What Is Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs)
And What Are Your Treatment Options?
If you’ve found your way to this site I’m pretty sure you know what gynecomastia is, but let’s take a moment to discuss some of the technical terms anyways.
By definition, gynecomastia is the enlargement of a man’s breasts. This can take different forms, from puffy nipples to enough excessive breast tissue to make them appear like women’s breasts. Gynecomastia is often referred to as male breasts, man breasts or man boobs.
Gynecomastia can occur on one or both sides of a man’s chest.
There are many possible causes for male breasts, the majority of them stemming from hormone changes. When the balance between testosterone and estrogen shifts, breast tissue can start to form.
Gynecomastia can be caused by:
- Puberty
- Aging
- Changes in thyroid hormone levels
- Medical conditions that can affect hormones such as kidney disease, liver failure
- Illegal drugs such as anabolic steroids, amphetamines, marijuana and heroin
- Alcohol
Numerous medications are also know to cause Gynecomastia including:
- Anxiety medication
- Antibiotics
- Chemotherapy
- AIDS treatment
- Antidepressants
- Ulcer medication
- Certain cardiovascular medications
When caused by hormonal changes not related to medication or drugs, male breasts commonly develop at age 13 or 14. At this age, it sometimes goes away on its own within a year or so. If it stays longer than about 18 months, scar tissue has likely formed and it will require treatment.
Man breasts caused by aging (or more specifically by the hormonal shifts that result from aging) commonly develops at about age 50. In these cases, it does not tend to go away without treatment.
If you suspect you have gynecomastia, you should see your doctor to have the underlying cause diagnosed. That said, there are many cases in which no specific cause is discovered and the condition is simply treated and doesn’t return.
It’s important to understand that the appearance of breasts due to obesity is not gynecomastia. Male breasts caused by obesity is a condition called pseudogynecomastia (false gynecomastia) and is treated by weight loss.
There are no negative physical side effects of man breasts and it doesn’t necessarily need to be treated. The emotional side effects though, can be devastating.
Many men who suffer from man boobs are too embarrassed to participate in any activity that involved taking of their shirt, or even wearing a lightweight or athletic shirt. They don’t even want their wives or girlfriends to see their chests and generally suffer extreme emotional trauma.
And if it’s this bad for adult men, just imagine what it’s like for teenage boys in the locker room.
Common treatments for gynecomastia include natural supplements, surgery and laser treatment.