Cranky Utahns Might Blame Infection

If you are feeling more cranky than normal it might not be you, it might be an infection.

It turns out that one of the effects of infection can be mood and personality changes. This might not be surprising because you usually feel less chipper when you are sick, but there is also evidence that it is not just your mental reaction like wishing you weren't sick, or being upset that you don't feel well. The infection can affect organs like your brain and physically change how you process information.

Events such as swelling can cause organs to function differently causing shifts in personality and perspective.

Knowing this can help you be more gentle with yourself and others. I often feel frustrated when I become negative when sick thinking I can mentally muscle through the sickness with positivity. This might not be the best way to respond to mental changes to the infection.

It could also soften my bedside behavior when someone else is sick. Rather than feeling like the person is being negative simply because they don't feel well, I could see the change as an effect of the infection which could increase my sympathetic reaction.

Sort of like when you encounter someone with Alzheimer's disease and you become more patient because you know they are struggling with memory not just being lazy in forgetting an appointment.

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Next time your sick friend comes across as short tempered maybe this will help you see that it isn't them or you, but an effect of the infection messing with their personality.