Puberty gynaecomastism Male Breasts

Breasts in boys

A particularly stressful situation can arise in boys in puberty, when breasts are formed by an imbalance between the female sex hormone estrogen and the male androgens. If you believe the literature, it may come in up to 40 percent of boys to puberty gynecomastia.

Contents:
pubertal gynecomastia
Synonyms
Symptoms and complaints in puberty gynecomastia
Causes of puberty gynecomastia
Naturopathy treatment

Synonyms

Puberty gynaecomastia, adolescent gynecomastia, adolescent gynecomastia, breast formation in boys, breasts in boys, boy breasts, pseudogynaecomastia, gynecomastia.

Symptoms and complaints

Pubertal gynaecomastia may occur as a one-sided, but also bilaterally as a family disposition and does not always form completely. Partly, the breast formation can be very large, as in a woman, but also only slightly recognizable. Most obese boys between the ages of 13 and 14 are affected.

Especially in adolescence, when boys move away from their parents and seek the closeness and acceptance of their peers, puberty gynecomastia can be very stressful for those affected. On the one hand, of course, it can lead to taunting and loss of respect in the circle of friends, on the other hand is the "otherness" compared to peers for many a difficult to endure situation. This can lead to psychological complications from self-isolation to depression or anxiety.

Physically, it may cause tension in the chest, chest pain and sometimes secretion from the chest. There may also be further manifestations of feminization and weak puberty. Here further medical examinations are carried out to exclude a so-called Klinefelter syndrome - a hypofunction of the gonads in puberty.

Causes of puberty gynecomastia

The cause of adolescent gynecomastia without underlying serious disease is an imbalance between the female and male hormones in the boy's body, the estrogens and the androgens.

Since, as mentioned above, adipose boys are often affected, it is assumed that the enzyme aromatase is still involved by an overactivity. Aromatase inhibitors are often given as part of breast cancer treatment because they inhibit the production of estrogen. It is important that serious reasons for breast formation are excluded. First and foremost, the testicles and the breast itself are scanned. Furthermore, possible participating organs such as testicles, brain (pituitary gland), kidneys, adrenals and liver are examined by imaging techniques.

Medication or alcohol abuse can also cause puberty gynecomastia. Especially with young bodybuilders one can often hear of the problem - especially if they take additional hormonal substances, such as anabolic steroids. It is believed that even massive marijuana use as a cause in question, since hemp vegetable estrogens (phytoestrogens) contains. Delineated is the pubertal gynaecomastia of pseudogynaecomastia, which occurs in the context of obesity. This is a fat storage without glandular tissue.

Naturopathy treatment

In the first place, this symptom picture, a pubertal gynaecomacia, excludes potentially triggering or reinforcing factors such as alcohol, certain medications, or marijuana use. In the literature there are reports on the substance anastrozole, which is used in homeopathy in addition to other agents. Unfortunately, there are no reports or experience to date. (Tf)