Gynecomastia is a condition characterized by abnormal enlargement of breasts in males. It is caused by a decrease in the testosterone hormone or an increase in the estrogen hormone or simply by an imbalance between the two. It can be unilateral or bilateral which can be diagnosed on examination.
Gynecomastia can be caused due to:
- Puberty,
- Ageing,
- Side effects of any medication
- Health conditions that affect hormones.
- liver disease
- kidney disease
- lung cancer
- testicular cancer
- thyroid problems
- Alcoholism
- adrenal tumors
- obesity
- illegal drugs
The most common symptoms are swelling in breast tissue and tenderness. Treatment may not be required in some cases.
In a few cases, treatment is majorly emphasized in managing the underlying condition. Medical or surgical treatment may be given in extreme cases.
With gynecomastia, a hard lump can be felt under the nipple or areola region. The lump typically is firmer than fat. This lump may also be painful or sensitive to the touch.
Types of Gynecomastia
- Glandular gynecomastia: Glandular gynecomastia occurs due to the excess estrogen in the male body. Environmental factors such as plastic, pesticide-laden foods, and medications may lead to men’s bodies becoming estrogen-dominant. This leads to the glandular breast tissue becoming larger. From a medical point of view, when the body produces more estrogen, the progesterone levels automatically start decreasing which increases the breast size.
- Fatty gynecomastia: Sometimes excess weight gain may cause gynecomastia because the fat cells start depositing around your breast area making your breast look large.
How long does gynecomastia last during teenage?
Research suggests that 69% of males in the age group 10-19 years are affected by Gynecomastia. This happens because of the fluctuating hormones since boys produce more estrogen in puberty leading to breast development.
Is gynecomastia curable without surgery?
The initial step to decreasing the appearance of male breasts is weight loss. Following a healthy regime like diet and exercise can help to resolve the issue. However, stubborn fat deposits remain even after a person reaches their ideal body weight.
In such cases, plastic surgery could be beneficial. But no one wants to go for surgery as it is expensive and comes with complications and side effects as well.
Nonsurgical treatments are best for patients who have very mild gynecomastia symptoms or for men whose main concern is a higher body fat percentage overall.
These treatments usually target the root cause of a person’s gynecomastia such as lifestyle disorders and hormonal changes.
Treatments such as Non-surgical Ultrasound Lipolysis will work to give permanent results without having any side effects.
Ultrasound lipolysis is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment to get rid of the extra body fat with absolutely no pain and no side effects. It is the only safest treatment for gynaecomastia, if done under expert observation.
In U-lipolysis the extra fat cells are broken down with the help of ultrasound waves by a revolving multicavitation probe around the area.
The broken down fats get excreted through the lymphatic drainage or simply get utilized for the energy required by the body.
It is the best and most permanent method to get rid of male boobs with minimum maintenance.
