He's a big, strong man who will slay dragons and open doors for old ladies – until he catches the sniffles, that is. We're talking about guys who go from alpha male to pathetic baby before you can say "Tamiflu." It may seem super-annoying that the world seems to revolve around your sick significant other, but if you're a woman, there may be a reason why illness seems to affect men so significantly. Think about it – many women deal with feeling crappy once a month as part of their menstrual cycle. Or we're too busy with work, kids and life in general to be able to slow down when we're sick, so we simply power through it. Guys aren't used to having to do that, so many of them simply shut down and regress into whiny mode. After all, he may really believe death is near! So here are a few ways to cope with the constant complaining, while also showing your man a little TLC. First, ensure that he has everything he needs within arm's reach.

Medicine, tissues, cold cloth, vomit bucket...whatever it takes to keep you from having to get up from what you're doing to tend to him every five minutes. That said, be prepared to help him, whether it's to the bathroom, picking up a prescription, or simply sympathizing with his moans and affirmations that he'll surely die. Make him that special chicken soup and prepare some tea to soothe his throat. If he realizes you're catering to all his suffering, then perhaps it can end just a bit sooner, no? After all of this, being the big, strong guy he is, he may try to hasten the recovery process and do too much, too soon. At this point, it's OK to be a little bitchy and force him to take it easy. After all, if he relapses, guess who'll be stuck taking care of him again? You'll be able to tell if he's on the mend when he starts showing appreciation for all your help – and when his libido returns. If all else fails, shuttle him off to his own mama!