Apparently men will never know the true meaning of pain until we learn to give birth. But according to research men are more susceptible to certain kinds of pain. For two years Dr. Andreas Sander-Kiesling from the department of anaesthesiology and intensive care at the Medical University of Graz in Austria assessed the records of over 10,000 patients undergoing a variety of surgeries. They were asked to rate their pain levels within 24 hours of procedures. Men were 27pc more likely to report feeling more pain after major invasive operations such as heart surgery, while women showed higher pain readings after more routine operations such as biopsies.

So it turns out we're not all a bunch of needy weaklings. Okay, we may occasionally exaggerate our symptoms for dramatic effect, adding a phlegmy hawk here, a pitiful moan there – but who doesn’t relish being cosseted by a concerned lover every now and then?

Ladies, next time your man is feeling under the weather, don’t just shake your head in disbelief. He may be feeling under loved or under appreciated; he may just be looking for a little reassurance and a kind word; or, God forbid, he might even be going through something major like the manopause. Give him the benefit of the doubt, mop his brow, be the bearer of comforting Lemsip, tell him he'll feel better in the morning. And if his symptoms persist, take him kicking and screaming down to the nearest GP surgery.