Gynecomastia may sound different, but it is one of the common issues faced by men. Often the enlarged breast tissue in males as gynecomastia mostly happens due to abnormal testosterone and estrogen levels. Even a few medical conditions can cause it. In case, gynecomastia makes you feel self-conscious, or you are experiencing other health concerns, discuss that issue with your doctor. Further, this blog will shed light on the hidden symptoms of gynecomastia.
What is gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is nothing but enlarged breast tissue in males. Typically, it is a non-cancerous one, which increases the volume of the male breast due to increased glandular tissue. Even obesity remains a significant reason for enlarged breasts due to more adipose tissue, and healthcare providers call this condition pseudogynecomastia. The common treatment employed to treat individuals with
Gynecomastia affects people of all ages, but individuals in adulthood and puberty are more prone to this condition. Often this occurs due to an imbalance of testosterone and estrogen hormones. Apart from causing physical health effects, gynecomastia will affect your self-esteem. Always, remember that your mental health is equally important to your physical health.
So, consider reaching out to a doctor or mental health professional in case gynecomastia is causing distress or happening along with other symptoms to get a male breast reduction.
What does gynecomastia feel like?
Typically, gynecomastia looks like some button-sized growth beneath your nipples. It looks like a breast lump, but when pressing on the area, you can feel it. This lump will be easily moved within the breast tissue. This issue with breast enlargement or lumps in the breast may affect either one or both of your breasts when you should consider getting a male breast reduction.
Also, when you are obese, your breasts will get enlarged due to more adipose tissue. But this looks like an increase in breast size, not like a lump.
Further, you need to be aware that even male breast cancer will also cause lumps in your breast tissue. Also, male breast cancer is one of the rare conditions, but it’s better to reach out to a healthcare provider to examine your physical health whenever noticing abnormalities in your breasts.
What are the possible causes of gynecomastia?
The enlargement of glandular tissue in your breast is known as gynecomastia. Estrogen plays a pivotal role in the growth of glandular breast tissue. Even estrogen will suppress the release of testosterone. This happens due to the suppression of the luteinizing hormone, your testicles consist of hormones that are responsible for the release of testosterone. On the other hand, increased estrogen and decreased testosterone will also cause gynecomastia, this indicates that you require a male breast reduction.
During the phase of hormonal fluctuations, gynecomastia will happen, especially during the:
- Birth: Most newborns have breast buds or enlarged breasts. It often occurs due to the parents’ estrogen levels. Notably, this gynecomastia in newborns disappears within the first few weeks of life.
- Puberty: Most adults will go through some level of breast enlargement in the phase of puberty. It mostly happens due to a rapid increase in estrogen levels rather than testosterone. Also, this imbalance will get back to normal within six months to two years.
- Late adulthood: People over the age of 50 are more prone to gynecomastia. When aging your body’s capacity to produce testosterone will be reduced. Also, individuals over the age of 50 will be taking few medications for other health issues, at times that remain a cause for gynecomastia, then you should consider getting a male breast reduction surgery
These are the natural causes of gynecomastia and these are expected too, and these changes are not physically harmful. Gynecomastia can also be a sign of other underlying health conditions that require immediate medical attention.
Further, let’s see a few health conditions that can cause gynecomastia:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Adrenal tumors
- Kidney disease
- Cirrhosis
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Male hypogonadism
- Testicular tumors
- Pituitary gland tumors
All these conditions commonly expose one symptom which is gynecomastia, and they also show several other symptoms as well, and gynecomastia is not just one. As we mentioned above, a few substances, like amphetamines, heroin, and marijuana, will cause gynecomastia. Also, overuse of anabolic steroids will cause gynecomastia.
How to recognize the symptoms of gynecomastia?
Similar to other conditions, gynecomastia symptoms will vary based on the severity of your condition. Further, let’s see more about the symptoms of gynecomastia:
- Enlarged breasts: Enlarged male breast tissue is one of the most common signs of gynecomastia. The breast tissue may be rubbery or firm due to the touch, and it feels like a tiny, and hard lump in the nipple.
- Breast tenderness: In some cases, breast tissues will become sore or tender to the touch. This will lead to pain or discomfort in the breast area, notably when wearing tight clothes or during physical activity.
- Nipple discharge: Rarely, gynecomastia will cause discharge in nipples. Those nipples will be clear or milky, and it can happen on both breasts.
- Uneven breast tissue distribution: Often gynecomastia will cause improper distribution of breast tissue between your breasts. That is, one breast may be bigger and one will be smaller, or breast tissues will be unevenly distributed across your chest.
- Breast pain: Only a few men with gynecomastia will experience discomfort or chronic pain in their breasts. Typically, the pain will range from mild to severe pain, also it can be intermittent or constant pain.
- Psychological signs: Some psychological issues will arise due to gynecomastia, like embarrassment, anxiety, or self-consciousness about their appearance. Most of the time, men with gynecomastia will avoid activities that require removing their shirts, like swimming or going to the gym.
Also, you need to understand that not everyone with gynecomastia will experience the symptoms, because in a few cases, the breast enlargement will be mild, so you won’t experience any pain or discomfort. In case you are worried about your signs or breast enlargement, it’s crucial to reach out to the doctor for an appropriate diagnosis and get the gynecomastia surgery in Coimbatore to avoid the progression.
What is the potential treatment for gynecomastia?
In a few cases, treatment is not mandatory because it will get back to normal within a couple of months. Others require treatment, in such cases the doctor will recommend a range of strategies based on your condition like:
- Altering your medication: In case the medication you’re consuming or the substances in it are causing gynecomastia, your doctor will ask you to change the medication or even stop using it. Also, tell your doctor if you are taking any non-prescription medications. Don’t stop your prescribed medication without your doctor’s notice.
- Treating the underlying condition: In case the underlying condition remains the cause for your gynecomastia like cancer or hypogonadism, treating these conditions will also treat gynecomastia.
- Gynecomastia surgery: A few individuals will choose gynecomastia surgery methods to eliminate excess breast tissue, and this method is known as elective cosmetic surgery.
Does gynecomastia go away on its own?
Gynecomastia is a temporary condition in newborns and adolescents, typically it goes away after a period. Individuals who experience persistently low levels of testosterone need medical treatment, for male breast reduction. Individuals with gynecomastia state that even a day feels like a week, notably when it starts affecting their mental health. If you are worried about how long you are experiencing gynecomastia, or if it’s affecting the quality of your life, consider reaching out to a doctor to get a male breast reduction.
Does exercise help in treating gynecomastia?
If obesity is the cause of your gynecomastia, losing weight will help in decreasing your gynecomastia. Exercise will greatly assist in losing weight. Likewise, if hormonal imbalance is the cause of your gynecomastia, exercise won’t help to relieve you from gynecomastia, because this occurs due to changes in your estrogen and testosterone levels. Notably, exercise can worsen your condition.
How to prevent gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia can occur due to various reasons, like imbalance in hormones, use of medications, and other health conditions. Simply, there is no one-stop solution for preventing gynecomastia, but you can take a few steps other than going through a male breast reduction that will assist in reducing the risk or severity of gynecomastia, like:
- Avoid a few substances: Binge use of substances like drugs, and alcohol, will affect your hormones and surges the risk of gynecomastia. Try to limit or avoid using these substances to alleviate the risk of this condition.
- Maintain an ideal weight: More weight around your waist can lead to hormonal imbalance issues, which can lead to gynecomastia. Being at an ideal weight by exercising daily and following a nutritious diet can assist in reducing your risk.
- Avoid anabolic steroids: Often anabolic steroids are employed for bodybuilding or enhancing athletic performance, which can result in gynecomastia. Staying away from these anabolic steroids will greatly assist in preventing this condition.
- Medications:A few medications that are used to treat tumors and heart disease will surge the risk of gynecomastia. So when you are under treatment for your cancer or heart disease like cardiac arrest it will increase the risk of gynecomastia, so consider discussing with your doctor about alternate medications that reduce the risk of gynecomastia
- Manage underlying health conditions: Diseases like thyroid disorders, kidney or liver disease, or cancers in the pituitary gland or testes will surge the risk of gynecomastia. So discuss with your doctor the possible ways to manage your disease that help in reducing the severity of gynecomastia.
Also, you need to remember that not all cases of gynecomastia are preventable, so whenever experiencing the signs, reach out to the best plastic surgeon in Coimbatore to treat gynecomastia.
What’s the postoperative care for gynecomastia?
Simply, the road to recovery after male breast reduction will greatly vary from person to person based on the type and severity of the condition and treatment. Further, let’s see some tips that may help you:
- Post-operative care: After undergoing gynecomastia surgery or male breast reduction, individuals need specific care for the correct healing. This will differ based on the treatment procedure, but general post-operative care includes wearing compression garments, avoiding intense activities, and taking medications that are required. Patients should follow the doctor’s instructions like maintaining the surgical site dry and clean and changing dressing as directed. At times, doctors will recommend a specific diet that supports you for proper recovery.
- Medications: In case, doctors prescribe any medications after gynecomastia surgery or male breast reduction, patients should stick to the regimen carefully. You will be directed to take medications for weeks to months based on your treatment type. In case of any side effects, patients should inform the doctor, to alter the dosage or medication.
- Frequent checkups: Patients should never miss follow-up appointments with their doctor to check their wound healing. This is suitable for patients who have undergone gynecomastia surgery because frequent screening will assist in monitoring the healing process and assess the need for further treatment.
- Lifestyle changes: Based on the cause of gynecomastia, patients should make possible lifestyle modifications to avoid the recurrence. For instance, if obesity is the cause of gynecomastia, an individual should follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly to maintain an ideal weight. In case medications or drug usage is the cause of your gynecomastia, an individual should avoid using those substances. If your condition is severe, your healthcare provider will suggest gynecomastia surgery.
- Psychological support: Gynecomastia can cause emotional distress, notably for adults, they may feel embarrassed. Psychological support like support groups or counseling will highly help people who are affected by gynecomastia. Individuals need support to open up about their feelings so they can reach out to a doctor or mental health professional to discuss their problems related to the condition.
Final thoughts:
In conclusion, we can say that if you feel embarrassed about your appearance due to gynecomastia, reaching out to healthcare professionals will be the best decision. Your doctor will assist you in all possible ways without judging you. They will address the cause of your gynecomastia and offer an effective solution or treatment like gynecomastia surgery. Further, recognizing the early signs of gynecomastia will greatly assist in getting the treatment on time and prevent the progression of the condition. Always remember that being aware of your body and staying proactive about your health can make a world of difference in managing any health condition effectively.
