By The Editors of Men's Health
QUESTION: I shared a bottle of beer with a guy on my softball
team, and afterward I noticed he had a small sore on his lip. Is it
possible herpes could be transferred from a shared object like
beer? -- B.G., Jackson, Miss.
ANSWER: It is possible to contract the disease by sharing a
glass or bottle with someone who has an outbreak on his lip.
According to Dr. Peter Leone, the risk of beer-bottle exposure
is lower then from, say kissing, but it does exist. In fact, herpes
simplex virus type-1 is very common. There's a good chance that the
individual with the cold sore got it himself by sharing bottles,
gasses or something similar with another infected person.
QUESTION: I stay up late on weekends. But even if I sleep for
eight hours afterward, I'm still tired. Why? -- T.M., Brooklyn, N.Y.
ANSWER: Unlike your bedside clock, the dials of your internal
timer can't just be spun to fit your partying schedule.
``Even if you try to sleep the same number of hours, you won't
feel as refreshed because your biological clock is out of sync with
your irregular sleep habits,'' says James B. Maas, a psychology and
sleep specialist at Cornell University. ``Biologically speaking,
you're probably waking up smack in the middle of the
early-afternoon low point in alertness.'' You're better off waking
up at your normal hour and slinking off for a power nap later in
the day.
QUESTION: When I'm having a bad day at work, I feel as if my
guts were constricting inside my torso. What causes that feeling,
and how can I get rid of it? -- J.G., Regina, Sask.
ANSWER: You're probably suffering from irritable-bowel syndrome,
a painful contraction of the digestive system often brought on by
anxiety. The symptoms can range from a nervous flutter to
nauseating pain accompanied by constipation or diarrhea.
According to Dr. Michael Wolfe, chief of gastroenterology at
Boston University's School of Medicine, minor pain can be handled
by deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. For persistent
cases, ask a doctor about antispasmodics and other medications.
QUESTION: How can I get rid of varicose veins? -- R.Z., Largo,
Fla.
ANSWER: The most common treatment for varicose veins is
sclerotheraphy, an office procedure in which the vein is injected
with a solution that softens the lining of the blood vessel. Then a
special foam is applied to glue the walls of the vein together,
basically making it vanish. After the procedure, you'll have to
wear graduated compression stocking for about a week.
You'll need two to four half-hour sessions, which run about $200
to $300 a session. Your insurance company may pick up the tab.
