Gynecomastia is the female development of the male breast

Treatment of gynecomastia in men

The choice of method is selected by the attending physician based on the individual characteristics of the patient, depending on the root cause of the development of the pathology and its stage. For some, short-term drug therapy may be sufficient, since the disease is at an early stage of development, while others will require not only drug therapy, but also surgical intervention to eliminate aesthetic defects or eliminate resulting complications.

Most often, work is carried out in more than one direction, so it is necessary to follow a special diet, pay attention to physical activity and your psycho-emotional state in order to eliminate the cause and successfully treat gynecomastia in men.

It is known that there are different types of gynecomastia: true, false or mixed origin. Treatment will also be prescribed depending on this classification, since each type has its own cause and requires a different approach. Treatment of unilateral and bilateral gynecomastia is carried out in the same way.

Male breast anatomy

The male breast is identical in its anatomical structure to the female breast, the only difference is that the gland does not grow during puberty and remains so throughout life. A man also has a mammary gland, but it is usually called the mammary gland.

The male mammary gland, unlike the female mammary gland, does not have a lobular structure, but just like the female mammary gland, it has hormone-sensitive receptors. Therefore, an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone in the body of a sexually mature man can cause phenomena such as gynecomastia, which translated from Greek means “feminine breasts.”

Conservative treatment of gynecomastia in men (without surgery)

Conservative therapy includes taking medications and normalizing the patient’s hormonal levels. Drugs are prescribed depending on the causes of gynecomastia. Most often, gynecomastia in men is treated with hormonal drugs that normalize testosterone, inhibit the production of prolactin, etc.

Principles of nutrition during treatment

Most often, the root cause of the development of gynecomastia lies in an unhealthy lifestyle, especially poor nutrition, which leads to the development of obesity or alcoholism, and these factors provoke disturbances in the functioning of the entire body.

When treating gynecomastia and after it is necessary:

• exclude deficiency conditions in the body (the amount of vitamins and microelements must correspond to the norm);
• consume enough healthy fatty acids, especially omega 3;
• control daily protein intake;
• Green vegetables should always be present in the diet;
• eat more sea fish rather than fatty meat;
• reduce the amount of carbohydrates and trans fats.

What are man boobs?

Gynecomastia is the medical term for sagging breasts in men. In scientific terms, it is an increase in breast tissue in men, usually caused by hormonal changes. However, your breasts may also have a similar appearance due to the accumulation of excess fat. Because fat padding is not true gynecomastia, it is often called pseudogynecomastia. Although both conditions may have similar external symptoms, they are different and can be caused by different factors.

How to remove gynecomastia using traditional methods

Our ancestors thought about how to cure gynecomastia and they achieved some success in this. Today, several herbs are known that have a beneficial effect on eliminating gynecomastia. However, it is worth remembering that traditional methods are not a panacea, but rather depend more on luck, because without a comprehensive examination by a doctor and finding out the cause of the disease, it is impossible to say for sure what will help and what will not.

The main elements of treatment in traditional medicine are:

• ginseng root;
• lovage;
• in case of anxiety, it is recommended to drink valerian, peony, motherwort;
• collections of ginseng, licorice root and raspberry leaves - all brewed and drunk during the day.

Preparing for surgery

If the examinations are completed and true gynecomastia is confirmed, the patient is prescribed a bilateral subcutaneous mastectomy. As before any operation, in preparation for the elimination of gynecomastia, the patient needs proper and balanced nutrition and vitamin complexes.

If a man smokes, it is necessary to limit smoking at least two weeks before the operation.

Before surgery, you should also stop taking antibiotics, painkillers, and medications containing aspirin, as it thins the blood. Some plastic surgeons prescribe anti-fragility medications to their patients to prevent bleeding during surgery.

The patient needs to choose compression garments in preparation for surgery. It must be worn for several weeks after surgery to prevent the development of bruises and bleeding caused by insufficient chest compression.

The list of tests to eliminate gynecomastia is almost standard.

The patient must submit:

1. general blood and urine analysis,
2. blood chemistry,
3. coagulogram (blood test for clotting),
4. blood test to determine the level of sex hormones,
5. as well as an electrocardiogram.

Which doctor treats gynecomastia?

If you suspect the presence of gynecomastia, it is better for a person to contact an endocrinologist; it is this specialist who deals with human hormonal imbalances, which cause gynecomastia in men.

For advice on the treatment of gynecomastia, you can contact me, Georgy Nikitich Romanov. I have been helping people with endocrine disorders for almost a quarter of a century, and I am a candidate of medical sciences. You can make an appointment with me for a paid in-person or online appointment, where I will thoroughly examine your problems, explain the symptoms, prescribe and explain the diagnostic results, as well as prescribe and monitor treatment. Communication with me is carried out through any network convenient for the patient: Instagram, Whatsapp, Vkontakte, Telegram, etc. For more detailed information, go here.

Consultation

A plastic surgeon, to whom a patient turns for advice about gynecomastia, must study in detail the nature of the disease, referring the man to examination by surgeons, endocrinologists and therapists. Perhaps, in addition to consulting an endocrinologist and taking blood tests for hormones, the patient needs to undergo an ultrasound examination of the mammary glands. Ultrasound is often prescribed in cases where there is suspicion of cancer.

Ultrasound device for diagnosing gynecomastia.

During the consultation, the surgeon assesses the condition of the breast, identifying its enlargement from the glandular and fatty tissues. It is necessary to pay attention to the surgeon's examination of the nipples and areolas. When performing a mastectomy, the surgeon must create a tissue pad under the areolas, since as a result of the operation, the nipples may become sunken.

Forecast

If a person in adolescence or a boy is affected by the disease, then in more than 80%, after puberty, there is a complete restoration of the normal breast size and disorders associated with the pathology.

If the cause of the disease was not serious dysfunction of internal organs or a tumor, then after undergoing a course of conservative therapy and breast reduction surgery, the person fully recovers. If the cause is serious disturbances in the functioning of the body, then the prognosis depends on how well it will be possible to get rid of these disturbances.

In most cases, treatment for gynecomastia occurs in a short time and is very successful.

Cosmetic defects in various types of gynecomastia

The developing stage of true gynecomastia is characterized by small compactions in the glands; often they do not bring discomfort to a person and are not visible from the outside, they can only be palpated. Gynecomastia in the proliferating (developing) stage is amenable to drug treatment - the growth of the mammary gland can be subject to the opposite effect if measures related to the treatment of the disease are applied.

With obesity, a man's breasts are enlarged, and gynecomastia may be false. However, we should not forget that false gynecomastia, caused by an increased amount of fat deposits, can hide the development of the true form of the disease. If this is excluded, the patient is usually prescribed rationalization of nutrition. Some plastic surgeons offer liposuction of the breast area.

With gynecomastia, the mammary gland takes on a shape similar to the condition and appearance of underdeveloped female mammary glands. It can increase from one to ten cm in volume. This usually occurs within an average range of 2-6 cm. Gynecomastia is also characterized by enlargement of the nipples and areolas. It is possible to develop areolar hernias, characterized by visual bulging of the areola area.

Most cases of gynecomastia go away on their own without treatment after a certain period of time. However, if gynecomastia is caused by an underlying medical condition, such as hypogonadism, metabolic problems, or cirrhosis, it should still be treated. If you are taking medications that may cause gynecomastia, your doctor may recommend stopping them or replacing them with other medications .

For teenagers who develop gynecomastia for no apparent reason, your doctor may recommend periodic examinations every three to six months to assess whether the condition is improving on its own. Gynecomastia often goes away on its own without treatment in less than two years. However, treatment may be necessary if gynecomastia resolves on its own, or if it causes severe pain, sensitivity, or aesthetic embarrassment.

Three rules for noticeable relief of the pectoral muscles

1. Follow the technique of performing the exercises, paying special attention to the width of the grip - the wider it is, the more the pectoral muscles are involved in the work
2. Alternate different types of load - you should not do only push-ups or only rows, the resource of “growth” of the sternum in one workout is limited
3. Avoid daily training - remember, muscles grow during rest, paradoxically

You will have to work hard to get that beautiful torso, and then within two to three weeks the result will be noticeable. But you shouldn’t expect a miracle, you understand that the body has its own resources and “pumping up in 10 days” is simply impossible.

Many men strive to get a breast shape exactly the same as that of a famous athlete. But they forget that the shape of the muscles is individual and unique; it will not be possible to exactly repeat the figure of another person.

Postoperative period

The postoperative period involves the patient following some simple rules that will help him rehabilitate much faster. It is necessary to wear compression garments for several weeks (usually for 20 days), and you should limit not only sports, but also physical activity, including lifting weights and arms, for at least a month.

Compression underwear.

Smoking has a detrimental effect on regeneration processes, so you should limit it. Post-operative bruising and swelling usually disappear within 5-7 days. The pain, in most cases, is mild. In the first days after a mastectomy, medications with an analgesic effect are allowed. Postoperative sutures are removed 10-12 days after surgical procedures.

Exercises: how to train?

Even beginners know that every workout begins with a warm-up. But they forget that warming up should not take too much time. Working out the pectoral muscles should not be accompanied by cardio. Running on the track and cycling are good for strengthening the cardiovascular system. But if the goal is to work the chest muscles, it is better to focus on strength training. And for cardio, set aside a separate day or time of day. But remember, no extreme!

Building a workout

1. Warm-up
2. A basic exercise that involves as many muscles as possible - in this case, a barbell or dumbbell bench press on a straight or incline bench would be ideal.
3. Working out the pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, intercostal muscles
4. Hitch

What is included in the training?

1. Pushups
2. Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench
3. Reduction of hands on an expander (crossover)
4. Pullover on an incline bench with a barbell or dumbbell

The exercises should be performed until you feel a strong burning sensation in the muscles, until failure, ensuring maximum effectiveness of the training.

The load must be increased gradually, increasing the weight of the sports equipment, and not just the number of approaches. Allow your body to rest for at least 1-2 minutes between sets. It makes sense to use circuit training, but no more than once a week.

Prevention of gynecomastia

There are several factors you can control to reduce your risk of developing gynecomastia:

1. Do not use drugs or other similar substances. For example, steroids and androgens, amphetamines, heroin and marijuana.
2. Avoid drinking alcohol. Don't drink alcohol at all or drink very little.

3. Always read the instructions for your medications. If you have been prescribed a medication that may cause gynecomastia, contact your doctor to find other medication options.

Make an appointment: Ask a question!

Three reasons why breast fat accumulates?

1. Poor nutrition
2. Physical inactivity
3. Hormonal imbalance

And those who strive for beautiful relief should start by visiting an endocrinologist. Especially if adipose tissue accumulates unevenly, according to the female type, mainly in the hips and chest. Excess estrogen, yes, it is also present in the body of any man, can lead to the accumulation of excess fat. And it is almost impossible to get rid of it without medication support.