Explaining"ManFlu"男人比女人脆弱——男性比女性更易得病Inthismorning'sHealthWatch,thetruthaboutmanflu.Haveyouevernoticedthatsomecertainmenhaveatendencyto,Idon'twannasaywhy,butperhapscomplainalittlebitmoreatthefirstsighttheyhaveasnifforevenaslightheadache,complainlikeattheendoftheworld.Well,anewstudysuggestsmanactuallydogetsickmoreoftenthanwomendo.Dr.JenniferAshisherewiththedetails.Sowiththisactuallygivingalittlefueltothefire?Therearemayinfactbeevidencenowscientificallythatthereisarealentitycalledthewimpfactor,sotheylookedatthestudyinSouthKorea1200workers.Askthemabouttheirlevelofstress,thenwentback6monthslaterandaskthemhowmanytheyhadcolds,infactthepeoplewhohadsupportedthattheyhadthehigheststressintheirjob,themenwere74%morelikelytocallinsickduetoacoldoverthattimeofperiod.Theydidn'thavealotofwomeninthestudybecauseinSouthKoreanotasmanywomenatwork,butitdoesappeartosupportthatthereisarealentitycalledthewimpfactor.SothisseemsittiedalittlebitmoretothestressinyourjobwhichyouknowintheUnitedStates,asyoumentioned,mightcomeoutalittlebitdifferentlybecausetherearewomenwhoworkoutsidethehome.However,doesthattranslatetoarealmedicalevidencethattherearesomethingdifferentintheimmunesystem?Well,intermsofphysiology,thereisnoactualevidencetosupportadifferencebetweenmenandwomenyet.Butofcourse,possibletheoriesincludesomehormonedifferencesthatmaymakemenactuallybecomesalittlesickerwhentheyareexposedtocoldvirus.Rememberinthepast,heartdiseasewasthoughttobethesameentitybetweenmenandwomen.Weknownowthat'snottrue.(Right.)Thewomenactuallyexperienceinslightlydifferentmanners.Thecoldvirusmayturnouttobethesamething.Theremightbedifferencesbetweenmenandwomen.Sothereisachancethattheyexperiencedifferently,thattheymayfeelsickerthanwomendo.Butontheflipside,womenalsoaren'tperhapsasreadytosayIfeelterriblebecausetheydon'tfeelthattheycan.Exactly.Traditionally,womenarethecaregiversinthehomeatleast.Andalotmorewomencertainlyinthiscountryintheworkforce.Theyhavetobemorestoic.Theycan'tgetsick.Youknow,theyjustdon'thavethatflexibilityintheirday-to-daylife.Whowilltakecareofthechildrenifthemumgetssick?Sopotentiallythathassomethingtodowithallthatstuff.Andmenareusedtobetakencareof.That'swhysome,notallmen,myhusband,ifyou’rewatching,Iwannathrowhimintothebus.Butyouknowsomemendosortofyouknow,actlikebigbabieswhentheyaresick.Well,wecouldbeaccomplicesinperpetratingthis.Youknowmencancomplainmorebecausetheycancomplainmore.Andtraditionallytheyarelesslikelytoseekmedicalattention.Theymaynotbeaccustomedtoexpressingtheirfeelings.Whentheyarehappyorsadorfeelingill,soallthesethingscanreallystackthedeckagainstthemwhentheydogetsickoryouaregonnahearaboutit.Soreallythebottomlinetakesawayiswe’restillstrongerbecausewecanhandleitbetterright?Oh,Ithinkso.Jen,thanks.Youbet.Notthateitheroneofusisbiased.
