How Gynecomastia Surgery Can Improve Your Man Boobs

We have all heard the term “man boobs” mentioned jokingly in casual conversation. But why is it mentioned so much? Man boobs are actually a condition known as gynecomastia and are defined as a “benign proliferation of the male breast glandular tissue”. Man boobs are usually the result of increased estrogen activity, certain prescription medications or decreased testosterone.

Gynecomastia may seem to be on the rise today, but it is not at all a new condition. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher of 384-322 BCE, first observed the condition in men and took notes on it. The term gynecomastia was invented by Claudius Galenus, a Roman physician who lived from 129-200 AD. Additionally, Paulus of Aegina, a Byzantine Greek physician, was the first to document a gynecomastia surgery during the seventh century in his Epitome of Medicine.

There are many cases of newborn babies having temporary gynecomastia because of hormones still circulating from the mother. Teenagers may have to deal with it for a time due to an increase of adrenal, testicular or pituitary glands. In 1961, a study of almost 2,000 adolescent boys found that around 10 percent had spider angioma, which is a small rash that is the result of excessive estrogen.

Of those boys, 60 percent suffered from gynecomastia. Prisoners who were suffering from malnutrition and were routinely starved have shown cases of the condition. This is believed to be because of a reduction of sex hormones that occurs during the starvation period and then the start of excessive estrogen production once they were able to eat normally.

Another cause of gynecomastia is hypothyroidism. Chronic irritation and trauma are another cause. A case that points to trauma being responsible for the condition is a study done of Navy personnel who were involved in parachute jumping. The trauma of the harness slapping against the breast was thought to be in direct relation to gynecomastia by a 22.58 percentage. In some cases, gynecomastia is caused by genetics while phthalates, an industrial chemical, is thought to be a cause as well.

There are also a plethora of prescription drugs that have been the cause of gynecomastia, many that are crucial to the health of the patient taking them. These drugs have included hormones (for example, estrogens, androgens, anabolic steroids), anti-ulcer medications antibiotics (ranitidine, metronidazole, minocycline), anti-ulcer medications (omeprazole, cimetidine), cardiovascular drugs (calcium channel blockers, methyldopa, minoxidil, statins), psychoactive drugs (diazepam and tricyclic antidepressants) and chemotherapeutic agents (methotrexate, alkylating agents, vinca alkaloids).

Adolescents who use alcohol, heroin, marijuana or amphetamines have also shown signs of gynecomastia. For those that stopped using the drugs, the symptoms of the condition generally vanished.

Indian researchers in 2017 have published a study that targeted obesity and impaired glucose intolerance as a possible cause of this medical condition. The study was conducted with 94 patients between the ages of 10 and 20 who were suffering from the ailment. The study found that only nine of the cases were due to any hormonal disorder.

The rest of the cases were idiopathic or unknown. 63 percent of the patients in the idiopathic group were obese (lower testosterone levels are found in obesity patients) and 16 percent of the patients were suffering from impaired glucose or fasting glucose. 20 percent of the patients showed signs of mild glucose abnormalities. Diabetes ran in the family for 60 percent of the group. The authors of the study also noted that gynecomastia within men may be related to PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, in women.

Gynecomastia may just be the result of a Western diet that is filled with sugars, fats and junk food. Our diet could be contributing to gynecomastia, one more harmful condition that we need to be more aware of when we overindulge. Gynecomastia surgery may be the answer for men who are worried about their appearance and need a fast way to get rid of their condition.