Gynecomastia is an increase in the mammary glands in men who are similar to female breasts. This disease is a very serious cosmetic defect, and also complicates the timely diagnosis of breast cancer in men.
There are two forms of gynecomastia - false and true. With false gynecomastia or with pseudo-gynecomastia, breast growth is caused by excess fat deposits in the subcutaneous tissue.
Gynecomastia - causes
This disease is mainly caused by obesity. True gynecomastia is caused by the excessive growth of the lobar ducts, which is also accompanied by hypertrophy of the connective tissue of the gland.
In general, true gynecomastia is observed during puberty. During puberty, there is a temporary imbalance of estrogens and androgens in connection with the restructuring of the functional connections between the endocrine glands and the ovaries.
Sometimes gynecomastia is caused by hereditary disorders of intestinal digestion and is weighed down by erectile disorders and oligospermia. Various diseases can also lead to gynecomastia: cardiovascular failure, diffuse toxic goiter, hypothyroidism, tuberculosis, and addison's disease. The main cause of gynecomastia should be considered many liver diseases, since various metabolic processes with steroid transformations occur in this organ. When the liver is damaged, the steroid metabolism is disturbed, as a result of which the level of estrogen in the blood rises.
There have been cases when gynecomastia developed as a result of taking various medications that affect various receptors of breast tissue or affect the production of gonadotropin, sex hormones and prolactin. This effect is noted during the treatment of chronic coronary insufficiency with digitalis during the recovery period, but less often in other periods of drug use.
Men who take testosterone, estrogens, and chorionic gonadotropin may be at risk for breast enlargement. Medications such as phenophthiazides, veroshpiron, reserpine can lead to the same consequences.
Gynecomastia - symptoms
Gynecomastia develops with the onset of bilateral or unilateral swelling, which is very painful. With age, this swelling should disappear, but sometimes it can remain in an adult man.
Breast enlargement is negligible, and therefore does not require special treatment. But in almost 8% of patients, the mammary glands significantly increase and are able to maintain their size for up to 3 years. Gynecomastia prevents full-fledged social adaptation in young men, and also interferes with communication with girls, which ultimately severely injures the psyche.
Gynecomastia - treatment
Conservative gynecomastia is treated only on an outpatient basis and under the constant supervision of an endocrinologist. The choice of necessary drugs is carried out by various doctors, taking into account the root causes of this disease. Self-medication of true gynecomastia is unacceptable, as this will lead to even greater hormonal imbalance. Guys and young men should remember that gynecomastia is normally observed from 1 to 3 years, after which it should simply disappear, often treatment does not require.
Pseudo gynecomastia mostly goes away during obesity treatment itself. A patient with gynecosmatia must, with a certain frequency, conduct the necessary examination of the breast for the detection of cancer or various suspicious seals. If during the examination of the breast any swelling is found that is not associated with gynecomastia, it is imperative to play it safe and undergo a special examination with an oncologist.
