Home Remedies and Herbs for Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is a condition that causes men to grow breasts. Men with gynecomastia develop an increase in breast tissue forming below the nipple area and expanding from there. The tissue masses in gynecomastia cases are benign, meaning they aren’t tissues growing as a result of cancerous cells.¹ Gynecomastia can affect one or both breasts. It typically starts as a small, tender lump underneath the nipple which begins to grow from there. In some cases, one breast may appear larger than the other.² Gynecomastia generally affects teens and adult males, however, newborns can also be born with gynecomastia, which eventually goes away over time.Gynecomastia itself is not a dangerous or serious condition. Rather, for many men it is an embarrassing condition and can cause severe social anxiety and low self-esteem.^{1 2}

What Causes Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia causes are typically due to an increase in estrogen activity in men. It can also be caused by a decrease in testosterone levels. There are many reasons why these hormonal fluctuations occur. In newborns, baby boys may develop gynecomastia due to their exposure to estrogen activity from their mothers.^{1 2} In preteen and teen males, gynecomastia can be caused by hormonal changes during puberty. More than half of boys develop gynecomastia during this stage of life.² In adult males, gynecomastia typically develops over the age of 50 and is usually caused by changes in hormonal activity due to aging.² Other gynecomastia causes can include:¹

• Certain medications like radiation, anabolic steroids or HIV medications
• Conditions like liver disease, kidney failure or genetic defects
• Substance abuse from alcohol, heroin or amphetamine consumption

Gynecomastia is not caused by an increase in fat tissue.

Gynecomastia Symptoms

The most common and obvious gynecomastia symptoms are from the growth of breast tissue in one or both male breasts. Some men may also experience other gynecomastia symptoms like:^{2 3}

• Tenderness in the tissue surrounding the nipple area
• Having one breast larger than the other
• Changing nipple sizes
• Having fertility problems or suffering from sexual dysfunction
• Feeling embarrassment or social anxiety due to having male breasts
• Milky discharge in newborn baby boys with gynecomastia

Many men may pursue surgery to reduce their gynecomastia. However, there are safe gynecomastia natural cures that can help reduce breast tissue buildup.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2770912/
2. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/gynecomastia
3. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/120858-overview