Illnesses, such as colds and flu-like maladies, are thought by researchers to be affected by loneliness. People who are considered lonely are more likely to report symptoms of said illness and are thought to be affected in a more severe ways. Researchers exposed people to the common cold via nose drops and proceeded to observe the subjective symptoms reported by the test subjects. Using rather unique practices of research, such as measuring mucus amounts, the researchers determined the different effects of the cold on people exposed to different levels of social exposure. Overall though, it is still undetermined how to precisely assist people who are lonely, but it is believed the industry is researching both mental and physical symptoms.
Lonely People Report More Severe Cold Symptoms, Study Finds
May 22, 2017 by
