Would your primary doctor volunteer that you have gyne?

[Chicago]

When I was a kid, I was overweight. When I was in College, I worked out and got healthy. In the last few years, I put a little weight back on but still not horrible. 6'0, 195lbs. Being fat left me with a pretty bad body image, even when I knew I was skinny. I remember asking my personal trainer, while in my early 20s, how to get my chest to be firmer and he just replied I needed to keep working out and not drink so much beer. In any case, I'm in my barely 30s and was shocked last winter when my good friend was visiting. he was interviewing for a residency (doctor) and I was showing him a good night on the town. While drinking, he just kinda blurts out that I "definitely" have gyne and i've had a bit since he's known me. It shocks me a bit and I make some bad jokes.

My question is, if this was the case, couldn't I expect my regular physician to mention it to me? She sees me with my shirt off!

What is to be expected? is it something a doc will only answer if prompted?

[Raider Fan]

My question is, if this was the case, couldn't I expect my regular physician to mention it to me? She sees me with my shirt off!

What is to be expected? is it something a doc will only answer if prompted?

Hello, Chicago, and welcome to gyne.org.  Interesting post you have here.  I'm sure most here can relate to your question. 

You asked, "Is it something a doc will only answer if prompted?"  I think you nailed it.  I think that's exactly what's going on, mainly because gynecomastia is not really considered a "health" problem.  That's why insurance companies generally don't pay to have the condition corrected.  In addition, the condition is so common today that I think doctors don't really see it as a problem unless the person REPORTS it as a problem.  I think your typical doctor is no more likely to mention an average case of gynecomastia to you anymore than they would having age spots on your back, or having a spare tire around your middle. These conditions are common to men today so they don't bring it up. 

Doctors have a term they use when assessing someone.  They use the terms "remarkable" and "unremarkable".  If something with the person's health is "remarkable," then that means it's noteworthy or something that is worth their attention and/or needs to be looked into further.  If something is "unremarkable," then they aren't concerned about it and don't believe it needs to be looked into any further.   

I believe most doctors consider gynecomastia an "unremarkable" condition.  It's not a serious condition, it is a common condition, and it generally does not affect one's health. It only becomes a "problem" or "remarkable" to them if the patient brings it up, and even then, many doctors dismiss it or minimize it.  They typically say "Don't worry about it" or "It's common and it'll go away."   

So it pretty much boils down to.....your gynecomastia is only a problem if it's a problem to you. 

[Chicago]

Thanks for the reply Raider fan.

That seems a bit shocking to me, but I get your logic. I kinda want my doc to give me a heads up on things, including if I need to shed some weight or whatever. I wonder if I had a younger doc, she would bring it up since it seems to be on the mind of my newly minted doc friend.

[Paa_Paw]

I am an old man who would not make a good surgical candidate because of several medical issues. Because of that, I would not expect a Dr. to mention the gynecomastia unless he was fishing for something else such as decreased libido etc. indicating a hormonal deficiency. If he was looking for symptoms of a condition and gynecomastia might be a symptom he might ask.

If I was much younger and in better overall health, he might be more likely to mention it. The reason is that surgery can now deal with the condition very safely and effectively.

Many Doctors would not mention the condition because there would be nothing to gain by embarrassing a patient but they could cause the person to become very self conscious about the condition where they had been ignoring it before.

I don't know that there are any policies that apply.

Some time ago, a young man came to us with a story about going to the Dr. for a routine check up. The Dr. asked if the lads breasts were causing him embarrassment. There had been no problem until the Doctor brought it up, now the boy was beset by a mixture of anxiety and depression.

Many Doctors will not mention it simply because they see it so often that they consider it normal.

[Chicago]

Not that its happened, but would a doctor be likely to bring it up if they noticed if your chest was getting bigger?

[ddh]

I am married to a primary care physician and I think it would be very unusual for her to remark about a patient's chest unless the patient raised it as an issue. The exception would be a "remarkable" female-like chest that would warn of a hidden health problem.

Most of us on this board don't have a health problem. We just have chests we don't like.

Many men have boobs that grow bigger if they gain weight and grow bigger and saggier as they age. For most, it is not a health problem. It is just the way we are. We seek surgery to change it cosmetically. We don't seek surgery to improve our health (just our happiness).