Healthy People

Man Flu – real or myth? Our health blog’s verdict!

January 31, 2012 at 8:48 am

The term ‘man flu’ probably conjures up the same image for many of us: an otherwise healthy, strapping, macho male inexplicably made helpless by a mild viral infection – with the sufferer sitting there on the couch, wrapped up in a duvet, sipping a hot drink and watching television. Meanwhile, his wife, who has the same infection, is able to soldier on largely unaffected.

Man flu has become a big news story over the last couple of years, with various reports either claiming that it exists, or that it is really  just a myth. There’s even a humorous website dedicated to the ‘condition’ we call man flu, which even helpfully includes a section for ‘key strategies for recognising the many manifestations’ of this much talked-about ailment.

So, who should we believe? Is man flu a genuine phenomenon or simply a figment of the media’s imagination? The NHS Choices website has a typically even-handed article on the subject, looking at the scientific basis for some of the more dramatic news reports on the subject. And while there could possibly be differences in immunity between the genders, says the article, at the moment they are theoretical. Their conclusion? “Headlines that ‘man flu’ is real and not a myth are unjustified”.

Of course, for many of us it isn’t that important whether man flu exists or not: all we know is that sometimes we’re laid low by a viral infection, be it either a heavy cold or some type of flu. It’s probably worth noting here that most episodes of man flu probably are just heavy colds and not the flu: influenza is more severe than a cold and has different symptoms including fever, feelings of exhaustion, and muscle aches. A head cold might make some of us feel sorry for ourselves and start demanding a bit of pampering from our other half – whereas a bout of the flu is something more serious, giving you a real reason (and not an excuse) to rest up.

Since there’s no cure for flu, or colds for that matter, prevention is key. The Department of Health recommends vaccination against the flu for certain categories of ‘at risk’ people including those with chronic kidney failure, diabetes and asthma sufferers. For more information on who should be vaccinated, see our Influenza Factsheet.

For the rest of us, avoiding colds and flu is largely a matter of common sense – regular hand washing helps to stop the spread of infection, especially when we’ve been out and about touching door handles and so on, where it’s easy to pick up the virus. For the same reason, it’s also helpful to avoid touching your face, especially your nose, mouth and eyes – as these are areas vulnerable to infection.