During the pre-teen age around puberty, hormones are so active, they can cause all sorts of exaggerated conditions. The most embarrassing of which for the male is gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia, means a male having “breasts like a woman.” For an adolescent boy, growing pains are hurtful enough— but having enlarged breasts really hurts.

SOMETIMES IT GOES AWAY BY ITSELF.

Though enlarged breasts occur primarily in 60% of male adolescents, if the pre-teen can survive this 2 – 3 year period, and hormonal balancing, 90% of the time this condition will vanish on its own.

AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T.

Many adult males in Weston also suffer from this condition due to weight gain, drug side effects, anabolic steroid use, and over-zealous pectoral body-building exercises. Gynecomastia from these causes normally does not go away by itself for Weston area patients.

True gynecomastia is believed to be caused by either an imbalance of the sex steroid hormones estrogen and androgen, and/or reactions to the way breast tissues respond to these secretions.

PSEUDOGYNECOMASTIA, IS ANOTHER CONDITION OF ENLARGED BREASTS.

But unlike its name implies, it’s real, exists in obese males and also causes enlarged breasts. Not by an over-development of mammary glands, but simply by an excess of fatty tissue. Although, both conditions can exist simultaneously.

THE PREFERRED TREATMENT FOR GYNECOMASTIA IS “LET’S WAIT AND SEE!"

Many times gynecomastia will go away by itself, without treatment. But there are times when intervention is necessary, such as when gynecomastia is caused by pre-existing or dormant conditions, like hypogonadism.

Hypogonadism, is a decrease in the activity of androgen production in the testes and may impair the development of normal secondary sex characteristics. Other conditions like cirrhosis, non-alcoholic liver disease, testicular tumors, estrogen treatments, and steroidal therapy can also be the cause.

Even side effects of some drugs, such as Nizoral, Aldactone, Flagyl, and Tagamet have contributed to the condition. Estrogen-inhibitors like Clomid also may be prescribed to further reduce breast tissue.

However, if the condition is still unbearable, painful, causing embarrassment for Weston area patients, gynecomastia surgery is available.