Issue Date: December 19, 2004
HANGOVERS: Party-night tips to avoid morning-after misery
Remember: Staying on the wagon is the best way to avoid morning-after miseries, and you should never drink and drive. But many people do imbibe around the holidays, especially on New Year's Eve. And it takes only three drinks to cause hangover symptoms.
Some anti-hangover maneuvers for party night:
Before drinking, take dietary supplements. Prickly pear -- opuntia ficus indica -- purports to be scientifically proven to help cotton-mouth, lack of appetite and that green-around-the-gills nauseated feeling. RU-21, which is produced in Russia, claims to help the body break down alcohol and prevent the buildup of acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism.
Do the juice switcheroo. "Have one glass of water or, preferably, juice for every alcoholic drink," says Frederick Freitag, D.O., of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, who is also a consultant for the National Headache Foundation. Alternate your refills -- one drink, one glass of juice, one drink, one glass of water -- for the entire party. You'll prevent dehydration and satisfy your thirst, and your body will better metabolize the booze.
Eat while you drink. Food helps keep alcohol in the stomach longer. Why that matters: When alcohol flows too readily into the small intestine, you get drunk faster, and your best intentions tend to fly out the window.
Too late? Here's how to treat a hangover
DO
-- Eat carbs
-- Take B vitamins
-- Exercise
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DON'T
-- Eat spicy food
-- Take the "hair of the dog" -- another drink will just prolong the pain
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Source: Frederick Freitag, Diamond Headache Clinic
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HEART: Fitness is No. 1 need
We already knew that being fat raises the risk of heart disease, but a recent Journal of the American Medical Association reports that fat women who are fit have less risk of coronary heart disease than do slim women who are out of shape. Of course, the heart-healthy ideal is for women to be both slim and fit.
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ASTHMA: Doctors advise cutting back on medicine as soon as you can
Asthma in America
20.3 million have asthma.
6.3 million are under 18.
5,000 die of asthma each year.
Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
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To manage asthma, you should first get control of your symptoms, then work with your doctor to reduce medicines to the lowest dose that works, according to "Stepwise" treatment guidelines created by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program of the National Institutes of Health.
The guidelines are explained in a brochure that also suggests questions to ask your doctor. For a free copy, visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Web site, aaaai.org, or call 800-822-2762.
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OSTEOPOROSIS: An easier-to-take monthly drug
Good news for people who take bisphosphonate drugs to help prevent bone loss and increase bone density: The new drug Boniva (ibandronate sodium) can be taken once a month instead of daily or weekly, as current drugs require. Keep in mind that bisphosphonates must be taken exactly as directed: After taking a dose, you must sit or stand for up to an hour and must not ingest any food or liquid. No wonder 80% of people with broken bones didn't refill these prescriptions.
Contributing: Susan T. Lennon, Peggy J. Noonan
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