Man Flu...indeed

**MikeT** · 11th-August-2011

Although I don't have any sort of a link for this thread, I want to address the thing that the media calls the "Man-Flu".
The female-led media calls this phenomenum (sp??), as such as to be-little men that suffer from it.
While women might get a cough and cold, men are more likely to get more serious symptoms, like a chest infection, this can lead to complications like pneumonia, pleuresy, if not diagnosed promptly.
Men tend to work outside more than women and while everyone on say a building site would dress for the temperatures, I find it rediculous that women that work in nice climate controlled buildings, typing away on a computer, should put their high-heeled boots into those that are working with safety boots on.
Ever tried working in sub-zero temperatures until the sun comes up?, everything you touch is frozen and yes we do wear gloves.
Speaking personally, all of the skin on my finger joints has become so hard and dry, it has split, you may not be able to imagine the pain when doing something as simple as bending your thumb and fingers or twisting wires in this sort of weather.

But us MEN have an ally in this nasty weather, call it the poor man's coffee machine, call it what you will, come 10am, we head to the Smoko container armed with thermos's full of delicious hot soup, made by partners, wives, or if you are single, you might just have packet soup.
Us guys are almost like a club, Tim (one of our plumbers) has a bread-maker that serves up hot bread, I normally bring the butter.
By 10:20am we are all full of beans and ready to have another go at it.

I'd sooner do this rather than work in the bitchiness of any office, regardless of the temperature.

You can't buy friends like this, take that you media clowns, you aren't making REAL friends.

Your thoughts?

**Douglas** · 11th-August-2011

Man Flu - a disease passed to all men by feminists.

However, there really could be something to it. We DO all know that men die more readily than women, leading to an average lifespan that is seven year less.

I'm still not sure whether manflu.info Man Flu Home is entirely a piss-take or whether there is anything serious there.

Man Flu is a crippling and debilitating disorder indiscriminately striking down male members of the human species without warning. The illness is often referred to pejoratively by female members of the species who are in fact immune from the illness as man flu is now known to exclusively attack the XY chromosome carrier. If Man Flu is kind enough not to kill the infected party it will definitely leave him weak, sick, hurting everywhere and in dire need of TLC.

Cambridge scientists apparently reckon that men suffer more than women - Man flu is no myth as scientists prove men suffer more from disease - Telegraph.

Dr Olivier Restif, of the University of Cambridge, said: "In many cases, males tend to be more prone to get infected or less able to clear infection.

Man flu is not a myth: Female hormones give women stronger immune systems | Mail Online

Dr Saleh said studies had shown that men are more susceptible than women to infection by bacteria, viruses, fungi and worms.

Practical advice from Men's Health: Survive man flu :: Men's Health

Man flu is real. ... men are at a higher risk than women.

**James Huff** · 11th-August-2011

I know that feeling. While I was in the military, I worked with the scouts, repairing their equipment on a regular basis. While in Iraq, or out in the field, there wasn't a day that went by that the PPD team (our Squadron commander's scout team), didn't come by my chu (shelter). They'd invite me outside, and we would sit around and smoke cigars (their Sergeant's treat), talk about the day, and even chip in for some goodies (barbecue especially). We stuck together, and while I may not have gone out on missions with them (I had my own, in my own unit), I was welcomed because I enabled them to go out on theirs.

When things got rough, we had our own way of keeping our morale up. We each brought something meaningful to us, and shared with the rest. Candy, books, and letters from home were like our glue. It kept us sane...kept us working...kept us bonded in shared successes and failures. Behind every man's face was the pain of homesickness, and these things were recognized and dealt with in our own way, with a level of empathy and quiet understanding that I had never experienced before. We made each other stronger, even with discipline or "corrective action".

As far as sickness, I can honestly say that I have never been healthier since my experiences in the military. Whether it was something in the water, or maybe the dozens of shots I received over the years, the only issue I have is heartburn. I had a tendency to notice the opposite effect when it came to people in the service. Those that worked outdoors, or in the large open mechanic's bays seemed to fare better when it came to bacteria and virus's. Parasites were the bigger issue, though. There wasn't a week that would go by when I wouldn't see someone sick over at HQ....sitting in a nice temperature-controlled enclosure. It seemed to me more of a breeding ground for all kinds of nasties, especially with the level of traffic that went through it.

There were the aches and pains though, especially as a wrencher. I'm sure anyone here has knuckle-busted themselves, or given themselves some nasty cuts and crushes wrenching on vehicles. It's bound to happen. Like all good mechanics, we wore gloves unless we found we could not complete the task with them on (small spaces or very fine manipulation), even in 120 degree heat....sitting on top of 33,000 lbs of steel. We took the pain with quite stoicism, kept our hands as clean as we could, and tried not to bust our noggins in the same way while crawling all over these behemoths of war.

It was worth it, though. Every moment of pain was always worth it for that one moment of shared pleasure. That cigar....that letter...that candy....that camaraderie.

**Nynrah Ghost** · 11th-August-2011

You know, I have always found it hypocrite when women and media outlets use the term 'man-flu' in a belittling way, saying that men are just acting childish and should 'man up'.

As far as my experiences are concerned as well as those of many others, men actually perservere more than women do. Just take a look at how many times women call in sick for work compared to the amount of men that still try to work as much as they can. In that regard, it is very belittling to generalize and use the term man-flu when a man actually is seriously incapable of doing his job.

As for camaderie, it's a great good in my opinion. I find that a group of comrades makes for a most pleasant time and also makes work more bearable, rather than working with people who could have just as well been ghosts to me.

Unregistered · 31st-January-2013

Cancer fight 'hampered in UK by stiff upper lip'
BBC News - Cancer fight 'hampered in UK by stiff upper lip'

UK women tease men about something called 'Man Flu', suggesting men complain unduly
Man flu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yet both Canadian and UK studies have shown that men take half the time off work for sickness that women do
BBC News | Europe | Women 'take more sick leave'

So, is this the British 'stiff upper lip' or cultural misandry within health care and British culture?
If British health care is showing bias towards women's health what would we expect to see?
Perhaps this:

Prostate cancer research 'lagging'
Though it is the most common male cancer, prostate cancer is 20th in the league table of research funding
BBC News - Prostate cancer research 'lagging'

**Celtic Druid** · 31st-January-2013

The man-flu myth: New research suggests it is actually women who moan most about their cold | Mail Online

It's my belief 'man-flu' hailed from the same orifice of nonsense as 'multi-tasking' to accommodate modern women's chauvinistic insatiability.

When it's all said and done, it's just a bunch of meaningless bollocks set to inflame the 'gender war' which has many beneficiaries.