Is Gynecomastia Normal?

When you typically think of a male’s chest compared to a female’s chest you’ll think of the obvious difference: one has breasts and the other doesn’t. And although you may think it’s extremely rare to see a male of any age with enlarged breasts or tissue, you may be surprised to learn that in some instances, gynecomastia or enlarged breast tissues in men, is more prevalent than you may be aware of.

Let’s take a closer look at how.

• Infants: It is reported that more than half of male infants are born with enlarged breast tissue due to the increased amount of estrogen they received while in utero. Even though the breast size goes down after a few months and after their hormones have stabilized, if you notice that your baby boy has enlarged breasts, it’s nothing to be alarmed about. In fact, one thing that may surprise you is that some male infants can even produce breast milk— if that isn’t enough to blow your mind, then this will.
• Teenagers: Being a teenager is hard. Not only do you have to deal with asserting your independence, but your body is going through some major hormonal changes including— unfortunately— breast tissue in some teenage boys. As a teenager’s body’s hormones are out of whack, sometimes gynecomastia is a side effect, but in most instances, the breast tissues will dissipate on their own after about six to 24 months depending on the patient.
• Men: Did you know that 25% of men between the ages 50 and 69 suffer from gynecomastia? Similar to how women go through menopause and extreme hormonal changes around this time, men also go through some hormonal changes or a decrease in testosterone levels.

Gynecomastia is more common than you may know of and in many cases, it can clear up on its own. If you have gynecomastia and would like to learn more about treatments, contact Dr. Rick Silverman at (617) 965-9500 to schedule a consultation.