Gynecomastia is not generally a serious issue, although it can be difficult to cope with as it can be painful and cause feelings of embarrassment. It may feel rubbery or firm. The growth may appear just behind the nipple. The breast or nipple may be painful or tender when touched.
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Gynecomastia feels like a small, rubbery lump under the nipple(s). It can happen on one or both sides and the lump may feel sore. Some people can confuse gynecomastia with fat tissue, especially if a young man is living in a larger body.
Can it be cured? Medications are more effective in reducing gynecomastia in the early stages, since scarring often occurs after about 12 months. After the tissue has become scarred, medications are not likely to be effective, and surgical removal is the only possible treatment.
Gynecomastia is usually triggered by an imbalance in levels of testosterone to estrogen. Although gynecomastia is common, male breast cancer is rare. In the United States, only about 2,000 cases of male breast cancer are diagnosed annually, and about 400 men die of breast cancer each year.
Gynecomastia feels like a small, rubbery lump under the nipple(s). It can happen on one or both sides and the lump may feel sore. Some people can confuse gynecomastia with fat tissue, especially if a young man is living in a larger body.
Gynecomastia — enlarged male breast tissue — may slightly increase your risk of breast cancer. But even with gynecomastia, your risk of developing male breast cancer is very small. It more commonly involves both breasts but can occur in only one breast. Most often, the condition is caused by hormone changes.
Gynecomastia may be unilateral or bilateral. It presents as a palpable mass of tissue, up to 0.5 cm in diameter, and it is usually found underlying the nipple (Braunstein, 2007).
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If you could only do one exercise to tone your chest area, this would be it. Focus on maintaining your form—neither dipping nor hiking your hips as you bend your elbows.Gynecomastia may go away on its own. If it persists, medication or surgery may help.
Gynecomastia, especially in pubertal males, often goes away on its own within about six months, so observation is preferred over specific treatment in many cases. Stopping medications and treatment of existing medical problems or health conditions that cause enlarged breasts in men also are mainstays of treatment.
Some men grow breasts as a result of hormonal imbalances, whereas other guys just have fat chests, but it's important to know the difference. “Gynecomastia is a proliferation of both of the types of tissue, whereas pseudogynecomastia is an excess of fatty tissue.”
Medications that people use to treat breast cancer may help
reduce gynecomastia symptoms.
These can include:
- exercising more regularly.
- limiting the intake of processed foods.
- eating more fruits, vegetables, and other high fiber foods.
- avoiding soy products.
Gynecomastia caused by transient changes in hormone levels with growth usually disappears on its own within six months to two years. Occasionally, gynecomastia that develops in puberty and persists beyond two years is referred to as persistent pubertal gynecomastia.
For boys with severe gynecomastia that is causing substantial tenderness or embarrassment, a short course of a drug called tamoxifen (sample brand name: Nolvadex) or raloxifene (brand name: Evista) may be recommended. These drugs block the effects of estrogen in the body and can reduce the size of the breasts somewhat.
Testosterone replacement therapy can help increase testosterone levels and reduce breast tissue growth in older males with gynecomastia. Making dietary and lifestyle changes can also help treat gynecomastia. These can include: exercising more regularly.
Puberty — Gynecomastia that occurs during puberty usually resolves without treatment within six months to two years. The condition sometimes develops between ages 10 and 12 years and most commonly occurs between ages 13 and 14 years. The condition persists beyond age 17 years in up to 20 percent of individuals.
A woman's menstrual cycle causes hormone fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. These two hormones can cause a woman's breasts to feel swollen, lumpy, and sometimes painful. Women sometimes report that this pain gets worse as they get older due to increased sensitivity to hormones as a woman ages.
Most female breast pain results from hormonal changes. Estrogen and progesterone can actually increase the size and number of ducts and milk glands in your breasts. This causes the breasts to swell and retain water. A few days before your period starts, both breasts can swell and become tender, painful, or even lumpy.
