Have you ever noticed that men seem to whine far more than women? When a man complains of cold or flu symptoms, it may not be fair to dismiss his complaints as simply a case of “man flu. “Man flu” means that men may exaggerate the symptoms of a minor illness, such as a cold. This exaggeration of the symptoms is called Man Flu.

Man flu should last about a week and peak a few days after that first trouble in your nose or throat. Until recently the “man flu” was widely seen as a myth. But researchers have found new evidence that might explain why the men/boys in our lives always seem to have a harder time when flu season rolls down the town.







Research supports the exaggeration of the Man Flu

Many of the research findings support men exaggeration of the symptoms. A Canadian scientist Kyle Sue of the Memorial University of Newfoundland conducted a research to find whether the men complaints are exaggerated or not. From this research, Sue concluded that men are not exaggerating their symptoms, but instead truly have weaker immune responses than women.

These studies suggest that men are more likely than women with influenza to die or need hospitalization, which means women tend to be more responsive to flu vaccines than men. Men may really experience worse symptoms than women after having a respiratory virus.

After his analysis, Man flu is now defined as “a cold or similar minor ailment as experienced by a man who is regarded as exaggerating the severity of the symptoms”.

Symptoms of the Man Flu

The symptoms are as you would expect

Sneezing,

Coughing,

A temperature,

A sore throat,

A headache and so on.

Is your husband wearing a blanket around the house or possibly carrying a large scarf? Is he coughing with a gesture each time toward his throat, also, is he laying on the fainting couch with a thermometer in his mouth, asking, “Do I feel hot to you?” These are all symptoms of man flu.

Precautions against Man Flu

Research in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reveals that 1 to 1.5 hours of vigorous exercise per week reduces a man’s risk of respiratory infections by 34%. Short moves such as kettlebells work because they strengthen your immune system, while prolonged activity like running actually weakens it. If you perform moderate to high-intensity exercise for 90 minutes or longer, your immune system doesn’t respond as well.







Stock up your immunity bunker

You will surely need these below mentioned things to deal with Man Flu, so it’s better to stay stocked up.

Mushroom soup all those white button mushrooms in the soup feed your defenses.

Cheese, A sandwich, pizza, cheese on toast … do you really need an excuse?

Brazil nuts, a 100g bag per day reduces your risk of viral infections.

Oranges, Two or three a day keep the doctor away. Or two glasses of orange juice reduce the duration of your flu symptoms by as much as 8%.

Stock on hand to fight the exaggerated “man cold”

Cold remedies

Tissues with lotion to help his chapped nose

Hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray to help keep the cold from spreading.

Thermometer to check the fever

Humidifier to moisten the air

Chicken soup (it really does help)

Keep him hydrated. Encourage him to drink plenty of fluids such as warm water with lemon, decaffeinated tea, juice, or clear broth

Help him rest. A good night’s sleep is essential to help deal the “man cold

Know when to call in reinforcements. Sometimes your man isn’t just “wimping out” over a cold. Encourage him to see a doctor if his cold lasts more than 7 to 10 days.

Take care of yourself too. Moreover, don’t forget that your man isn’t the only one who needs some care. Wash your hands frequently to help reduce your risk of getting sick.

Diagnosis of Man flu

Go to your medical team and retrieve your most sympathetic face. Return to your man, who is stricken somewhere comfortable, and ask, “Do you think you have the same thing the kids and I had, then?”

If he replies, “I… (Coughing) I think it’s something worse,” then you’ve got a classic case of man flu.

Treatment of the Man Flu

Bring the kids in to offer emotional support. Take your husband’s temperature from time to time and affirm that “you feel hot.” You can also pop some Vicks onto his feet. Doctors are united in asking that you do not use antibiotics for viruses because antibiotics attack bacterial infections. They are naturally powerless against a virus. Furthermore, your use of them will decimate your gut flora. It also brings us one step closer to an antibiotic-resistant superbug.

Photo Credit: http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/1137361/is-man-flu-real

References

Aisling, M. (2017, December 12). What is man flu, is it real and what are the symptoms? Retrieved from http://metro.co.uk/2017/12/12/what-is-man-flu-is-it-real-and-what-are-the-symptoms-7151967/

Rachael, R. (2017, December 11). Is ‘Man Flu’ Real? Men Suffer More When Sick, Study Suggests. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/61164-man-flu-real.html

JAMIE, D. (2017, December 12). Is ‘Man Flu’ a Real Thing? Here’s What We Know. Retrieved from http://time.com/5060429/what-is-man-flu/

CLAIRE, Z. (2017, December 12). ‘Man Flu’: Doctor Says Science Explains Why Sick Men Complain So Much. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2017/12/12/man-flu-is-real-science/

Ryan, B. (2017, December 13). HOW TO SURVIVE MAN FLU. Retrieved from http://www.menshealth.co.uk/healthy/symptoms-treatment/survive-man-flu