Gynecomastia: an embarrassing male problem!
What is gynecomastia?
Gynaecomastia is a condition in men that cause their chest to appear unusually larger and more like breasts. It is also known as ‘male boobs’ and mostly occurs due to unbalanced hormones in the body. Gynecomastia often leads to physical and emotional discomfort and impairs your self-confidence. But fortunately, it can be treated.
Gynecomastia vs chest fat
Pseudo gynecomastia, also known as chest fat, is another condition associated with swollen breasts in men. But unlike gynecomastia, which is caused due to a number of potential reasons and is characterized by excessive glandular and stromal tissue, chest fat is the excessive deposition of fat tissues and occurs due to obesity.
Causes of gynecomastia
The causes of gynecomastia are as follows:
Hormonal imbalance
At several stages of life, gynecomastia is caused due to the abnormal formation of estrogen and testosterone hormones. In infants, it’s caused because of the passing of estrogen through the placenta, which gradually disappears with time. Old people can have gynecomastia due to their lowered testosterone levels.
Medications and steroids
Regular use of antidepressants and steroids often pose a risk for gynecomastia. Medicines that are used to treat heart disease, ulcers, or prostate issues also lead to gynecomastia.
Recreational drugs and alcohol
Gynecomastia can also occur due to the use of certain drugs such as heroin, marijuana, and cannabis. Alcoholic people are also more prone to gynecomastia.
Symptoms of gynecomastia
Firm breasts
Puffy and erect nipples
A firm lump below the nipple area
Pain in the chest area in some cases
Excess breast skin in some cases
How can gynecomastia be treated?
Medications
When gynecomastia is due to hormonal imbalance or some other health problem, you will be advised to get your underlying condition treated first with the administration of medications. Medications are also prescribed to manage the hormone imbalance.
Surgery
Surgery is the last resort for gynecomastia when it is caused due to conditions that include hypogonadism, malnutrition, or cirrhosis.
Some surgeries used to treat gynecomastia are as follows:
Liposuction
Liposuction is an invasive technique that uses suction to remove breast fat from under the enlarged chest. It is recommended in mild to moderate cases and doesn’t involve removing the breast gland. However, sometimes it is performed along with the glandular tissue excision for proper contouring of the chest.
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is recommended in severe gynecomastia cases in which the breast gland tissues are required to be removed. The surgery is often done only through small incisions and requires relatively less recovery period.
Dr. Amit Mulay is the best gynecomastia surgeon in Pune. He is extensively trained and has vast experience of more than 12 years in performing aesthetic surgeries. To this date, he has helped thousands of patients achieve their body goals. So if you have low self-esteem because of unnatural breast size, book an appointment with us to get rid of gynecomastia.