Some women tease their spouses or partners about having breasts larger than theirs. Most of the time, it is all in good fun. Other times men can be embarrassed about gynecomastia, or new women find the problem to be somewhat offensive, especially if a man has a hairy chest. No man should feel embarrassed and no woman should find fault. After all, gravity can wreak havoc on a woman’s breasts and unless they are rich, they have to learn to live with the sagging as do their partners.
There are many reasons for gynecomastia. Blame a lot of those reasons on estrogen. Yes, the female hormone estrogen is present in all males. It is needed to protect bone density, production of sperm and believe it or not, moods. Some babies are born with larger breasts which is a result of having absorbed too much from the mother. Generally, this goes away relatively quickly. You may see boys going through puberty ‘suffering’ from the condition. This is because their testosterone levels have not increased proportionately with their estrogen levels. This condition also goes away but it may take several months.
Large breasts in adult males are usually the result of declining testosterone while estrogen levels have remained the same. It is not unusual to see breast enlargement in men over 50 due to andropause. In layman’s terms it is a physical state for men similar to menopause for women. During this time female hormones will drop considerably, and in men testosterone will drop as well. However, in men, after a certain age, testosterone begins a gentle slope downward.
There are external factors that can cause gynecomastia, some of which a man can control, if he is so inclined. Obesity is one factor. When one gains a tremendous amount of weight, just about everything gets larger from hands to feet. Not eating a balanced diet can be a contributing factor. Definitely illegal drug use, abusing alcohol and using herbal products that contain estrogen can be culprits. Even shampoos and soaps that contain certain herbal chemicals will cause gynecomastia. Watch for products that contain tea tree oil or lavender oil.
Some causes are from the world of healing and medicine. There are drugs known to cause enlarged breasts in men including some anti-anxiety drugs, antibiotics, heartburn medicine and chemotherapy.
So, what can you do if you do not like your enlarged breasts? The first thing is to check with your physician to determine if there is an underlying health issue like an over-active thyroid. There are medications your physician can prescribe that will reduce the amount of estrogen in your body. Ensure that you know what kind of side effects this could cause. Some men choose liposuction, if they can afford it. In this procedure the doctor will insert a needle under the skin and remove all the excess fat. This is meant to be permanent; however, you must eat right and stay away from excess alcohol for it to remain in effect.
If you choose surgery you must also stay away from steroids and taking drugs that affect your testosterone levels.
Recently there have been advertisements on television regarding a medication that is taken for schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder. It has evidently been proven that this medication can cause gynecomastia in both men and boys. If you, your partner or child has been prescribed a medication by a physician that you believe has caused this problem, you may want to go on-line and learn what is being done in your area.
