Researchers People can recognize sick people after a look

New research results: People can recognize the sick at a glance

Symptoms like coughing or sneezing can be clear signs of illness. Whether one is ill, but can also be recognized by certain disease features that can be read on the face. Swedish researchers have now found out.

Detect diseases by the smell

French researchers reported last year on a study that showed that some shepherd dogs can smell breast cancer tumors. Previously, it was already known that certain dogs sniff out other types of cancer such as colon cancer or lung cancer and can warn against hypoglycaemia due to the smell. But even some people can smell diseases. For example, "BBC" recently reported that a Scotswoman may detect Parkinson's by the smell years before the onset of the disease. In any case, a majority of people are apparently able to recognize their fellow man's diseases - simply by looking at the faces of their fellow human beings. Researchers from Sweden have now found out.

According to a recent study, people can see at a glance if their fellow human beings are sick. According to this, certain symptoms appear in the face shortly after infection.
(Image: PixieMe / fotolia.com)

People recognize in an image whether the person depicted is ill

A study by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has shown that people in a picture can see whether the person depicted is ill.

The team led by neuroscientist and sleep researcher John Axelsson found in the study that signs of illness such as pale lips or drooping eyelids are visible hours after the onset of infection.

"We perceive a number of other people's facial expressions and are likely to constantly assess others' health," the British newspaper Guardian quotes Axelsson.

The variety of early signals can be used to prevent infection by others.

Subjects were injected with coli bacteria

In the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B", the researchers report how they got their results.

Scientists injected 16 healthy adults with coli bacteria that produced an inflammatory response. Two hours later, subjects were photographed with a neutral facial expression.

In a second test, the subjects were given a placebo and then taken pictures again.

Subsequently, the portraits were first shown 62 and then another 60 study participants for a few seconds. These were asked if the person pictured was ill or healthy.

Disease sign in the face

According to the researchers, in 13 out of 16 cases, the participants correctly assessed whether someone was ill or not. That corresponds to a hit rate of 81 percent.

Individuals photographed after injection with the coli bacteria were therefore on average considered to be sicker and more tired than on photos taken after administration of the placebo.

They were also rated with a more swollen face (facial swelling), redder eyes, less shiny and less blotchy skin, a more drooping mouth, drooping eyelids and - especially - paler lips.

Further analysis showed that assessing how ill a person was assessed was most likely related to a paler skin and weaker eyelids.

Low Study Participant Number

Professor Ben Jones of the University of Glasgow welcomed the research and stated, according to "Guardian": "This study adds to the growing evidence for the existence of facial indications associated with acute illness and helps us to understand how social stigmata go beyond People can develop, who suffer from diseases. "

However, he also noted that the study did not model real life, in which faces can show many types of variations, even in the same person.

Dr. Carmen Lefevre from University College London expressed concern about the low number of people who had been photographed.

Nonetheless, she said that research supports the idea that humans have developed a set of behavioral mechanisms that help prevent disease.

And Dr. Rachel McMullan of the Open University suggested that it would be helpful to investigate whether the results apply to various diseases.

"Being able to quickly identify potentially ill, infectious individuals and avoid the sick will certainly be an evolutionary advantage, and this study is a good starting point for further research on how to detect early signs of infection," said the expert.

The study authors also find that their work gives impulses for further research. According to the APA news agency, "Future studies should examine how facial expressions that cause disease overlap with basic human emotions such as anxiety or anxiety, and how quickly people look for signs of disease in their fellow human beings." (Ad )