Females will abstain from sex when they're sick
Half of Brits will avoid kissing their partner when they have a cold, while one in three will say no to more ‘intimate’ situations - according to a new survey.
Female sufferers are more likely to abstain, according to the research, with 35 per cent not willing to have sex when their partner has the sniffles, compared with just 29 per cent of men, according to the research by cough brand Covonia.
However, men were revealed as the more caring gender in the battle of the sexes, with men twice as likely to cancel their social plans to stay home and nurse their partner back to health. One in twenty men has even taken a day off work to look after their partner when they have been poorly, compared to less than one in fifty women who would do the same if the shoe was on the other foot.
The research also revealed that less than half of people feel sympathetic to those suffering from a cold, with one in three more concerned about catching it themselves. Interestingly, a quarter of those surveyed actually feel irritated when people have a cold, and one in nine admitted to avoiding their partner entirely when they are ill with a cold - as they are so miserable!
Director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, Professor Ron Eccles, says:
“Colds are actually more difficult to contract than people believe and there is no evidence that going to work will increase the instances in the community. Cold sufferers are at their most contagious up to three days before exhibiting any symptoms, so by the time they are feeling unwell, the chance of catching their illness is already reduced. In fact, to catch a cold, close and prolonged contact to the virus is required which is why most colds are spread at home.
“If you do fall ill, by proactively treating symptoms with an appropriate remedy and washing hands regularly, there is really no reason the common cold should get in the way of day-to-day responsibilities.”
Follow Professor Ron Eccles’ top tips to beat a cold:
“A cold is caused by a virus, most often the rhinovirus, which typically causes the lining of the nose and throat to inflame. Nasal sprays that contain medications such as xylometazoline, or oxymetazoline, will help reduce the swelling in the nose that causes congestion. Our studies found nasal sprays to be more effective than decongestant tablets.
Putting your head over a steaming bowl of hot water for five minutes can help. It soothes and clears the airways.
Add a few drops of menthol Vaporub or crystals to the water, which has a cooling effect on nerves in the nose, making it feel clear and cool.
Look for lozenges with a strong taste — this will promote salivation to help coat and soothe a sore throat. Covonia lozenges, which contain menthol and capsicum, are good.
For the same reason, spicy foods, hot soups and drinks with bitter flavours can help, too.
The relief provided by cough mixtures comes more from the sweet, tasty syrup that lubricates the throat than from the active ingredients.
For a chesty cough, choose strong-flavoured medicines and look for expectorants such as guaifenesin, which help thin mucus and clear it from the airways.”
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health cold and flu