creating what appear to be female breasts. These breasts can be quite tender and sensitive.

The condition Gynecomastia is very common in adolescent boys, however, in about 90% of these cases, the condition disappears naturally as their adolescence follows it’s course.

For the remaining 10% though, it remains and can be quite a social handicap causing significant psychological damage to the patient. The feelings that this condition can generate can be shame, embarrassment and humiliation commonly. A lot of this can be brought about from teasing and jokes made about their breasts by their peers.

Other than the tenderness in the chest which is associated with Gynecomastia, there are no other medical problems with this condition other than the psychological problems that it causes.

For some men and boys who appear to have Gynecomastia, may actually have a condition called pseudogynecomastia. This describes the fatty build up on their chests. This is not the same thing as Gynecomastia.

Interestingly, it is possible that this condition may affect only one breast or both.

What causes Gynecomastia?

For most cases of Gynecomastia, there are no identifiable causes for this problem. However, this list contains a lot of what is commonly accepted to cause Gynecomastia.

- puberty
- steroid abuse
- obesity
- tumors
- genetic disorders
- chronic liver disease
- side effects of medication
- castration
- Klinefelter Syndrome
- Gilberts Syndrome
- ageing

Gynecomastia can also be caused by changes in the balance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone. This commonly occurs during puberty although can probably happen during other stages of a mans life.

From that list, it is believed that the main causes are obesity, steroid abuse and an imbalance in hormones.

How is Gynecomastia Diagnosed?

The doctor will probably make a physical examination of the breasts and then ask a number of questions regarding your breasts in order to ascertain how long you’ve had them and also what degree of tenderness do you experience.

In order to work out what is causing your Gynecomastia, the doctor will enquire about your medical history as well as any medication that you are taking.

The examination itself should be relatively minor with just a bit of prodding and poking.

It should be noted as well that while male breast cancer is more common than a lot of people think, these lumps in a mans breast are not cancerous, however, as usual, if in doubt, contact your doctor as soon as possible in order to eliminate the possibility.

How is Gynecomastia Treated?

In many cases Gynecomastia requires no treatment whatsoever and will disappear quietly on it’s own.

In other cases, the treatment may depend upon the cause. For example, if the cause is the medicine that you’re taking, then hopefully there is a suitable alternative which will be just as effective but without the side of effect of Gynecomastia. As Gynecomastia is usually less of a problem than the condition that the medicine is treating, this other condition will take priority in your care.

In a lot of cases, the reason for Gynecomastia is obesity. In this case, if the patient loses a degree of their weight through diet and exercise, then this will usually cure the Gynecomastia without the need for any kind of surgery.

In a small number of cases, surgery is deemed to be the best option. Usually in these cases, the Gynecomastia is causing the patient a significant degree of psychological problems.

This surgery removes the glandular tissue and/or fat behind the breast in order to create a more masculine looking chest.

The surgery for Gynecomastia can often be conducted under a local anesthetic with some sedation and the patient be treated as an out-patient. However, as with all surgery, whether it is low risk like this or high risk, there is always an element of risk of excessive bleeding, fluid loss and problems associated with the anesthesia. As such, the patient should be healthy and emotionally stable otherwise the risk of surgery is increased. There can also be a degree of scarring with the surgery which should be known before the operation takes place.

As this surgery is usually considered cosmetic, it is often quite difficult to get financing or for the public health bodies to accept you as a patient. However, patients do sometimes get the funding required often after proving the psychological problems that this condition causes.

Summary

Gynecomastia affects many people in varying degrees. The main problem from it, is the psychological problems associated with the humiliation of having woman like breasts. For most, the solution is to lose weight or to wait for the body to develop further, however for some, the only way to cure this problem is by having breast reduction surgery.

Gynecomastia is a scientific term that comes from the Greek words for ‘women-like breasts’. Gynecomastia itself is not physically harmful, but in some cases may be an indicator of other more dangerous underlying conditions. Gynecomastia is the enlargement of the male breast resulting in what is sometimes called ‘man boobs’.

These breast formation in males is most commonly caused by hormonal changes that can occur at puberty or as part of the aging process. Breast development due to being overweight is referred to as pseudogynecomastia or false gynecomastia. Breast tissue growth in guys can appear on one or both sides of the chest, and the breast area can feel tender. Though certain drugs and medical problems have been linked with male breast overdevelopment, there is no known cause in the vast majority of cases.

Hormone changes that occur with normal aging can cause gynecomastia, especially in men who are overweight. One of the several glands that produce hormones can malfunction for reasons other than chromosomes. If the balance between the hormones estrogen and testosterone is changed, breast development can occur.

For men who feel self-conscious about their appearance, breast-reduction surgery can help. Surgery can remove fat and or glandular tissue from the breasts, and in extreme cases removes excess skin, resulting in a chest that is flatter and firmer. Surgery may be discouraged for obese or overweight men who have not first attempted to correct the problem with exercise or weight loss.

When male breast-reduction surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Once a patient is deemed a good candidate for male breast reduction, their physician should give them an explanation of the procedure as well as an overview of what type of results they should expect from the surgery. However, surgery is usually expensive and should only be taken into account when other attempts have failed. Surgery may be an option for certain patients when other treatment methods fail or there is breast tissue that remains and has hardened, since other treatments may have no effect in this case short of removal of the tissue.

Men over the age of 50 tend to produce fewer androgens such as testosterone or gain fat tissue that converts androgen into estrogen.

Men with gynecomastia have an overall risk for malignant tumours similar to that in the reference population. Also a non-significantly increased risk for esophageal cancer was noted while no cases of male breast cancer was seen. For men with a gynecomastia diagnosis a after 50 years of age the risk of testicular cancer is negligible whilst a gynecomastia diagnosis before and after 50 years of age may both indicate an increased the risk for skin cancer. Risks of surgical correction for Gynecomastia BleedingInfection and poor healingAllergic reaction to anesthesiaSores around the nipple that can be treated by antibiotic creamScars from surgery which fade away as time goes by.

There are several natural treatments known for gynecomastia. If male breasts are tender as a result of gynecomastia, cold compresses may be applied. Many American insurance companies deny coverage for surgery for gynecomastia treatment on the grounds that it is a cosmetic procedure.

Obese or overweight men who have not first attempted to correct the condition with exercise and weight loss are discouraged as the condition may be able to be treated without surgery in these individuals. All you have to do to treat obesity related Gynecomastia is to simply go on a diet and get plenty of specific exercise.

Are you suffering from gynecomastia? Gynecomastia or commonly know as “man breast” came from a Greek phrase meaning “women-like breast”. Many males, young and old will at one time or other be afflicted with this male breast syndrome.

Yes, gynecomastia is actually quite common and it is thought that 30-50 percent of males would have experienced this condition. It may affect only one breast or both. Men with gynecomastia can feel a button like growth under the nipple area.

Fortunately, most male will lose their man breast naturally. Why?

This is because young boys, until they hit puberty will have a small amount of breast tissue under the nipple or the areola area. Upon puberty male, hormones produced by the testicles prevent further growth of breast tissue.

Unfortunately for some men, the man breast condition remains and continues into adulthood or if it occurs when the male is already an adult, it is also due to hormone inbalances.

Other causes of gynecomastia can be due to over production of estrogens (female hormones) through liver diseases and obesity which can alter the testosterone and estrogen balance in the body. Similarly, men who smoke marijuana or consume alcohol regularly may also develop gynecomastia.

Because of these breast tissues in men, men too can develop breast cancer. This came as a surprise isn’t it? That is why when men developed breast cancers, it will usually be at the advanced stage because men simply don’t check themselves for breast cancer as this is a predominantly female disease.

Some commonly prescribed medicines can sometimes cause gynecomastia, too. Some of these medications are for treatment of ulcers, heartburn, heart diseases and high blood pressure. If you have gynecomastia and are taking these medications, do check with your doctors whether your conditions are caused by the medications and if so, see if there are any alternative medicines that will not cause gynecomastia.

There are surgical procedures that can correct gynecomastia satisfactorily. However, if you do not wish to be put under the knife of a surgeon, you can take simple steps to reduce men’s breast or even cure gynecomastia completely.

•Take natural health supplement – Supplements which can help boost your body’s natural production of male hormones (testosterone) such as Tribulus. Avoid all forms of steroids unless medically prescribed by your doctor.

•Chest (Pectoral) muscle exercises – Exercise your chest muscles so that your strong muscles will pull up and tone your chest so it won’t look droopy or saggy like female breasts. The target exercise area is the upper chest which can be exercised with various types incline presses.

•Weight loss program – Go lose some weight. With less body fat, your male breast will look less obvious. Further more, if your weight loss program includes weight lifting, it will cause your body to produce more testosterone and in turn suppresses the creation of estrogen.

•Avoid alcohol and marijuana – Both substances are known to increase production of estrogens. They are bad for your health anyway.

After a while, when you are getting results from the steps mentioned above, you may happily realize that your male breast condition may have improve so much that you may not need surgery to correct your gynecomastia after all.

A large population of men are affected by puffy nipples. Though there are many causes of puffy nipples, gynecomastia surgery is the only surefire treatment plan available to these affected men. Treating puffy nipples with gynecomastia surgery has been around for quite a while, and over the years has reached a stage where surgeons are able to quickly and inexpensively perform the surgery with a very high rate of success, and little down time.

The cost of gynecomastia, puffy nipple surgery, varies greatly depending on the skill of a surgeon, location of the surgeon, and the surgeon’s specialty. Surgeons who specialize only in men’s plastic surgery will tend to have lower rates than more generalized plastic surgeons. Newer more inexperienced surgeons will also tend to charge lower prices for gynecomastia surgery. When shopping around for the surgery is important not to use cost as the sole consideration for picking a surgeon. Instead the patient will want to look at the surgeons history, and evaluate their previous patients. To help you with the decision most if not all surgeons will have a portfolio of patients that they have treated in the past including before and after pictures, as well as pictures taken several months after the surgery showing the entire process from start to finish. It is important to evaluate pictures taken several months after the surgery to see how well the patients healed, check for any noticeable scars, and evaluate the surgeons general sculpting of the chest region.

In performing gynecomastia surgery on puffy nipples the surgeon must not only remove the tissues causing the puffing nipples, but also sculpt the entire chest region to maintain the proper aesthetic. Should the surgeon improperly sculpt the chest, or not sculpt it at all, the patient will be left with a sunken in appearance around their breasts. This is highly unattractive, and more off-putting than the puffy nipples were in the first place. Surgeons performing gynecomastia surgery on the puffy nipples will use liposuction to sculpt the chest region providing sufficient and natural looking contours. This is why an experienced surgeon is necessary. Gynecomastia surgery is much more an art form than a straight step-by-step textbook surgery. Every man’s chest is different and will require on-the-fly decisions about how to sculpt it appropriately. Choosing an inexperienced surgeon, though cheap, will often times lead to sub par results.

There are two types of tissues that can be removed with gynecomastia surgery to correct the puffy nipples. The man will either have increased fat deposits behind his nipples, or enlarged glandular tissue. To remove fat deposits the surgeon will simply use liposuction and suck out the excess fat. If the problem stems from glandular tissue the surgeon will go in with a scalpel in and remove the gland. There are also cases where the puffy nipples are caused by a combination of the two tissues intermingling. In this case the surgeon will use a combination of the two techniques to remove the offending tissue and reduce puffiness in the nipple. No matter which surgical procedure takes place the surgeon will go in thru a small incision located around the areola. The advantage of this is that any small scar will be nearly invisible because it is located around the natural ring surrounding the nipple.

Recovery time for gynecomastia, puffy nipple surgery, is quite quick although may require some specialized equipment. The surgery itself takes only an hour or two, and recovery time can be as quick as two days. Once the patient finishes with their bed rest they will then have to wear a compression vest to protect to the surgical area. This vest is nearly invisible under clothes and resembles a body shaper. The vest is designed to help reduce swelling of the breast and damage to the stitches.

Gynecomastia surgery for puffy nipples is a great option for a man suffering this embarrassing problem. A qualified surgeon is essential for the successful completion of this operation, so do your homework shop around and ask opinions from other men who have gone through the same procedure.

Gynecomastia is a known medical condition which causes men to have abnormal breast enlargement and growth – sometimes in just one breast and sometimes in both. The actual condition tends to affect young boys going through puberty, and elderly men – because hormones tend to be out of balance in both stages of life.

When true Gynecomastia is happening to boys or men, there is about one and a half inches of area just under the nipple that tends to swell. It’s often tender in this area as well, and sometimes even milk can be secreted.

The problem often goes away unaided on it’s own, within 1-3 years. Sometimes however, Gynecomastia is caused due to the man using certain drugs which can cause the problem. It’s a rare side effect of the drugs, but men can usually get rid of Gynecomastia by simply changing the types of drugs they’re taking, or using alternatives.

Recreational drugs such as marijuana and alcohol are known to cause Gynecomastia in rare cases for instance, so you can get rid of the condition sometimes by simply stopping use of these.

If you’re taking certain prescription drugs however, such as anything which produces extra estrogen, steroids, certain Cardiovascular drugs, and ulcer treatments such as Tagamet, Prilosec, and Zantac – speak to your doctor or medical care provider about using alternatives. You can usually get rid of Gynecomastia problems by simply stopping the use of those medications, or changing to different kinds.

Now Gynecomastia is also referred to as “man boobs”, and more often than not that particular problem is actually caused by weight gain and obesity. This is not true Gynecomastia though, instead this condition is known as Pseudogynecomastia ie False Gynecomastia.

When a man has what appears to be “boobs” on his chest from simple weight gain, it’s fairly quick and easy to get rid of if you’re willing to put in a bit of work. You can’t simply get rid of Gynecomastia or Pseudogynecomastia just by building up your chest muscles though. In fact, you can make the problem more evident by building up the muscles.

Since the fat and glands which are making your boobs appear large sit between the muscles and your skin, building up the underlying muscles will simply push the “boobs” out further.

When the Gynecomastia is actually the false variety caused by extra fat on the body, the best way to get rid of it is to start a fat burning routine. You will burn additional fat by toning up your muscles, but you’ll need to choose a diet and exercise plan which is specifically designed to help burn excess fat from your body, then get started with it. With a bit of dedication and commitment, you’ll find yourself easily able to get rid of the Gynecomastia within just three to six weeks.

It’s not easy for most of us to simply burn the extra fat from our bodies though, so if this is something you’ve tried unsuccessfully -or you want a quicker way to solve the problem – there is one other option for getting rid of either Pseudo or Standard Gynecomastia and that is Gynecomastia surgery.

A simple cosmetic surgery procedure from a qualified plastic surgeon can remove the extra fat and tissue on your chest area, effectively removing the “boobs” that are so embarrassing and bothersome.