The Reason Why You Feel Stupider When You're Ill

WHEN YOU’RE ILL, THERE’S A SCIENTIFIC REASON WHY YOU FEEL, AND ARE, EVEN STUPIDER

Some days are definitely harder than others. But when you’re sick, ill, under the weather or out of sorts, those harder days can feel downright impossible. And this week, today in particular, I am all of those things. But mostly I’m just sick with the flu. And let me tell you, this year’s flu that’s caught me in the American northeast ain’t pretty, though it is subtle. There’s no fever. But body aches, exhaustion, enervation and a little extra moodiness are all very much in play. Case in point, just typing this feels pretty challenging. Right now, I feel stupider than I even have the natural talents for. Evidently, there’s a literal, scientific reason as to why.

A STUDY FOUND THAT JUST HAVING A HEAD COLD RELEASES PROTEINS CALLED CYTOKINES

And no, it doesn’t involve alcohol, a stacked hookah or whippets. The reason why is a pesky protein called the cytokine. Well, not just one. A LOT of cytokines. A study you can find in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity tracked 200 people. And of those 200, the folks who just had head colds were less alert, were much more moody in a bad way and literally had slow brains, aka a luggard psychomotor. That should make me feel better about myself, except for the fact that I’m still sick and I just know there’s another wave of exhaustion heading my way.

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BESIDES BEING STUPIDER, CYTOKINES CAN MAKE YOU DEPRESSED AND SLEEPLESS

Because I don’t just have a bad head cold. I have the damn flu, and let me tell you I’m not sure I could feel any stupider than I did, and do, today. Stupid cytokines. I mean, stupid me flooded with cytokines. No, I mean smart me flooded with cytokines making me stupid. But I’m not out of the woods, yet. Because cytokines can also make you depressed, increase introversion (not a good thing for me), fatigue (check) and also sleeplessness. Actually, I can handle those. But please please not the sleeplessness. Because if I don’t get sleep tonight, I’m still smart enough to know I’ll definitely be stupider tomorrow.

Use that hand sanitizer, follks!