Men are subject to many pathologies that are characteristic for the most part of the female sex. One such disease is true gynecomastia. This disease is characterized by abnormal enlargement of the mammary glands. And such a pathological process is born against the background of the growth of glandular and adipose tissues.
What is true gynecomastia in men, what contributes to its appearance and what signs does it have - the answers to these questions should be well known to every member of the stronger sex.
General information
This pathology is an abnormal enlargement of the breasts in men. A pathological process can begin at any age. The disease is almost always accompanied by pain and a feeling of heaviness in the chest. You can get rid of the problem with the help of appropriate medications, traditional medicine recipes, and if these methods do not bring the desired effect, you need to resort to surgicalintervention.
Ignoring the appearance of unpleasant symptoms is certainly not worth it, since the prolonged progression of the disease can transform gynecomastia into a malignant neoplasm. And, as you know, such a phenomenon can be irreversible and lead to disastrous consequences.
Features
Medics classify this pathology into several types, depending on certain criteria. In view of the fact that the mammary glands are formed on the basis of several types of tissues, according to their growth, the disease can be divided into false and true gynecomastia.
The first type is characterized by the spread of adipose and connective tissues. As a rule, this form occurs against the background of a sharp increase in excess weight. As for true gynecomastia in men, it involves the growth of glandular tissue. It is this form of the disease that is most often considered by doctors and requires immediate treatment, since it is directly related to disorders in the endocrine system. This condition is considered really dangerous for men.
Disease types
If we are talking about the prevalence of pathology, then it can be classified into two types.
- Unilateral gynecomastia. Already from the name it is clear that abnormal phenomena associated with tissue growth affect only one mammary gland. The second breast may remain completely normal. This type of defect is born, as a rule, due to failures or sudden changes in the hormonal background.
- Bilateral gynecomastia. Diagnosed with abnormal changes in both mammary glands. Of course, the false variety of the disease always belongs to this category. But in general, bilateral gyno is much more common than the unilateral type.
Classification
The disease is divided into types and age categories.
- Congenital malformation occurs only in newborn boys. With the full development of the child, the problem resolves on its own over time.
- False and true gynecomastia in adolescents develops most often during puberty due to hormonal changes in the body. Since the pathology is considered natural in this case, in most of all cases of the disease it goes away on its own.
- senile defect usually develops against the background of the extinction of hormones. After all, it is in old age that the level of testosterone in men decreases significantly, but the amount of estrogen, on the contrary, increases.
It should be said that gynecomastia, caused by age-related changes in the body, is not pathological, therefore, it does not need treatment. If the disease originates in mature males, then appropriate therapy must be provided.
Reasons
True gynecomastia in men can occur due to:
- all kinds of testicular pathologies;
- appearance of malignant and benign neoplasms in the area of the prostate gland;
- genitourinary cancersmachine;
- hermaphrodism;
- the emergence of serious defects of the infectious type;
- blood flow disorders in the genitals;
- injury to the reproductive system;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- malfunctions of the endocrine system;
- pituitary tumors;
- diffuse toxic goiter;
- cardiovascular or renal failure.
Another reason for the occurrence of pathological tissue proliferation, doctors call the prolonged use of powerful medications, which also negatively affect the functioning of the mammary glands. These drugs include: hormonal, diuretic, antibacterial, cardiac and antiulcer drugs. Of course, a variety of narcotic substances are of great harm.
Symptoms
The main sign of false and true gynecomastia is a significant increase in the breast. At the same time, its size may resemble the parameters of a teenage girl. In addition, true gynecomastia can be characterized by symptoms such as:
- discomfort in the chest area, especially at the time of palpation and contact with clothing;
- color change and nipple enlargement;
- on palpation, not only pain is felt, but also small indurations;
- fluid resembling breast milk may come out of the nipples;
- sharp mood swings, excessive irritability for no apparent reason;
- loss of interest in members of the opposite sex, in somecases even erectile dysfunction;
- changing the timbre of the voice, which begins to resemble a woman more;
- thinning hair on legs and chest.
In other words, over time, a man with this diagnosis becomes characterized by many feminine characteristics. At first, the clinical manifestations of gynecomastia are sluggish in nature. But if the disease is not treated in time, its symptoms will become much brighter.
Diagnosis
True gynecomastia in men, just like its false form, can be detected even with a simple visual examination of the patient and his detailed survey. You should contact a specialist when the first signs of pathology from the side of the mammary glands appear. This recommendation is especially important for guys whose puberty has already ended, but abnormal changes in the chest remain.
Differential diagnosis of this disease involves a survey and a thorough examination of a man with palpation of both mammary glands. If abnormal seals are detected, a young person is usually sent for additional examinations. Laboratory diagnosis of gynecomastia involves several studies.
- Hormonal blood test for estradiol and testosterone levels. If the information of this test does not make the picture clear, the man is assigned auxiliary tests: for thyroid hormones, LH, hCG, FSH and a kidney test.
- Ultrasound. Pictures for diffuse true gynecomastiamay be a reason for mammography, since tumors are clearly visible on such images. In general, during ultrasound, the armpits, chest and thyroid gland are examined in detail.
- Computed tomography of the brain. It is not prescribed for all patients. CT is necessary in cases where other diagnostic methods are uninformative.
- Ultrasound of the gonads. This study is required for elevated testosterone levels in the body.
Based on the results of all examinations passed, the specialist confirms or refutes the diagnosis, and only after that prescribes a therapeutic regimen, taking into account the reasons that provoked the appearance of the pathology.
Treatment of true gynecomastia in men
False form of pathology goes away on its own, without specific therapy. But the treatment of true gynecomastia is actually necessary for every man with such a diagnosis. The appropriate therapeutic scheme is selected depending on the causes of the disease and its severity.
Drug and folk treatments
The use of pharmaceutical preparations in such a situation is necessary to stabilize the hormonal background. To achieve this goal, most often doctors prescribe: Nolvadex, Testosterone, Danazol, Tamoxifen, Clomiphene and their analogues. Their action is reduced to the normalization of the level of the male hormone in the body.
As for folk methods of treatment, theyalso aimed at eliminating hormonal disruptions. Herbs that can increase testosterone levels include:
- ginseng;
- thyme;
- lovage.
The patient needs to prepare all kinds of tinctures and decoctions from these herbs.
During treatment, a man should adhere to certain rules:
- refuse to take drugs that cause breast growth;
- follow a special diet when a false form of the disease is detected;
- attend physiotherapy.
With a mild illness, a man has every chance to get rid of the problem with medication alone.
However, it is worth saying that the treatment of true gynecomastia in boys and adolescents has certain features:
- wait and see - usually a few years after puberty the problem recedes on its own;
- surgical solution - involves a diagnosis and the use of hormonal medications.
Physical Education
How to build chest muscles with true gynecomastia? This question worries almost all patients with this diagnosis. And the answer to it is quite simple: physical exercises will not only allow a man to solve an aesthetic problem, but also significantly speed up the recovery process. Physical education is not able to completely eliminate the consequences of the pathology, however, in combination with other medical methods, it will bring an excellent result.
The mostthe following exercises are considered useful in such a situation:
- push-ups;
- running;
- swimming;
- cycling.
Surgery
If conservative methods of treatment have not brought the desired result to the patient, the man is recommended surgery. Surgery is appropriate for:
- prolonged course of the disease, more than a year;
- pronounced aesthetic defect;
- impressive breast size.
The essence of the operation is to eliminate the overgrown breast tissue.
There are several options for surgery.
- Simple. This type of surgery is used only in extreme cases, as after it the man may have significant cosmetic defects. Surgical intervention involves the removal of glandular and fatty tissues in parallel with the nipple.
- Subcutaneous. During this operation, an incision is made on the chest, through which all excess tissue is removed. Often this surgical method is combined with liposuction.
- Endoscopic. This operation is carried out using a special device - an endoscope. It is used, as a rule, in the early stages of gynecomastia, when a man still has a small size of the mammary glands.
On average, the duration of surgery ranges from 1.5-2 hours.
Prevention
In general, not a single representative of the stronger sex is immune from the occurrence of gynecomastia. But in order to prevent breast pathology, a man must deal with the timely treatment of diseases associated with disorders in the production of hormones. In addition, it is very important to get rid of problems in the functioning of the endocrine system in time.
In addition, it will not be superfluous to eat a balanced diet. So a man can avoid the appearance of extra pounds and obesity, which actually leads to the development of false gynecomastia.
Because long-term use of certain medications can cause breast growth, care should be taken when choosing these medications.
