Although you may have never heard of it, Gynecomastia is a fairly common condition that affects males of all ages: from newborns to elderly people. It can be treated in many places, like Orange County Gynecomastia center if you live in California but, it’s always best to learn more about the condition before acting. Let’s take a deeper look and figure out what exactly is this condition and how you may be able to treat it.
What Is Gynecomastia?
Well, gynecomastia is a condition that causes one or both of a male’s breasts to become slightly larger than normal. It’s mostly found in teenagers and older men, although infants can suffer from it as well.
As we’ve previously mentioned, this condition causes breast enlargement. However, a person with gynecomastia may also notice extra tissue around the area of the nipple. A slightly less common symptom of this affliction also consists of tender breasts, painful to the touch.
What Causes Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia most commonly occurs due to hormone imbalance, when the levels of testosterone decrease compared to the levels of estrogen. That’s why gynecomastia is so mostly common among teenagers and elderly people. That's because there are major hormonal changes during these periods of time.
However, when it comes to infants, gynecomastia is caused by their mother’s estrogen levels, and the condition will most likely go away within two or three weeks after birth.
Now, there are many other causes of gynecomastia, such as high alcohol intake, liver disease, kidney failure, a bad diet, or different types of medicine that cause this condition as a side effect.
Can the Symptoms Worsen?
Although gynecomastia won’t cause any physical complications, it may affect one’s psychological health, causing a constant state of embarrassment, low self-esteem, anxiety, and even depression.
So, if you suffer from this condition and you feel down because of it, make sure to talk to your doctor about how you feel, they might be able to recommend a mental health professional that will help you improve your mental state.
Also, take some time and talk with your close friends and family, since they are the ones that can give you all the emotional backing you need.
How Can Gynecomastia Be Treated?
Well, most cases of gynecomastia go away on their own. However, you should note that it might take some time until it happens. For example, if this condition happens during puberty, it might take from 6 months up to three years for its symptoms to disappear.
However, if you think you’ve got gynecomastia due to some other causes you might take seeing an endocrinologist into consideration. As we’ve mentioned before, this condition is caused by the imbalance of hormones from within your body, and that should be addressed.
If the area around the breast is also very painful, your doctor might recommend you undergo surgery, through techniques such as liposuction, where the excess breast fat is removed, or mastectomy, where the breast gland tissue is removed.
Surgery Costs
Well, the prices vary depending on the severity of the case. Some patients may only require liposuction, whereas others may need to have excess male breast tissue removed. Many centers charge between 6.500 and 8.000 dollars but this can also vary based on the experience of the surgeon and the State or location of the center.
