The trauma
has just been renewed, the old wounds reopened, just recently I had a bout of
the dreaded man flu and in summer time to make it all the worst. Right when a
man is most vulnerable, when the sinuses are blocked up, every bone is aching, a
tightening sensation of the skull any exertion is as ponderous as a moon walk we have to endure on top of it all the
uncaring implied remarks that men just aren’t as tough as women.
We seek
refuge of the armchair, comforted by the sport on TV and hanging on for dear
life to one of life’s essentials, the remote control; make simple requests to aid
the recovery from our plight such as the medicine found in the “square bear”. Surely in our condition a rum every half hour
is needed? We are told that we are the
ones that sound like a bear; well maybe the man flu does make you grumpy. That
the point it is one of life’s most debilitating diseases and us mere males are
scorned in our suffering.
But be
reassured my friends for man flu is real and has now been scientifically proven
to be so. This very week news has come via The Examiner in Tasmania, Research backs up 'man flu' sufferers, that reports on the findings from a
university in Britain
Britain’s Durham University, has reached the conclusion that men really do
suffer more with coughs and colds as they have more temperature receptors in
the brain.
Dr Ellison said the difference lies in the area of the brain which balances
a variety of bodily mechanisms, including temperature.
Men and women start out as equals in dealing with colds because the area,
known as the preoptic nucleus, is the same size in children.
But when boys hit puberty testosterone starts to act on the area, which is
in the brain’s hypothalamus and attached to a hormone gland, making it larger.
Dr Ellison, a senior lecturer at Durham, said: ‘’When you have a cold one
of the things that happens is you get an increase in temperature to fight off
the bugs.
‘’The bugs can’t survive at higher temperatures. When your immune system is
under attack the preoptic nucleus increases temperature to kill off the bugs.
‘’But men have more temperature receptors because that area of the brain is
bigger in men than women.
‘’So men run a higher temperature and feel rougher – and if they complain
they feel rough then maybe they’re right.’’
Lot of big
words in there but maybe our standing in family unit can be restored; maybe we
are the stronger sex after all. We should remember this doctors name who vindicated
our right to complain about the crippling fate of the man flu. What’s his name, I hear you ask? Well the article says Neuroscientist
Amanda Ellison.
Amanda! Maybe this is a bit like saying, ‘I’m the boss of
the house because my wife allows me to say that?
The image of the photoshopped cold tablet box is a beauty and although the language is strong it is funny. If you prefer that strong language not be used my apologies but I thought it good enough to bend the rules a little.
ReplyDeleteDale, we here worse every night (and even daytime on TV) so its double standards to object, IMO. How many people switch off the tv or change channells every time the f word (or worse) is dropped. Not too many. Interesting observations on man's fate when the dreaded man flu strikes and for the record I had it very bad late last winter and it spread from the head to other organs which became infected. Took a month or two for blood tests including psa to return to normal.
ReplyDeleteOMG!!
ReplyDeleteCan I come to the next pity party :)
Seriously though - man flu is very disabling, I know..but please guys, if you come to stay at my house, I will do the nurse gig for 5 mins max...then tell you to get the f over yourself...so lighten up, cos you don't get the exclusive rights on pain and suffering.
Man up - but keep your germs off my remote...and lose the hanky! sooo last century with historical yuk factor.
Tissues, blow, then bin it!
Hahahaa. Good one, Dale. Love the packet - yes John is so correct - no one should get offended at the language above.
ReplyDeleteA summer flu is definitely worse than a winter one - especially in the tropics. Shoudln't happen.
Anyway glad you survived the trauma.
Hope you were safe and sound over the weekend too, John - was thinking of you all down that way.
Yeah all ok here Bev but there were houses flooded. No water anywhere near us (only lots of rain over a metre). No man flu either :0)
ReplyDelete