How to know if you have gynecomastia?

I’m a boy , why are my breasts growing?

In puberty , each day brings a new change. Your body is changing. You grow by the action of sex hormones until you become an adult.

Sometimes during this process in some boys the breast tissue can grow. This is called gynecomastia.

This does not mean that you will become a woman or something like that. It’s just a normal change that happens as you get older. And in almost all cases, it is temporary.

How does a man develop breast tissue?

Gynecomastia is a condition that causes men to build up breast tissue because of the normal hormonal change that occurs during puberty.

Both men and women produce androgens (hormones that induce the appearance and maintenance of masculine characteristics) and estrogen (the hormone responsible for most of the feminine characteristics).

In girls, breasts grow because of high levels of estrogen. In men, during puberty, androgens increase mainly. But they also produce a small amount of estrogen, enough to make breast tissue grow.

Considerations

More than half of boys have gynecomastia during puberty.

The breasts in men may not be symmetrical. It may grow only on one side of the chest or on both. The area around the breasts may be a little sore.

Gynecomastia is almost always temporary. It is very rare for the breasts to remain enlarged. In a matter of months, or in a couple of years, the breasts are completely reduced and return to their normal size.

If you are concerned about your appearance, you can wear loose shirts. They will help you disguise or hide the growth of your breasts until, over time, they return to their normal size.

Although the main cause of the appearance of gynecomastia is puberty, it may also be due to other diseases or the effect of medication. Illegal drug use, such as anabolic steroids, marijuana, or heroin, can create a hormonal imbalance and cause gynecomastia.

There is also something called pseudogynecomastia (or false gynecomastia). This disorder has nothing to do with puberty or hormones. It is an increase in the breast of boys due to excess fat. With a physical exam, the doctor can determine if it is gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia.

When should you see your doctor?

If you are concerned or if you have any symptoms such as:

• Significant redness, pain, or enlargement in one or both breasts.

• There is dark or bloody discharge from the nipple.

• There is an ulcer or skin lesion over the breast.

• A lump in the breast, firm or hard and attached to the tissue.

• Breast augmentation in children who have not reached puberty.

• Extreme enlargement that does not go away spontaneously.