37 yrs old, gyne flare up on right breast only...advice

[cevan]

Hi folks,

New member here.  Like most others here, I started doing some online research and found this site.  Here's my story:

I'm 37 years old and have had gynecomastia since puberty.  In jr. high I had the typical symptoms of a small amount of breast tissue under the nipples. It was slightly raised and sore to the touch.  By high school, it subsided and for the next 20 years (until now) I've lived with a small amount of tissue (non-painful) under both nipples.  It's never bothered me until now, and was never a big deal.

BUT, recently, I was showering and felt pain in my right nipple and breast area.  Upon further investigation, I noticed swelling of the breast tissue under the nipple and it was very sore.  I've kept an eye on it for the last week or two and the pain has almost gone away and it seems the swelling has gone down a little, but there is still more swollen tissue on the right side than left.

Is this common for a man my age to happen?  Should I be concerned? 

The only cause I've found while doing the research is that I have been a regular drinker (alcohol) all of my adult life.  I'd consider myself a very regular beer drinker, but not the hardcore alcoholic type (not sure if that makes a difference or not).  Do you think this is what's causing this?  Is this common for someone like me?

And, my last question is, should I be concerned that it only happened to one breast?

Thanks in advance all.  Glad I found this site.

[Grandpa Bambu]

cevan...

Welcome to the Site broh...

Gynecomastia can strike at almost any age. Should you be concerned of experiencing this at 37 years of age? No.

Apparently, consuming alcohol raises estrogen levels in the body. However, I know lots of guys who are heavy drinkers and do not have Gynecomastia...  So.....

There are some guys who have Uni-lateral Gynecomastia. It's not as common as Bi-lateral Gynecomastia, however, don't get your shorts in a knot about it. Gyne is gyne... whether it be one side or both... 

GB



 

[cevan]

Grandpa-

Thanks for the response. I was wondering if I was going to get any replies at all.  I realize my questions and concerns have been beat to death on here, and I'm sure my first post is similar to many, many others.  So, thanks again for responding.

Just to add some more detail to what I call my "flare up"...  It seemed to happen very, very quickly - as in two to three weeks time.  There was a lot of pain in the entire pectoral area, not just the nipple.  The pain would come and go, come and go (which I've read is a normal symptom).  Throughout the first two weeks, the breast tissue grew to about twice to three times what it normally is. (Normally, in both breasts it's an 1.5in disc just under the nipple and about a quarter inch thick).  But now, as I've mentioned before, the pain is almost gone, the swollen tissue is still there, but not as prevalent. This all took place in the course of three weeks.  Should that be a concern? 

I guess what kind of freaks me out is the stuff I've read about other problems in the body causing these types of symptoms.  Not sure if I should really be that concerned, because I've read that is very rare, correct?

Thanks again guys.

[Grandpa Bambu]

Sometimes, with a guy your age, medications/drugs are the root cause of Gynecomastia. Has your doctor given you any new meds lately? Are you taking meds to treat baldness?

You should see an Endocrinologist who specializes in the male reproductive system to see if anything is abnormal hormonally...

GB