‘Man flu’ is real says experts who explain why men suffer more
Scientists have confirmed “man flu” is real, with new research showing why men experience worse cold symptoms than women do.
We’ve all heard the jokes – a man catches a cold and suddenly it’s “the worst flu in history”.
You might even have seen it yourself – a partner dramatically coughing and sniffling as if they’ve caught the plague, when really it’s just a minor respiratory infection.
According to the stereotype, blokes will be on the sofa feeling sorry for themselves, while their female partners, also sick, continue to work from home, do chores, and look after them.
It’s such a widely recognised phenomenon that the phrase “man flu” has even made its way into the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries.
Oxford describes it as “a cold or similar minor ailment as experienced by a man who is thought to be exaggerating how bad the symptoms are”.
But is it just over-the-top acting, or is there some science behind it?
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Are men milking it?
Sadly, not.
According to one study, there are in fact differences in men’s and women’s symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses).
Dr Sam Hay says there are a few biological reasons why this occurs.
“Taking a deep dive into the research, it does show that men often have weaker immune responses to viral infections, experience more severe symptoms and take longer to recover from common infections like the flu or colds,” he told news.com.au.
And yes, believe it or not, hormones play a big role.
Dr Hay explained that oestrogen, the dominant female hormone, provides a “helpful boost” to the immune system, ramps up virus-fighting cells, improves antibody production, and even reduces inflammation.
“Testosterone, on the other hand, does the opposite,” Dr Hay explains.
“It dulls down the immune system’s reaction and leaves men more vulnerable to bugs.”
It’s also been shown that women respond more effectively to vaccination than men.
Other aspects of the female immune system also seem to function more effectively.
But for men, it’s a different story.
Men have one X chromosome, while women have two, which are known to carry important immune function genes. This gives women the benefit of immune-related genes from two separate chromosomes.
From a behavioural perspective, women are more likely to take hygiene measures such as washing their hands, avoiding crowds and wearing masks.
As another doctor online pointed out, women are also “used to pushing through (with) periods, childbirth and caretaking,” so they may be more accustomed to carrying on while uncomfortable, such as when they have a cold.
On various social media platforms, women shared their experiences of what they’ve seen from the men who have been unwell in their lives.
“My husband once sent me a picture of clothes laid out on our bed so that if he died before I got home, I’d know what he wanted to be buried in. He had a cold!” one shared.
“My husband will be sofa-bound for at least a week every time he has a cold,” another wrote. “And he’ll then be ‘recovering’ for a whole week afterwards”.
Turns out, this could all be legitimate, so perhaps it’s time we cut them some slack?
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Originally published as ‘Man flu’ is real says experts who explain why men suffer more
