There has been a lot of post as of late concerning gyno .. I wanted to go over a few things that seem to be misunderstood ..
Lets start with talking about gyno .. What is it ? The medical term is gynecomastia .. It is the formation of breast tissue .. Here is the medical definition of gynecomastia..
Gynecomastia
Alternative Names
Breast development in a male
Definition
Gynecomastia is the development of abnormally large breasts in males.
Considerations
The condition may occur in one or both breasts and begins as a small lump beneath the nipple, which may be tender. The breasts often enlarge unevenly. Gynecomastia during puberty is not uncommon, and usually goes away over a period of months.
In newborns, breast development may be associated with milk flow (galactorrhea). This condition usually lasts for a couple of weeks, but in rare cases may last until the child is 2 years old.
Causes
The most common cause of gynecomastia is puberty.
Other causes include:
Chronic liver disease
Exposure to anabolic steroid hormones
Exposure to estrogen hormone
Genetic disorders
Kidney failure
Marijuana use
Side effects of some medications
Testosterone (male hormone) deficiency
Rare causes include:
Genetic defects
Overactive thyroid
Tumors
Home Care
Apply cold compresses and use analgesics as your health care provider recommends if swollen breasts are also tender.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if the breasts have developed abnormally or if there is swelling or pain in one or both breasts.
Note: Gynecomastia in children who have not yet reached puberty should always be checked by a health care provider.
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your health care provider will take a medical history and perform a physical examination.
Medical history questions may include:
Is one or both breasts involved?
What is the age and gender of the patient?
What medications is the person taking?
How long has gynecomastia been present?
Is the gynecomastia staying the same, getting better, or getting worse?
What other symptoms are present?
Testing may not be necessary, but the following tests may be done to rule out certain diseases:
Blood hormone level tests
Breast ultrasound
Liver and kidney function studies
Mammogram
Intervention:
If an underlying condition is found, it is treated. Gynecomastia during puberty usually goes away on its own; however, persistent, extreme, or uneven breast enlargement may be embarrassing for an adolescent boy. Breast reduction surgery may be recommended.
After seeing your health care provider:
If your health care provider made a diagnosis related to gynecomastia, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.
Update Date: 12/6/2007
As you can see from the common causes ( listed above), gyno can occur during puberty .. There are many other known things that can cause gyno .. Steroids is not the only thing .. People seem to relate gyno mostly with steroid use , but they are surprised when I tell them all the other things that can contribute to having the dreaded bitch tits form..
I see a lot of post on the board about people asking about gyno and how estrogen's role is very important in it's formation ..
There is a misconception about this ( so it seems ) ... Yes, estrogen's role is a important one in the formation of gyno .. Gyno needs estrogen to form .. You see these post about it all the time .. " Take a AI's to try to knock out estrogen so gyno cant form " .. " If there isn't any estrogen you wont get gyno" blah blah blah ..
Well as we know estrogen is also important in the muscle building process ( I spoke about it in my estrogen and Ai post)... So trying to totally destroy it is not the best idea as it can reduce your gains .. As well as the health benefits estrogen provides in men ( I will do another post on that though in the future)..
As I have said .. and as you probably have heard (a bunch of times ) .. at least if you are an active member here .. Gyno needs estrogen to form , but what you dont hear a lot is that gyno acually requires estrogen , progesterone as well as other mediators such as IGF and GH to form ..
Gyno cant not form if the internal conditions are not right.. Estrogen or progesterone alone cant cause gyno ..
So like estrogen , progesterone will have minimal effects in breast development ( without anterior pituitary hormones ).. Development of breast tissue im men occurs in a simialir manner as it does in a females ( same hormones cause it)....
Males testes secrete 6 -10 mg of of estradiol per day .. The rest comes from the aromatization of testosterone , as well as androstenedione to estradiol and estrone.. So if you are taking steroids the test your body is converting to estrogen could possible create the proper environment for gyno to form , but I want to clear up the misinformation I keep seeing on the web so people can start to understand that is is not just estrogen that causes gyno ..
People using 19nors ( like deca, tren ) are concerned with progesterone ( and prolactin) issues .. Its is the samething .. Gyno requires progesterone , estrogen ( as well as other mediator's to form).. People using 19 nors could also consider using letro as it has been shown to lower PgR ( progesterone receptors)...
So yes controlling estrogen is a good way to avoid gyno , but I wanted to clear this up a little bit so more people understand it's not just estrogen that causes gyno .. There have been a lot of post about this so I thought is was worth discussing ..
Merc.