Body builders and athletes who engage in long-term steroid use are the ones that may be at risk for developing ‘man boobs’. Gynecomastia in the elderly is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted since it’s an abnormal condition in light of the age group. Elderly people who develop the condition are predisposed to endocrine diseases that can alter the body’s homeostasis. Hormones, enzymes, and catecholamines are produced by glands, and gynecomastia in the elderly is one of the telltale signs of hormonal imbalance. The older age group is prone to diseases and disorders that tend to alter their normal functioning, these conditions and diseases include diabetes mellitus and insipidus, heart problems, diabetic ketoacidosis, respiratory infections, and in worse case scenarios, ischemic strokes and infarcts.
These diseases weaken a person’s resistance and may even cause a sudden shift in the balance of hormones and enzymes. One of these imbalances causes abnormal breast enlargement, which in one way or another, may become a burden to the person who develops the condition. Older persons tend to develop sagging skin on the face, neck, breasts, legs, arms, almost anywhere where the skin was once taut and full. This is a normal change in the human body, that’s why gynecomastia in the elderly should never be taken for granted. If you suspect a parent or a loved one who is in the age group, say 60 and above, and they suddenly develop enlarged breasts when they normally don’t have it, try to keep an eye on their condition.
Help them to seek out consultation immediately because the patient needs to know pronto if there are any underlying conditions that may put his or her health in jeopardy. A geriatric person may not notice this change in their body at first, so if you are taking care of them or if you have a family member, seek medical assessment and intervention immediately.
You can look back at the medical history of the elderly of concern, because if he was an athlete or body builder before, chances are, the steroids that he consumed before in order to maintain a well-toned body may have long-term side effects like abnormal breast enlargement. Back in the day, steroids that have been used by professional athletes to bulk up and put more weight without flab and bloating may or may not have passed quality standards.
The early 1960s and twenty years after, it paved the way for illegal and non-approved drugs of all kind to enter the United States and other first world countries; and those include athletic-grade steroids. If your loved one or patient isn’t an athlete in his or her younger years, then you should take caution all the more, since it’s a warning sign of a chemical or hormonal imbalance. Sure, older people don’t get pimples due to hormonal changes anymore, but having abnormally enlarged breast in their age group is a cause for concern. It can be a sign of testosterone depletion in males who just went through andropose.
Breast enlargement can also tell you something about cancer, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms such as altered bowel movement, frequent fatigue and body malaise, persistence of infections, and other alarming symptoms.
Never hesitate to get help from medical professionals at the first sign of man boobs in an elderly person. Just because they’re old doesn’t mean that everything’s over for them, even their health and wellness.
Share this:
