Gynecomastia is a medical problem in which abnormally sized breasts develop in men. It is very common and can often be frustrating and uncomfortable for those who suffer it. The chest of man is composed of glandular tissues, fat, muscles and skin. When there is fat located in the chest, it looks like a small female breast. Sometimes, the gland is located under the areola as a small, firm mass; In some cases, there may be excess skin in the area and the breast enlarges. Thickening of the tissues below the areola and nipple can also cause a bulge in the surface structure.
Most cases of gynecomastia disappear over time without any medical treatment. In the case of adolescents who suffer from gynecomastia without any apparent cause, the doctor may ask for exams every 3-6 months to verify that the problem improves on its own. Normally, it disappears in three years without any type of treatment. But, if it does not improve or there is an underlying cause that causes greater sensitivity, pain and embarrassment, then treatment may be necessary. Male breasts also affect self-esteem considerably.
For cases in which there is a disease that causes gynecomastia, such as malnutrition, hypogonadism or kidney problems, it is necessary to identify the causative factors to correct gynecomastia. If it is a medication that is causing the problem, your doctor may recommend that you change it or stop using it altogether.
In the case of obese people, it is essential that they lose weight to reduce fat deposits in the chest area. For some people, it is very difficult to specifically improve the chest area through a diet, because it is possible that they lose weight throughout the body but not in that specific area and, therefore, the size of the chest does not change. Diets should be carefully planned with the recommendation of professionals such as doctors or nutritionists.
Doctors can also recommend specific exercises to aim to improve glandular tissues and localized fat. It is essential to apply the correct techniques when exercising, because there are some exercises that can enlarge the pectoral muscles too much and push more fats and the gland towards the surface, worsening the situation.
There are some medications that can help men solve their gynecomastia problem. In general, they are drugs such as raloxifene and tamoxifen, which are used to treat breast cancer and other diseases. While they are not specific medications for gynecomastia, one of its side effects is the significant reduction of male breasts.
Surgical methods that can be used to remove excess breast tissue in the breast are liposuction and mastectomy. Liposuction is a surgery where the objective is to eliminate fat deposits in the chest but not the glandular tissue of the breast itself. Mastectomy is also a surgical method but, unlike liposuction, it does eliminate the glandular tissues of the breast. The doctor will only make a small incision in the chest and use an endoscope for most of the surgery. In addition, the recovery time is shorter, since the surgery is not as invasive.
Gynecomastia does not have to be a problem, since there are many surgical and non-surgical treatments to treat it. Before deciding to start a treatment, I recommend that you always seek the advice of a doctor to know which is the most appropriate method for you.
