Sudden Breast Growth
A sudden increase in the size of breasts can be normal or it can mean a life-threatening disease. Males and females may both be affected by a rapid growth of the breasts. Abnormal breast augmentation can be caused by hormonal changes or diseases.
Adolescence
Girls and boys usually go through a growth spurt around the same time, when they experience a quick development in height, weight and muscle mass, according to Ygoy.com. Boys usually hit puberty between 12 and 16 years of age, while girls experience a growth spurt between 11 and 14 years of age. The drastic change in the hormones may lead to an increase in size of the breasts for both boys and girls. Once puberty tapers off and everything is proportional for the most part, the boys don't notice the growth in their breasts so much.
Weight Gain
When someone gains weight at a rapid pace, man or woman, it will most likely lead to breast growth as well. Women on birth control may experience weight increase, which in turn causes breast growth.
Pregnancy
During the first two months of pregnancy, a woman may experience accelerated breast growth due to the hormonal changes that are occurring, reports Imaginis.com. It is normal for the size of breasts to augment as much as two cup sizes throughout pregnancy.
Infections
Swelling of the breast can sometimes mean that they have become infected. Usually, infection occurs when a mother is breastfeeding her baby and bacteria, commonly from the baby's mouth, causes infection of the breasts known as mastitis, according to eMedicineHealth. Infection of the breast can also happen in women who are not breastfeeding and who have experienced menopause. If left untreated, the mastitis can result in an abscess, where there is a buildup of pus in a concentrated area. If the abscess spreads to the breast tissue, it will need to be surgically removed by drainage.
Breast Diseases
There are a few rare diseases that affect the breast. One of the life-threatening diseases is inflammatory breast cancer. Not until the cancer has advanced in the breasts are symptoms noticeable. They include swelling, discoloration of the breast to a redness, and tenderness. A very rare disease, gigantomastia, may occur during pregnancy, in puberty or while taking medications, reports Office of Rare Diseases Research. Breasts increase at a rapid pace to an abnormally large size, resulting in adverse effects. Pain, infection, problems with posture, reduced fetal growth and loss of nipple sensation are all caused by gigantomastia. Depending on the severity of the condition, treatment might involve breast reduction, hormonal treatment, mastectomy (removal of a breast) or a combination of treatments. Breast hypertrophy can affect females during their growth spurt and pregnancy, as well. Hypertrophy causes breasts to grow abnormally large, at an accelerated rate, usually with one breast being noticeably larger than the other, according to Breast-Plastic-Surgery.org. Also, hypertrophy may lead to gigantomastia.
Breast Development in Men
Gynecomastia is when there is breast swelling in males due to an unequal amount of the hormones estrogen and testosterone, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not harmful to the body, gynecomastic in males usually causes them to feel embarrassed by their large breasts and may lead them to get surgery done or try hormonal therapy in order to reduce them to normal size.
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