Facial Cues Reveal Signs of Illness

Category: Health

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. keep in the dark / kip ɪn ðə dɑrk / (idiom) – to keep something a secret from someone
    Example:

    The patient kept her parents in the dark about her illness because she did not want them to worry.


  2. under the weather / ˈʌn dər ðə ˈwɛð ər / (idiom) – to feel sick
    Example:

    I have been feeling under the weather lately because of stress.


  3. at a glance / æt ə glæns / (idiom) – after one quick look
    Example:

    I can differentiate colors at a glance.


  4. droopy / ˈdru pi / (adj) – described as hanging down
    Example:

    My friends say that I always look sleepy because of my droopy eyelids.


  5. scaly / ˈskeɪ li / (adj) – dry and peeling off
    Example:

    My doctor advised me to put moisturizer on my scaly arms.


Article

Read the text below.

Facial cues can give away signs of illness, a new study revealed.


To test their hypothesis, researchers from Stockholm University injected either common bacteria or a salt-water placebo into 16 participants. However, all participants were kept in the dark about which injection they received. Those who received bacterial injections immediately felt under the weather because of an inflammatory response in their immune systems.


The participants were then photographed two hours after being injected. Afterward, the researchers showed the photographs to 62 new volunteers. They asked these participants to judge if the photographed participants were either healthy or unwell.


After roughly 3,000 evaluations, the researchers found that the volunteers perceived the individuals as unwell 41% of the time. They also got an overall accuracy score of 0.62 out of the perfect score of 1. Thus, the researchers concluded that sick individuals can be identified by people at a glance.


In a separate group, 60 volunteers were asked to examine certain facial characteristics. Most of them noticed pale lips from the participants who received the bacterial injection. Other indications that showed up were pale skin, swollen face, red eyes, and droopy mouth corners.


Medical experts have also shared some facial cues that can reveal specific health issues. NYU School of Medicine assistant professor Roshini Raj shared that scaly lips or skin is a sign of dehydration or problems related to the sweat glands. On the other hand, yellow spots on the eyelids suggest a higher risk of heart disease. Emergency physician Leana Wen also warned that facial asymmetry is one of the early signs of stroke.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Based on your experience, do you agree that the facial cues mentioned are reliable signs of illness? Why or why not?
• Should people immediately seek treatment if they spot these signs? Explain.

Discussion B

• Why is it important to pay attention to signs of illness?
• What happens if you ignore signs of illness?