With the common cold making its rounds as people begin to mix once again, so is the infamous term “man flu”.
Recent posts on social media have suggested that there’s currently “the worst cold ever” being passed around the UK as people begin to mix together after lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
This, coupled with the arrival of autumnal temperatures, means many will begin to feel the impact of cold and flu season.
Alongside comes the inevitable topic of the “man-flu” – either from people suffering from a particularly bad cold, or from others belittling men’s illness.
Firstly, what is man-flu?
The term has landed a spot in both Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries.
Oxford defines it as “a cold or similar minor ailment as experienced by a man who is regarded as exaggerating the severity of the symptoms”.
It has quickly become associated with someone that relies heavily on others to help them until they recover.
And Dr Earim Chaudry, medical director of men’s health platform Manual, has suggested going easy on men suffering from this new cold making its way across the UK.
He said: “When one develops a cold, the severity of symptoms can differ greatly from person to person.
“So comparisons between how two or more people are impacted isn’t particularly scientific and certainly isn’t helpful.”
But is man-flu real?
There have been studies dating back to the 17th Century that suggest females have a higher immune response to infection than males.
Canadian researcher Kyle Sue, a clinical assistant professor in family medicine, explored the science behind the phenomenon – and his conclusion leans heavily towards “yes”.
He found men might have more severe flu symptoms than women because they don’t respond the same way to the influenza vaccination.
The flu jab tends to have a better antibody response in women and testosterone may be the reason behind this.
Men with high levels of testosterone tended to have a low antibody response, and are more likely to be hospitalised and die from the illness than women.
One medical journal references an unscientific survey completed by more than 2,000 readers of a popular magazine.
It found men said it took them on average three days to recover from viral respiratory illness.
For women, it took a day-and-a-half.
Or is it an evolutionary survival instinct?
Another proposed theory predates the 17th Century, where Prof Sue says the increase in male sickness may be a strategy important for survival.
Lying on the couch, not getting out of bed and getting help doing day-to-day activities helps conserve energy.
As a result, it could be a useful tool for reducing the risk of encountering predators.
Prof Sue’s study concludes: “Perhaps now is the time for male-friendly spaces, equipped with enormous televisions and reclining chairs, to be set up where men can recover from the debilitating effects of man flu in safety and comfort.”
Based on these findings, there might be more to the man-flu than the public simply believing men are “exaggerating” their symptoms.
However, while it may not definitive, evidence suggests that the illness may be more severe in men.
It might not be exaggerated
Dr Chaudry said it’s entirely possible that men do suffer worse side effects from the same common cold than their female counterparts.
According to reports from Harvard Medical School, men experience viral illnesses differently than women, following previous cases from other conditions, such as pain felt when suffering a heart attack or angina.
He added: “In these circumstances, men tend to have crushing chest pain, while women are more likely to have atypical symptoms such as nausea or shortness of breath.
“It may be possible that the impact of cold and flu symptoms between the genders is appropriate, and not exaggerated.”