The link between anabolic steroids and gynecomastia in men – MENAFN.COM

(MENAFN - Arab Times) Gynecomastia is a problem that occurs in some men in whichbreast tissue develops. It is often caused by some type of disruption to theendocrine system. This is the system of the body which consists of glands thatsecrete various hormones, so any thing that upsets the homeostatic balance ofparticular sex hormones can result in gynecomastia.

There are some cases where a man may not have extra breasttissue because of hormonal problems but rather from having too much fat thataccumulates behind the areolae of the chest. This condition is sometimesdistinguished from gynecomastia and is called lipomastia or adipomastia.

Interestingly gynecomastia is not uncommon in newborn maleinfants and is found in from 60 to 90% of newborn baby boys, but thecondition usually goes away on its own. It can occur in about 1/3 of menbetween 25 and 45 and it becomes more prevalent with age.

How steroids causehormonal problems

One of the major factors associated with the development ofgynecomastia in men is the use of anabolic steroids, causing as many as 25% of allcases in men. Steroid abuse has long been a problem in the sports world,and the concern is that there are unpleasant side effects with these drugs.

The steroids often alter the balance of estrogen andandrogen hormones in people. A man usually has a lot of the androgen hormoneslike testosterone and very little estrogen, but the steroids affect theconcentrations. This hormonal imbalance is believed to be the main causativefactor of gynecomastia in men.

Not all of the steroid drugs necessarily cause breastdevelopment, but those that do often do so because they can cause a change inhormone levels. The synthetic steroid mimics the effect of naturally producedtestosterone. Testosterone is the hormone most associated with muscledevelopment in boys at puberty, and it can lead to increased muscle mass asboys mature during adolescence. Unfortunately the body tends to convert theartificial testosterone found in anabolic steroids into estrogen after a whilewhich then leads to breast tissue development.

What can be doneabout gynecomastia ?

The most permanent solution to the problem of gynecomastiais to have breast reduction surgery as is done at such places as theVera Clinicin Turkey. A surgeon canremove the excess breast tissue from the chest area to create a more masculineappearance. A man does have to be healthy enough to undergo surgery though, sothis is something to keep in mind and why consulting with a physician is a goodfirst step in looking for treatment options.

For some men, the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen has provedhelpful in treating their gynecomastia condition. If a man has breast tissuebecause of being overweight, the first step should be to try to lose weight bystarting an exercise program and following a healthy diet. In the end this canonly benefit you even if you later decide on breast reduction surgery.

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The link between anabolic steroids and gynecomastia in men - MENAFN.COM