TED-Ed

What actually makes you feel sick? Discover how your immune system and proteins called cytokines respond to infections. -- It starts with a tickle in your throat that becomes a cough. Your muscles begin to ache, you grow irritable, and you lose your appetite. It’s official: you’ve got the flu. It’s logical to assume that this miserable medley of symptoms is the result of the infection coursing through your body — but is that really the case? Marco A. Sotomayor explains what’s actually making you feel sick. Lesson by Marco A. Sotomayor, animation by Henrik Malmgren. Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-surprising-reason-you-feel-awful-when-you-re-sick-marco-a-sotomayor