Have you heard about Gynecomastia, or excess male breast growth? Over the past several years, the condition has come out of the shadows and into the media spotlight. As men slowly begin to understand Gynecomastia, they grow more comfortable seeking help for their symptoms. Try to answer a few true or false questions to see how much you already know about Gynecomastia.
True or False:
Only obese men suffer from large male breasts.
False. Men of any size can see signs of Gynecomastia. Large male breasts can be the result of excess adipose tissue (fatty cells) or excess glandular tissue (hormone related); these can affect all men.
True or False:
Gynecomastia is caused by medications.
True. A variety of prescription medications have excessive breast growth as a side effect. These can include Digoxin, Zantac, and Effexor, to name a few. Recreational drugs, such as marijuana and anabolic steroids can also contribute to Gynecomastia.
True or False:
More than 20,000 male breast reductions were performed in 2013.
True. The American Society of Plastic Surgery puts together annual statistics regarding all of the plastic and reconstructive procedures performed in the United States. Last year, 22,939 male breast reduction procedures were performed.
True or False:
If you do not have any signs of Gynecomastia by the time you are 50, it will never occur.
False. The development of excess breast tissue is often the result of hormone fluctuations. These are especially common in the early teen years, and again in later life, after the age of 55. Up to 70 percent of men between the ages of 50 and 69 will experience some degree of Gynecomastia.
True or False:
Nothing can be done to decrease large male breasts other than losing weight.
False. Losing weight and discontinuing the medications that trigger breast growth is not a solution for everyone. The appearance of Gynecomastia can be dramatically improved through a surgical Male Breast Reduction procedure.
As Houston’s leading Male Breast Reduction surgeon, Dr. Vitenas provides private, one-on-one consultations in his Houston office. Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery also has an onsite surgery center, allowing patients to have their Male Breast Reduction procedure in total confidentiality. To get more facts on Gynecomastia, call Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery at (281) 668-7370.