Gynecomastia is a medical disorder where the men and boys breasts become larger due to the changes in hormone secretion. While men’s and boy’s body majorly forms testosterone, it also forms estrogen in less quantities, which is the hormone necessary for sexual growth in women. If the amount of estrogen secretion is more as compared to testosterone, the male breast tissues can swell up which gives an impression of oversized breasts.
CAUSES
Several causes could form in Gynecomastia based upon the age in which they cause.
- In Infants- Gynecomastia can occur to newly born male babies, possibly because of the highest quantity of estrogen passed to them from their mothers. This swelling in the breasts will slowly reduce and lastly return to normal after the estrogen levels come down.
- In Boys- Young boys may face signs of Gynecomastia when they hit puberty. This is usually due to an imbalance in the shifting of the hormones of the body.
- In Middle-Aged and Older Men- As men start aging, the range of testosterone formed by the body comes down in comparison to estrogen, which could cause in Gynecomastia.
Sometimes, because of hereditary reasons, the male reproductive organs may be not proper and produce a limited secretion of testosterone. Besides these natural disorder, Gynecomastia can also cause due to the some kind of external factors like:
- Acute use of illegal drugs such as:- anabolic steroids/ marijuana/ opioids/heroin.
- Consumption of drugs for certain conditions such as- cancer/ heart diseases/ulcers.
- Abuse of drugs such as:- tricyclic antidepressants and some HIV medications.
- Any injury and disease which affects the testicles, which in turn could damage the secretion of testosterone.
- Thyroid issues, which can develop a hormonal imbalance in the body.
- Certain herbal medications which can derail testosterone production.
- Essential oils such as:-tea tree oil and lavender oil used in creams as well as shampoos would impact gynecomastia.
- Obesity can expand the secretion of estrogen.
