What is gynaecomastia?
Men traditionally are much less bothered about carrying a bit more weight than women and it can happen incredibly easily, whether it’s chasing the “dad bod” trend or just drinking a bit much in the pub one night. Unfortunately, this weight gain can lead to a medical condition known as gynaecomastia (or “man boobs” to put it in a more used term) and it is becoming increasingly common. In simple terms, gynaecomastia is the swelling of the breasts in men and is most commonly known to affect teenagers and older men (though it can affect men of all ages).
How do I know if I have gynaecomastia?
As basic as it sounds, simply taking a good look at your chest should be able to give you a bit of an idea but there are a few signs that you will point towards this condition, varying from extra tissue around the nipples which causes them to be more prominent than usual up to having relatively large breasts that appear out of place. It can effect either breast on their own (though it more commonly affects both at the same time) and in some cases can cause the breast tissue to be tender to touch.
What causes gynaecomastia?
Although it can be caused by weight gain, the biggest cause of gynaecomastia is actually down to natural hormone imbalance which unfortunately could affect anyone if their testosterone and oestrogen levels are not balanced correctly. It’s the female sex hormone oestrogen that causes the tissue found within the chest to grow and although all men produce at least a small amount of oestrogen, their bodies usually produce a higher level of testosterone to counteract and nullify this from affecting the tissue. If their testosterone level isn’t as high as it needs to be to counteract the production of oestrogen, this causes the breast tissue to enlarge and causes the appearance of “man boobs”.
Next in the list is the obvious one which is obesity, or generally just being overweight. Obesity is something that can actually increase your oestrogen levels which is what causes the growth and increase in breast tissue. There is also the addition of carrying excess fat which in turn enlarges the appearance of your breasts (in addition to other areas of the body). Exercise and a healthy diet can contribute to losing this tissue, but if the hormone levels are increased this may not help too much.
Last in the list is age. No matter whether you are a few days old or past your prime, everything comes down to the hormones found within your body and age has a big effect on this. As a newborn you will have been used to receiving oestrogen through the mothers placenta which can cause the breast area to appear enlarged in babies (but this is really only temporary and shouldn’t be taken into account). Through childhood and into puberty, the hormone levels within the body are constantly changing and adjusting and many teenage boys have some degree of enlargement to their chest during puberty until their hormone levels stable out and become level. Finally is old age where the body produces less testosterone in general and the oestrogen can then start to overtake and cause gynaecomastia.
What can be done to fight it then?
Regular exercise and a healthy diet can aid in the fight against “man boobs” as well as taking medication to counteract any underlying hormone imbalance, but to get rid of the tissue for good, gynaecomastia or chest reduction surgery is the most effective way to say goodbye once and for all.