To most people, the term gynecomastia would be a foreign term with no significance. For the person suffering from it however, gynecomastia can make life a living hell. Gynecomastia is commonly referred to as man boobs or moobs and as the name suggests, causes the development of breasts in men. The condition is rather benign but it can greatly affect the sufferer psychologically. Gynecomastia is a very common disease. The incidence of male breasts is most common during infancy as well as during puberty but may be prevalent during later stages of life as well. A reasonable percentage of man breast cases is simply caused by excess body fat.
Gynecomastia caused by body fat is referred to as pseudo-gynecomastia and can be simply treated by losing weight. Manboobs caused by glandular tissue however cannot be treated by losing weight as it is not caused by excess fat. Man breasts developed this way is caused by an imbalance in sex hormones (either an excess of estrogen or a deficiency in testosterone).
If you suspect having gynecomastia, there are numerous symptoms to look for:
• Prominent breasts
This is the most obvious and visible symptom of gynecomastia.
• Unusually large nipples
This is another typical sign of gynecomastia. This symptom most likely indicates an imbalance of hormones rather than excess fatty tissue.
• Nipples that appear “puffy”
This is another indicator of male breasts caused by an imbalance of hormones.
If the presence of man boobs is affecting you psychologically and damaging your self-esteem, you should look to immediately rectify the problem. Whether it is caused by excess fat or glandular tissue, it can be fixed. You may alternatively look for counseling to help you alleviate the insecurity.
How to get rid of pseudo-gynecomastia
If you are overweight, your manboobs are almost guaranteed to be caused by excess fat. In this case, your solution would be a strict diet and exercise program. Remember that fat cannot be spot lost. To explain this further, you cannot remove fat from a particular area by exercising. Irrespective of the exercises performed. Your body chooses where fat is removed from. The only way to lose fat from your chest area is work on overall fat loss. There is a simple rule to follow, calories out > calories in. As long as you are expending more calories than consuming, you will certainly lose fat.
Another thing to remember is to lose weight gradually. You may be tempted to go on a full blown fat burning spree and lose several pounds in a relatively short period of time. While this can be done, and quite easily as well, it is not recommended. The primary reason why this should not be done if losing your moobs is your goal is because it leads to stretched skin which can be as unappealing visually as having male breasts itself.
How to get rid of gynecomastia
Male breasts caused by a hormone imbalance cannot be treated by losing weight. These man breasts appear different to breasts that have developed by fat. While they may be harder to distinguish at times, the texture usually differs. Having a thin build with prominent breasts does not guarantee that you have gynecomastia. It could still be caused by fat. The most common treatment for gynecomastia is surgery. During surgery, the male breast tissue is removed resulting in a dramatic improvement. The surgery is not particularly invasive so it doesn’t leave visible marks. If you cringe at the thought of surgery, there are medicines available thought they are not recommended. Oral medications that are prescribed for the treatment of other disease such as breast cancer may be used with success however it is generally not used for this particular purpose.
Risk Factors
Gynecomastia is considered normal during puberty but is usually subsides as you grow older. Another lapse of gynecomastia is common as you age and testosterone levels drop. However, there are other risk factors that contribute to developing man breasts:
• Drugs such as alcohol, marijuana and heroin.
• Certain health conditions like malnutrition, kidney disease and tumors.
• Medication such as certain antibiotics and chemotherapy
There are several other risk factors apart from the aforementioned causes, however consuming thee drugs or having these conditions does not necessarily mean that you will certainly develop man breasts.
Pseudo-gynecomastia and gynecomastia can be a serious psychological strain leaving you anxious and depressed. You don’t have to suffer with man breasts, seek help and get rid of them for good!