The ‘man flu’: It’s not pretense, men actually do get sicker than women

 The male sex may get a more serious and indolent course of disease simply due to a somewhat moderated immune response Photo: Courtesy

The common cold is a recurring and self-resolving viral infection. It tends to be a mild infection, with varying symptoms that include coughs, congested and runny noses, and headaches. Most people will handle a cold pretty well, and can manage to continue with their daily chores. But it appears men don’t really handle colds too well. They appear to get disproportionately worse symptoms compared to their female counterparts.

You will hardly notice when women have a cold. They’ll still get to work, take care of the kids, and multi-task with all the other household stuff. What about men? They will be the sickest folk around, hardly doing anything for themselves, and craving for attention. Is it all an act, or do men really get more ill when they have a cold? That’s how the term ‘man flu’ comes along. You see, flu is a more serious infection compared to the common cold, even though the two usually get confused. Individuals with a real flu will have a protracted course, severer symptoms and generally appear sicker. ‘Man flu’ equates to looking much sicker, than would be expected from a mild illness.

The ‘man flu’ phenomena isn’t just apparent with colds. This has led scientists to search for plausible biological explanations. Some may think men are really the weaker sex, and can’t hold themselves together even when faced with a simple ailment. It is also generally apparent that men will tend to ignore symptoms, and only seek help when they get really overwhelmed. They also predispose themselves to riskier health behaviour, further putting themselves at risk of acquiring a host of infectious organisms. All this may add up to men suffering severer disease symptoms and appearing sicker.

What about immunity? Some studies suggest that male and female immune cells may react differently to invading organisms. The male sex may get a more serious and indolent course of disease simply due to a somewhat moderated immune response. They end up exhibiting a higher level of symptoms, generally look more unwell, and take longer to recover. It remains unclear if the male hormone testosterone plays a definitive role. Ordinarily, testosterone drives the male macho image, but it may also be responsible for the ‘man flu’.

So should you go easy with men next time you find them with disproportionate symptoms for a seemingly mundane illness? For starters, men must take control of their health. That means not ignoring symptoms, and seeking appropriate help in a timely manner. They should also desist from risky health behaviour, and take all reasonable steps to keep away from avoidable ailments. It’s difficult to apportion the full blame for ‘man flu’ to different biological systems.

Women suffer their toll too, and they must be commended for being more proactive than men in matters of health.

Dr Alfred Murage is a consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist