What are the differences between gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia

Man boobs is a condition wherein a man's chest becomes puffy, or dome like instead of the chiselled shape of the normal man's chest. It is caused by an abnormal development of the tissues under the man's nipples. Sometimes, it has something to do with hormonal imbalance, so it is mostly common in adolescent and middle aged men. Some elderly men that are 65 years of age or above are also vulnerable.

Moving on to PseudoGynecomastia

PseudoGynecomastia is another condition wherein a man develops "Man Boobs". But in this condition, the enlargement of the chest is mainly due to the concentration of body fat right under the nipples, making it look like feminine boobs. The most common patients that are experiencing this kind of condition are the one who is working out and taking steroids, when they stop working out or when there is an abnormality in the circulation of steroids, causing more fat to be stocked under the nipples.

Differentiating between the two

There is one main difference between the two conditions, it is the underlying "mass" that is the main reason of the enlargement of the chest. In the case of the actual man-boob, the reason of the enlargement of the chest is due to the underlying "mass" which is the result of an abnormal tissue development, whereas in PseudoGynecomastia, the main culprit is just fat, that had all concentrated under the nipples, making the chest have a feminine look to it.

Distinguishing one from the other

There is one simple procedure in which the patient can distinguish which one of the two conditions is the reason for his "man boobs". It simply by lying on his back, and then placing his hand behind his head, and then having the thumb and forefinger at full length hold the chest. Slowly, the thumb and forefinger are then closed in the direction of the nipple. If a mass or something hard and disc-like is felt before reaching the nipples, then he is suffering from the problem of "man-boob", on the other hand, if the thumb and forefinger don't meet until it reaches the nipples, or if there has been no mass that was felt under the nipples, then it is probably PseudoGynecomastia that the patient is suffering from.

Solutions for man-boobs problem

Even after distinguishing what of the two conditions a patient has, whatever of the two may he suspect is the cause for his chest chubbiness, the first and foremost solution for both is to workout, have a healthy diet, and exercise to bring down the overall mass of fat all around the body, in PseudoGynecomastia, the patient should notice a big difference in the size of the enlargement, a noticeable decrease of the puffiness should be present. But if there is no difference after shedding a lot of body fat, then a big probability that the patient is suffering from the true "man-boob" is apparent. Since the true one is not to be taken lightly because it can lead to serious conditions or breast cancer, patients suffering from the true one are advised to consult their doctor immediately.