London - Their other half may have little sympathy when they spend days sniffling on the sofa.
But it seems men really could be more prone to a powerful bout of “man flu” than their partners would like to believe.
Scientists found that males have naturally weaker immune systems than females – so they find it harder to fight infection.
The reason lies in their combination of chromosomes, a team from the University of Pennsylvania says. While women inherit two X chromosomes - which contain more genes related to immunity - men only have one X and a Y.
The team adds that there is a downside to having such strong defences. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say it makes women more prone to auto-immune diseases.
Daily Mail