Gynecomastia and How it Affects Men

The medical term Gynecomastia evokes fear in any man who has heard the dreaded words from a doctor or other trusted medical professional. A more common reference for this term is man boobs or moobs as it is often referred to. Although this is a common medical disorder among men, the physical results present an embarrassing lifestyle environment.

One of the hardest hits to a man faced with the Gynecomastia medical condition is self esteem. It is virtually impossible for a man to feel good about himself when faced with man boobs as part of his physical appearance. Many women are instantly turned off by this factor before a man is able to utter one kind word out of his mouth. This situation alone makes a sex life seem non-existent for the duration of a man’s life.

It is important for a man suffering from man boobs due to Gynecomastia to better understand the condition and what can be done to improve his quality of life for the better.

Causes
Gynecomastia is a condition where the male mammary glands grow to an unusually large size. These glands are responsible for the production of milk. When this occurs, breast enlargement issues often produce the secretion of milk. The main age groups to see this condition are neonatal, teenagers and elderly males. For teenage boys, the condition is viewed more as a body response to stress which coincides with the normal teenage puberty growth spurts. As it is not related to obesity, the man boobs tend to disappear once a teenage boy has completed puberty.

Outside of this male age group, the root cause of Gynecomastia is unknown. Medical professionals have pinpointed possible causes as an imbalance of sex hormones, an increase in breast tissue size or the way a body chooses to deposit fat into chest tissue areas. Environmental factors also play a role in developing Gynecomastia. Factors such as alcohol consumption, recreational drug use and medication side effects are possible causes medical professionals take into consideration.

Another cause group of Gynecomastia is a male body reaction to certain developments such as a testicular tumor or other testicular occurrence. In the situation where a testicular tumor develops, there is a likely hood of the male body receiving an overdose of estrogen. As the body produces estrogen, the natural response is to increase the growth of breast tissue. On the other side of this equation is the decrease of testosterone in a male body. This can be attributed to testicular failure or a genetic disease known as Klinefelter Syndrome.

For the most part, there is no identifiable cause for the development of Gynecomastia in males.

Identification and Prognosis
Gynecomastia is identifiable through a physical examination performed by a medical professional. An ultra sound or x-ray is utilized to confirm a medical professional’s findings during this physical examination. Once confirmed, blood tests are ordered to ensure that there is no underlying medical condition contributing to the presence of Gynecomastia.

There is no physical health risk or detriment to suffering from Gynecomastia. Far more substantial will be the painful psychological and mental pain a man will endure as a result of Gynecomastia. Having to be present in the world with man boobs is not pleasant for any member of the male species. In the event the condition has been triggered by excessive weight gain, taking that weight off will help ease some of the condition effects.

Treatment
In terms of the best treatment for Gynecomastia, that is best left up to the discretion of a male patient and his medical professional. If the condition is caused by an underlying medical issue, the medical professional will elect to treat that issue first. The hope here is that the Gynecomastia begins to subside as the treatment of the separate medical issue is handled.

Several medications are available with a prescription to help treat Gynecomastia. Examples of medications often selected are the estrogen reducing drugs of tamoxifen and clomiphene. Another medical option sometimes introduced into treatment is the drugs used to treat breast and ovarian cancer in women. This does not mean a man has cancer; it is just a viable defense towards treating an abnormal growth of breast tissue in the body.

After a period of two to three years, the breast tissue begins to harden. In this case, it is no longer possible to work on reducing the breast tissue growth. Now the only viable treatment option is surgical. Surgery options range from liposuction to radiation therapy.

Conclusion
While Gynecomastia and the presence of man boobs is hard to live with, it is something that can easily be treated. Self esteem can be restored by knowing that something is being done about the problem at hand.


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