Following are the common questions about Gynecomastia:
A. Gynecomastia is a medical condition in which the male breast start to grow due to hormonal changes. Normally, glandular tissues are present in both males and females. In males, these tissues don’t grow due to higher levels of testosterone. However, in some cases, the hormonal balance in males gets disturbed and if the estrogen levels are higher than testosterone, it will make the breasts grow. Gynecomastia can occur in one or both breasts as well.
A. The primary cause of gynecomastia is hormonal imbalance. And there are numerous things that can upset the hormonal balance, including the following-
A. Yes. Gynecomastia can occur at any age. In children and teenagers, the condition usually resolves on its own once the hormones start to stabilize. However, in adults, gynecomastia usually requires treatment.
A. True gynecomastia means that in the breasts, only glandular tissues are present. Pseudogynecomastia means that the female-like breast appearance is mainly caused by excess fat tissues.
Both these conditions are quite different from each other and require different treatments. However, in most people who have gynecomastia, both glandular tissues and fat tissues are present.
A. No. Exercise cannot help to treat gynecomastia. It may improve the appearance of the breasts by making them more defined. But exercise cannot help to reduce the size of glandular tissues that are already grown. If fat tissues are present, then exercise may have a visible effect on the male breasts. Otherwise, your efforts will go in vain.
A. Normally, a doctor will be able to tell you if the condition is gynecomastia or not. Still, apart from physical examination, the doctor will recommend the following tests to confirm the diagnosis-
All these tests are usually necessary to analyze the potential risks and mitigate them.
A. Gynecomastia is usually treated surgically and the procedure is called male breast reduction surgery. In this technique, liposuction and gland excision procedure is combined to effectively remove the enlarged breast tissues. The standalone techniques of liposuction and gland excision are helpful in treating pseudogynecomastia and true gynecomastia respectively. As most people have both glandular and fat tissues, the combination of these techniques is more appropriate.
A. Gynecomastia surgery or male breast reduction surgery takes place in the following steps-
A. Gynecomastia surgery is somewhat a major procedure that can cause several complications, including-
Most of these complications can be avoided by a skilled plastic surgeon.
A. The cost of gynecomastia surgery ranges from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000 approximately. It is only an estimated price and the overall expense may differ slightly for each patient based on the following factors-
The doctor will explain these factors during the consultation to help you understand the cost breakdown and also give you a specific estimate for the treatment.
A. Gynecomastia surgery is covered under an insurance policy when it is symptomatic and causes serious problems in regular life. Usually, grade 3 and 4 gynecomastia is problematic. Hence, treatment at this stage is entirely covered by insurance companies.
However, in earlier grades, the breast tissue growth is not that clear. It is usually a cosmetic problem in grades 1 and 2. Due to this, the treatment expense may not be covered by the insurance policy.
To know more about the terms and conditions under which gynecomastia surgery can be covered by health insurance, discuss with the insurance provider.
A. In many people, gynecomastia often resolves on its own once the primary cause of the condition is identified and addressed. For instance, if gynecomastia is caused due to regular use of a specific medicine, stopping the use of that medicine or taking an alternative one will resolve the problem.
In other cases, hormone replacement therapy can also be helpful to replace the estrogen in the body with testosterone.
You should also know that once the breast glandular tissues start to grow, the growth won’t be reversed under any condition. You will have to undergo surgery to remove those tissues effectively.
A. No. Gynecomastia doesn’t cause cancer. It can increase a male’s chances of getting breast cancer. But still, the chances are almost negligible. However, gynecomastia can occur due to testicular tumors and appears as the first sign. That’s why the doctors usually advise that the condition should not be left untreated for a long time.
A. Generally, prevention of gynecomastia is very difficult as a hormonal imbalance can be caused by a variety of things. So, the best thing you can do to prevent gynecomastia is to avoid medicines, herbal products, and foods that can alter hormone levels. Other than that, you should also abstain from using drugs like anabolic steroids, amphetamines, marijuana, and heroin. Drinking alcohol should also be avoided if you want to keep your hormone levels in check.
A. There are some conditions that cause swelling in the breasts and are often mistaken for gynecomastia. These conditions are-
FAQs
Addison's Disease FAQs