7 Weird Ways Your Husband Could Be Making You Sick
You’re not being dramatic when you say he’s driving you nuts.
You’d never get sick of your husband. (Well, except when he’s hogging the television.) But it turns out that he might be making you sick, without either of you knowing it. Though being married is generally associated with better health, all that togetherness can come with some unexpected side effects. From packing on the pounds to surprising skin conditions, here are a few ways your husband could be the root of some bizarre conditions.
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1. He’s making you fat.
A study from Southern Methodist University found that people in happy marriages are more likely to gain weight over time, even controlling for factors like pregnancy. Researchers say that’s likely because if you’re single, you’re more concerned about controlling your figure to get on the dating scene. But if you’re married, you can let that slide—and that can lead to health problems if you don’t keep it under control. Courtesy iStock
2. He’s making you drink more.
If your husband likes to kick back with a few beers after work, soon enough you will too. Research presented at the American Sociological Association found that married women are influenced by their husbands’ drinking patterns. Men who are married generally keep their drinking stable, but women drink more—likely because they want to keep up with their husbands. So if you marry a heavy drinker, it could lead you to consuming dangerous levels of booze, without even realizing it. Courtesy Getty
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3. His beard might give you a skin disease.
A beard might give your husband an air of Paul Bunyan manliness, but it’s definitely not the most hygienic way to go. Experts say facial hair is coarser than normal hair, which means that it can trap germs that linger around men’s noses and mouths. If your husband touches his beard with dirty hands, germs are more likely to linger around his face and get him sick. And all that fuzz can mask skin conditions that can spread to loved ones—i.e. you. Make sure your husband washes his facial hair regularly and checks on the skin underneath, for your sake and his. Courtesy Getty / Oliver Rossi
4. Arguing can make injuries last longer.
In a stressful relationship, both emotional and physical pain is worse. Researchers from Ohio State found that couples who had hostile styles of communicating took longer for blisters on their skin to heal than couples with more positive communication styles. That’s because of the hormone oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” which helps protect your body. If you’re happier, you heal faster. Courtesy Getty / John Anthony Rizzo
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5. Sex could give you an allergic reaction.
It’s rare, but some women are actually physically allergic to sex. They have a seminal protein allergy, which gives them itching, burning and terrible pain when they’re exposed to the proteins in their husbands’ semen. According to ABC News, the condition affects up to 40,000 women in the United States alone. To get treated, some doctors have women inject diluted versions of the protein in their skin until they build up a resistance. Courtesy Getty Images
6. His snoring could ruin your sleep—and hearing.
Countless studies have found that sleeping with a snorer can wreck your health. One found that spouses wake up a tiny bit as many as 21 times per hour, which disrupts crucial deep sleep. Another found that spouses of snorers have worse hearing after dealing with the ordeal for 15 years. And many others have found that quality of life drastically improves once the snorer gets help, whether that’s seeing a doctor or investing in some quality earplugs. Courtesy Getty/Tetra Images
7. He could literally break your heart.
Being in an unhappy marriage takes a toll on your ticker. A study out of Michigan State University found that older wives in bad marriages have a higher risk of heart disease when compared to similar women in happy marriages. It affects women more than men, because women often bottle up their bad feelings, which puts stress on your heart. Courtesy Getty Images
By Megan Friedman
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