Contents
General description of the disease
This is a pathological growth of the male mammary glands, which is manifested by an increase in the size of the breasts, their compaction, and heaviness. On palpation of the breast, painful sensations and discomfort occur.
The mammary glands can reach sizes up to 10 centimeters in diameter (in most cases, their size is 2-4 centimeters). Breast augmentation can be unilateral or symmetrical (bilateral).
The prevalence of the disease directly depends on the age category in which a man falls (boy, boy). In adolescents with normal development (at the age of 13-14 years), 50-70% account for about 40% of men in a young reproductive age have gynecomastia, in older men the indicator fluctuates at the level of 60-70%.
Gynecomastia often brings more mental and physical difficulties than health problems. It is worth noting that if no treatment is carried out, a malignant breast tumor may develop. First, you need to try conservative methods of treatment, if they do not help, then surgery is indicated.
Types of gynecomastia
By its origin, gynecomastia is true and false.
With true gynecomastia the volume of the breast increases due to the growth of the stroma and mammary glands.
Concerning pseudogynecomastia, then the breast increases in size due to body fat (this type of gynecomastia is observed in obese men).
True gynecomastia, in turn, may be within the physiological norm (depending on the age of the male). Also, it can be pathological – caused by various pathologies and malfunctions in the body of a man.
Causes of gynecomastia
The causes of this disease will be divided into two groups (depending on the two main types of gynecomastia).
Group 1
Reasons for the development of true physiological gynecomastia
True physiological gynecomastia (also called “idiopathic”) can be observed in newborns, adolescents and in old age.
In almost 90% of newborns, swelling of the mammary glands is observed, which after 14-30 days decrease on their own without any therapy. Such an enlargement of the mammary glands is due to the genitals that came to the baby when he was in the womb.
In adolescence (namely, at 13-14 years old), about 60% of guys have gynecomastia (and 80% of them have bilateral enlargement of the mammary glands). Such an increase occurs due to the immaturity of the reproductive system and the predominance of female sex hormones over male ones. In most cases, this disease regresses on its own within 1-2 years, without any surgical intervention.
In old age (55 to 80 years), men may also experience gynecomastia. This is due to the decreased levels of testosterone production. The female hormone, estrogen, begins to dominate over the male hormone.
Group 2
The reasons for the development of pathological gynecomastia
This type of gynecomastia can develop due to:
- imbalances in the balance of estrogen and testosterone in the body (such imbalances occur with tumors of the testicles, adrenal glands, lungs, stomach, pituitary gland, pancreas; with prostate adenoma; with various inflammatory processes; with weak functioning of the male sex glands);
- hyperprolactinemia (increased production of prolactin – a hormone responsible for childbirth, its level increases with hypothyroidism and tumor formations of the pituitary gland);
- the presence of diseases affecting the metabolic processes of the body: diabetes mellitus, obesity, diffuse toxic goiter, pulmonary tuberculosis;
- the presence of diseases not related to endocrine: HIV, chest trauma, cirrhosis of the liver, cardiovascular or renal failure, due to various intoxications;
- taking medications that increase the production of prolactin or estrogens, affect the breast tissue, which negatively affects the work of the testicles (these can be corticosteroids, antidepressants, anabolic steroids, creams that contain estrogens);
- the use of heroin, marijuana, alcohol.
Gynecomastia symptoms
In newborns, the mammary glands enlarge and coarsely slightly, discharge is rarely present (in consistency they are similar to colostrum).
In the presence of other types of gynecomastia in males, an increase in breast volume is observed from 2 to 15 centimeters in diameter. The chest can weigh about 160 grams. At the same time, the nipple also increases in size, the halo sharply pigments, expands to 3 centimeters in a circle. Most often, the enlargement of the mammary glands is painful, a man may feel a feeling of squeezing, discomfort when wearing clothes (when touching the nipples, they can become sensitive).
If only one breast is enlarged, the risk of tumor damage to the mammary glands increases. If you have bloody discharge, swollen axillary lymph nodes, or various changes in the skin on your chest, there is a high likelihood of breast cancer.
Gynecomastia occurs in 3 stages:
- 1 On the proliferating (developing) stage, primary changes are observed (this stage lasts 4 months and, with proper treatment, everything goes without consequences and surgery).
- 2 В interim period maturation of the gland is observed (the stage lasts from 4 to 12 months).
- 3 On the fibrous stage adipose and connective tissue appears in the mammary gland, the regression of this pathology has already been minimized.
Useful foods for gynecomastia
With this disease, the male sex needs to focus on products that increase testosterone levels.
Its production is positively influenced by vitamins A, E, unsaturated acids omega 3 and 6, lutein, selenium, zinc, iron, carotenoids, bioflavonoids and carotenes. All of these nutrients can be obtained from food. Let’s divide them into separate groups and consider what and in what quantity should be consumed by men.
1. The first place of honor is occupied by seafood: crabs, herring, sardines, shrimps, oysters, perch, salmon, saury, trout. It is better to cook them steamed or grilled (you can also bake them). You need to eat seafood at least three times a week.
2. Then you can put on the effectiveness and usefulness of berries, fruits and vegetables. Emphasis should be placed on the whole cruciferous family (for all types of cabbage), green grapes, parsley, mustard, apricot, spinach, onions, watercress, green lettuce, oranges, pomegranates, mangoes, turnips, pumpkin, blueberries, plums, carrots, nectarine, lemon, sweet potato, yellow and red peppers, lemon, black currant. You can also eat dried fruits: dried apricots, dates, prunes, raisins.
They are best consumed fresh – they are healthier than frozen, boiled or canned ones.
It is worth noting that fruits, vegetables and berries should also be divided by color. Each of the colors helps in different ways.
Vegetables, green fruits are responsible for growth, are an antioxidant, cleanse the body of harmful chemical compounds and reactions. Special attention should be paid to all types of cabbage. It is she who promotes the withdrawal of estrogen from the liver (this hormone inhibits the production of testosterone). Cabbage, like all greens, is best eaten fresh.
Berries, vegetables and fruits, which are orange or yellow, prevent heart attacks, the appearance of cancer (this is very important in gynecomastia, because cancer can appear in the breast). In addition, they boost immunity.
Red berries and vegetables improve the work of a man’s urinary system, protect against the formation of cancer cells. Cherries, watermelons, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries will be useful. Separately, you need to highlight the red grapes. It contains flavonoids. They decrease the activity of aromatase (an enzyme that converts testosterone to the female hormone estrogen).
Vegetables and fruits with blue and violet colors help to cleanse the body of radionuclides and slow down the aging process. This is due to the proanthocyanidins and anthocymnidins found in plums, blueberries, and black currants.
3. On the third step, we put fiber and grain crops (pearl barley, millet and buckwheat porridge). Fiber, which is contained in cereals, triggers intestinal and intestinal motility, which causes the body to quickly get rid of food debris. After all, fermented or rotten food in the intestines negatively affects the circulation of the pelvic organs and causes overheating of the testicles (overheating does not allow the normal production of sex hormones).
It is best to choose porridge from whole grains and eat it daily. They need to be cooked over low heat at a temperature of about 60 degrees.
4. Next, consider spices (curry, garlic, cardamom, onion, red pepper, turmeric). Spices enhance the work of enzymes that are responsible for the processing of estrogen, thereby removing estrogen from the body in a more intense mode.
5. Don’t forget about drinking. You need to drink at least 2 liters per day. Better to choose pure spring or mineral water. Water helps to restore water-salt balance and cleanses the body of toxins. Also, it nourishes the cells of the body, which is why a person will stay young for more time.
Traditional medicine for gynecomastia
Folk remedies should be used only for hormonal disruptions and in the initial stages of the disease. Cancers won’t go away so easily.
One of the best testosterone stimulants is ginseng root. Eat a piece of root daily. It must be thoroughly chewed with your teeth (as if to grind) and all the juice that appears while chewing should be swallowed.
Alcohol tincture also helps well against gynecomastia. And it is prepared with ginseng root, yohimbe bark, fresh oat straw and ginkgo biloba leaves. All ingredients need to be taken in 50 grams. The herbs must be mixed and poured with 1 liter of pure alcohol, put in a dark place for 14 days. After this time, everything must be filtered, poured into a bottle and stored in the refrigerator. Take 30 drops per dose. There should be 3-4 such receptions per day. The duration of treatment is 60 days.
Lovage wine. It helps in digestion, lowers cholesterol and positively influences the production of male hormones. Take a handful of washed, dried and crushed lovage roots, pour a bottle of red wine, put on gas and heat until foam forms (boiling is strictly prohibited), leave to infuse for 3 days. Then filter and take a small glass every day after dinner. After eating, at least an hour should pass.
To reduce the size of the breast, you must take the following decoction. Take 100 grams of Siberian ginseng and 50 grams each of ginseng root, licorice and raspberry leaves. Mix everything and pour 0.5 liters of hot water. Insist until the infusion cools down. Filter and drink the resulting liquid in small portions throughout the day. You need to drink such a broth for at least 2 months. You can continue taking it for another month. The course should not be painful for 3 months as a whole.
To cure this ailment, the patient needs to take a decoction of thyme for 14-21 days. To prepare it, take 2 tablespoons of dry, chopped herbs, pour 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and keep on fire for another 10 minutes, wait until the broth cools down, filter. Drink the resulting amount of infusion per day. Drink a glass of thyme broth at a time. You can also take a bath with it (it will help relieve stress, improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs and just relax).
Dangerous and harmful foods for gynecomastia
- tuna (it can be consumed no more than 1 time a week – this limitation is associated with the accumulation of mercury in the man’s body);
- grapefruit (contains special chemicals that slow down the breakdown of estrogen in the liver);
- salt (increased sodium levels in the body slows down testosterone production);
- sugar (helps produce insulin, which slows down or stops testosterone production altogether);
- caffeine (kills free testosterone, you can take 1 cup of coffee a day);
- meat, to which female hormones are added (for a quick weight gain of the animal), they are found in pork, chicken, beef (but if you eat 1 piece a day of such meat, then there will be less harm than good);
- fatty foods (increases cholesterol);
- soy (contains analogs of female hormones);
- homemade fatty milk (contains cow estrogen, such milk can be drunk up to a liter per day);
- White yeast baked goods (sugar, yeast, and acids reduce testosterone production)
- poultry eggs (contain a lot of cholesterol and estrogen; the required rate is 1 egg every 2 days);
- sugary soda (contains sugar, caffeine);
- store-bought smoked meats (contain liquid smoke, which poisons testicular tissue, namely, 95% of the total volume of testosterone are produced by them);
- alcohol (kills free testosterone and negatively affects testicular tissue), especially dangerous beer – it contains phytoestrogens (female sex hormones);
- fast food, semi-finished products, foods with E-coding and GMOs (they contain all negative enzymes that reduce testosterone production).
Attention!
The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!