It’s not only women who are prone to the difficulty of having bigger breasts than what is “normal”; men of all ages are also prone to dealing with this condition. It is called gynecomastia.
What Is Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia, or more popularly known as ‘man-boobs’, is a common condition wherein the size of men’s breasts increase. This condition is caused by several factors, some of which being obesity, puberty or hormonal imbalance.
In men’s different age brackets, adolescent boys are said to be highly affected that’s why it got the attention of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and gynecomastia concerns and treatment are being studied.
“Oh No! I Have Gynecomastia!”
Is having gynecomastia a reason for concern?
Gynecomastia happens because of various causes, some of them being:
•Obesity
It’s not because of extra fat tissue but because of extra breast tissue. Losing weight won’t really solve the condition, but being obese actually increases estrogen levels that cause bigger breasts.
•Hormonal imbalances
Men usually have higher testosterone levels than estrogen levels; once estrogen levels increase, breast tissues will grow.
•Puberty
Boys’ hormones vary during puberty; changes to hormones may take place and lead to breast enlargement. Gynecomastia during this period usually stops as teenage boys get older and have more stable hormone levels.
•Old age
Men produce less testosterone as they grow older; as years pass, they gain body fat, hence more estrogen that leads to breast tissue growth.
Having gynecomastia isn’t really something to worry about; it’s not physically harmful, but adolescents who deal with this condition may experience embarrassment, and in some cases, physical pain.
Since this case is common in young men, there has been a connection between American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and gynecomastia concerns and treatment. Different options have been discussed to deal with this condition.
Effects to Patients
Gynecomastia isn’t really harmful and is considered a benign condition, but may cause psychosocial effects to patients, especially to young men. They may end up hating participation in athletic activities that would need them to expose their chests, or avoid going to places like showers or swimming pools.
Affected boys’ postures can also be affected; bigger chests may push them to slouch and roll their shoulders forward to hide their ‘man-boobs’ and prevent embarrassment.
When these psychosocial effects happen to a patient, intense psychotherapy isn’t required, but the patient has to be advised and reassured that the condition will go away, and that they mustn’t be afraid of getting involved in physical and social activities.
How to Treat Gynecomastia
In some cases, gynecomastia will disappear on its own. If symptoms persist, though, further treatment may be performed.
There are instances when gynecomastia is caused by an underlying condition; in these cases, the condition is addressed and treated directly. Once the condition is treated and healed, gynecomastia will be healed as well.
Mild cases usually require proper diet and exercise – especially those cases triggered by obesity – while severe cases may require medical intervention such as surgical treatments. Medical treatment will work best if done within two years of breast enlargement. Surgical treatments include mastectomy and liposuction.
Further studies have been conducted by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and gynecomastia concerns and treatment is hopefully proven to help those patients in need. Soon everyone who experiences this condition will understand what’s going on, and won’t be affected in any way.
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