What are the Most Common Causes of Male Breast Pain?

Men may experience pain in their chest tissue at some point, in which case there are a few common reasons. One of the most common causes of male breast pain is gynecomastia, which is inflammation of male breast tissue. Certain medications can also cause this issue, including diuretics, steroids, and drugs taken for hypertension. Finally, liver damage can also result in pain in the male breasts as excess fat accumulates in the liver. Fortunately, male breast cancer is not a common cause of breast pain.

Gynecomastia involves excess fat in the chest area of males, often resulting in tenderness and swelling. Though fat is not naturally supposed to accumulate in that area in males, this condition is quite common, especially in those going through puberty. It is usually attributed to hormone imbalance, which tends to occur either during puberty or during old age. Fortunately, it is usually temporary, and typically requires no treatment. As soon as the hormones balance out, the male breast tissue should return to normal.

Male breast pain is also sometimes caused by the use of certain medications. Steroids are responsible for some cases, as they may cause both breast growth and tenderness. Diuretics can also result in breast pain in men, which is why patients are typically advised to talk to their doctor before taking over the counter medication that may feature side effects like this. Of course, some prescription medications also lead to pain in the breast tissue. For example, methyldopa, which is used to treat hypertension, can cause tenderness in the chest tissue of some patients.

Liver damage is another somewhat common cause of male breast pain, as fat tends to build up on the liver with this condition. The excess fat can then result in pain in both the abdomen and the chest. A fatty liver is typically caused by alcoholism, obesity, or a diet high in unsaturated fats, and can lead to liver failure if not treated quickly.

One of the first conditions that may enter the mind when dealing with breast pain is breast cancer, but this is not typically considered a common cause of male breast pain. This is partly because breast cancer is much less common in men than in women, which means that men are very unlikely to get it. Additionally, few cases of male breast cancer involve pain in the chest, as most are diagnosed after the observation of a lump that is not painful.