Can We Talk About The Man Flu For A Minute?
The man flu is a joke that has been around for ages and will likely never die. The joke is that we, as men, don’t know how to handle being sick so we over exaggerate our sniffles, lock ourselves away in our rooms and expect to be waited on hand and foot. If I’m being honest, the locking in the room part of that equation is absolutely true, but I have never expected, nor demanded, anything from my spouse while I was sick.
Recently, however, science has shown that there may be something to this so called “man flu” that completely excuses us from further ridicule. Gooooo, science! You see, scientists claim they have found that men suffer more because they invest in their spirit of adventure at the expense of their immune system. Or in other words, we don’t take care of ourselves and get sicker than our female counterparts, who are much smarter than we are. Still, science! This article explains it far more eloquently than I can.
Further to this news it is said that across a range of animal species, males tend to be the “weaker sex” in relation to immune defenses, usually because of hormonal differences. This has been supported by more recent studies, which suggest estrogen has anti-viral qualities that provide women with greater protection against influenza.
What I’m really trying to say here is that while man flu may be a thing, science shows that it is actually very natural and that you should definitely cut us some slack the next time we are sick. At least I think that’s what science was trying to say… In the end I think we can all agree that getting your flu shot is one of the best ways to avoid getting the flu and I highly encourage you to stop in to your local Shoppers Drug Mart and get your flu shot today! Getting your flu shot not only protects you but also helps protect those around you who are more susceptible to getting sick.
Okay, I’m done, you can run over to Shoppers Drug Mart now to get your flu shot! Oh, and if you feel like sharing, please tweet @CanadianDadBlog a picture of you getting your Shoppers Drug Mart flu shot using the hashtag #SDMFluFighters and I’ll hit you with a virtual high five for your bravery!
Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this campaign.