You imagine that scene where your beloved husband, father, son or friend collapses on the couch with a stuffy nose and sore throat and is unable to even respond to your inquiry about how he is… Well, it turns out that men don’t replay. This is confirmed by the latest research in the field, by Dr. Kyle Sue, associate professor of family medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, published in the British Medical Journal. According to the author, the male body forms a much weaker immune response to viral respiratory infections and influenza. Based on a review of several studies, he concludes that in men the symptoms are more severe, last longer and the risk of being hospitalized is much more likely. For them, the fatal outcome is much more definite, compared to women. According to Associate Professor Kyle Sue, the answer lies in the relationship between the influence of testosterone, the immune response, and flu and cold viruses. While some of the female sex hormones catalyze the body’s defenses, testosterone, alas, has just the opposite effect – it suppresses the body’s immune response to these viruses, he believes. Studies on the subject from the US show that deaths among men are at a higher rate than women in the same age group, while another from Hong Kong documents that men are more often hospitalized for illness during flu season, twice as often. – their recovery period from viral infection is long. However, the author disputes the notion that men collapse at the first sneeze – his research showed that women are much more likely to reduce their activities when it comes to minor respiratory ailments. NEWS_MORE_BOX The studies lacked data on the influence of factors such as smoking and timely consultation with a doctor, but Dr. Xu points out that men still make up half of the earth’s population, and the perception of exaggerated severity of symptoms without scientific evidence can have serious consequences consequences for them, including receiving inadequate care. For the guild to accept the arguments that men’s immunity against cold and flu viruses is weaker, more serious research is needed here and there to establish the differences in the body’s defenses by gender, including claiming that the female body is more adaptive, women’s juggling skills are better, or their cold and flu symptoms are milder. The author notes that high levels of testosterone have their own side effects on immunity, and it is very likely that the alpha male (predator) can be distinguished from the others by the degree of falling down with colds and flu. Right?!