People who view themselves as healthy are less susceptible to the common cold

Bad news for hypochondriacs - people who believe they are healthy are less susceptible to the common cold.

 If you think you're susceptible to getting the sniffles, chances are you're probably right.

A recent study found that people are better at assessing their own health than doctors might give them credit for.

Researchers asked 360 healthy adults to assess their health as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor.

They were then exposed to the common cold and monitored for five days to see if they got it.

The experiment found about a third of the participants, who had an average age of 33, went on to develop colds.

Those who rated their health as 'excellent' were twice less likely to develop a cold than those who were very good, good, or fair, scientists at investigators at Carnegie Mellon University found.

It suggests people who consider themselves to be very healthy have a stronger immune system than those who have some doubts.

In general, people who are optimistic are more likely to do things to take care of themselves. A positive attitude can cause a chain reaction of positive outcomes, thoughts, and events.

Also read: Is using the power of your MIND the best way to beat chronic pain?