Gynecomastia

The term gynecomastia comes from a combination of the Greek words ‘gyne’ meaning woman and ‘mastos’ meaning breast. In some ways it can be seen as the “purest” from of man boobs, because it is caused exclusively by an enlargement of breast tissue.

Gynecomastia is actually a very common condition, effecting between 40 and 60% of men at some point in their lifetimes. For the majority of people the symptoms tend to clear up after a few weeks or months but for others the problem can persist over a period of years. It is extremely common in boys who are going through puberty because of all the intense hormonal changes taking place in their bodies. Older men are also relatively susceptible to gynecomastia because the levels of testosterone in their bodies begin to drop off naturally with age.

What are the causes of Gynecomastia?

It is generally accepted that gynecomastia is caused by a imbalance between the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen. However, there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding what might trigger that imbalance in the first place. We’ve listed some of the most popular theories below, but bear in mind that gynecomastia symptoms can seemingly arise for no apparent reason whatsoever.

Possible medical triggers:

  • Genetic problems such as Klinefelters Syndrome
  • Chronic liver and kidney diseases
  • Trauma or injury to the testicles
  • Tumours (extremely rare)
  • As a side effect of medication.

Possible lifestyle triggers:

  • Excessive marijuana use. Some studies have shown that cannabis can contribute to a lowering of testosterone levels as well as a decreased sperm count.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption. It’s well known how alcohol inhibits testosterone in the short term, anyone who has ever suffered from brewer’s droop can testify to that! But it’s also thought that long term excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a permanent lowering of testosterone levels.
  • Use of anabolic steroids. Initially these drugs create huge spikes in the body’s testosterone levels. However once the user completes his “cycle” and stops taking the steroids his body is completely unprepared for the sudden drop off in testosterone that occurs. This can lead to a period wherein the body’s oestrogen/testosterone levels are way out of kilter.
  • Obesity. We know that being overweight can lead to an excessive build up of chest fat and pseudo-gynecomastia, but studies suggest that obese men also have lower testosterone levels as well. This means that having pseudogynecomastia may make you more likely to develop the more serious condition of gynecomastia further down the road..

Environmental & Sociological factors

Incidences of male gynecomastia in are steadily rising. Some say this is a natural consequence of our modern lifestyles. As a society we eat badly, take little exercise and generally make a lot of unhealthy decisions about our lives. This makes our bodies react in strange and unpredictable ways. But there are also those who argue that the rise in gynecomastia cases can also be (at least partly) explained by external factors

Oestrogen pollution

Anatomically deformed otters. Male fish with female sex organs. In recent years there has been a massive rise of these kinds of phenomenon in our rivers. It’s disturbing trend and oestrogen is the main culprit. Millions and millions of woman around the world take the contraceptive pill on a regular basis and many other menopausal women take oestrogen supplements as part of their hormone replacement therapy. Tons and tons of oestrogen travels through these women’s bodies on an annual basis, passes directly into our sewage system, and then onward in some shape or form into rivers.

Now many experts fear that traces of oestrogen may be making their way into our drinking water supply.

Of similar concern is the use of oestrogens in fertilizers, pesticides and meat production. It is not difficult to imagine how traces of these substance may contaminate the food chain and end up on the end of a fork. Some claim that it may only require minute residues of oestrogen in our food to have an effect on our health and well being.

Next page: Pseudogynecomastia