Treatment And Causes Of Gynecomastia
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 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- ageingGynecomastia 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.SummaryGynecomastia
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.
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