Doctor, can you tell me why?
There are many puzzling questions about our bodies or our health that lots of us would love to ask but don't because we haven't got the nerve. They're the sort of queries that we fear could make us look plain daft, are too embarrassing to voice or are...
There are many puzzling questions about our bodies or our health that lots of us would love to ask but don't because we haven't got the nerve. They're the sort of queries that we fear could make us look plain daft, are too embarrassing to voice or are a combination of both.
Now doctor Billy Goldberg and writer Mark Leyner have solved the problem by compiling hundreds of these questions - some predictable and some wacky - with the answers in a new book, Why Do Men Have Nipples? published by Orion.
Dr Goldberg says he knows from experience that people can't resist asking doctors about embarrassing problems when they're emboldened by a glass of wine at social occasions.
"When you're at a cocktail party, someone inevitably asks what you do for a living. If you say you are a doctor the barrage begins!
"Soon you're looking at someone's mole, consulting someone else on his brother-in-law's painful flatulence, or wrecking your brains over your hostess's strange complaint.
"The sad fact is that one of the medical establishment's great shortcomings is its failure to teach what the public really wants to know about medicine," he says.
The pair have attempted to put that right - check out some of their questions and answers.
Why do men have nipples?
Although females have mammary glands in the breasts, we all start out in a similar way in the embryo. During development the embryo follows a female template until about six weeks when the male sex chromosome kicks in for a male embryo.
The embryo then begins to develop all of its male characteristics. Men are thus left with nipples and also some breast tissue.
Does spicy food cause ulcers?
No, spicy foods do not cause ulcers. However, stomach ulcers can be aggravated by a nice dash of hot chilli sauce. Drinking alcohol, smoking or experiencing stress can also make ulcers worse. Most stomach ulcers are caused either by infection from a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori, or by overuse of anti-inflammatory pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Does wet or cold weather cause a cold?
Many people ask if they can catch a cold by sleeping in front of an open window, getting a chill, sleeping in front of a fan, getting caught in the rain.
The answer is no Cold or wet weather does not cause a cold, but nobody seems to want to accept this. In fact the common cold is caused by a virus. These viruses are everywhere and it's difficult to avoid them.
When you're exposed to someone who has a cold you're more likely to get ill yourself, so be careful about close contact and definitely wash your hands. Not enough sleep or eating poorly also reduces your resistance to infection.
Is it dangerous to pop spots?
It can lead to some complications. Squeezing pimples can actually push the zit-causing bacteria further into the skin, causing more redness and swelling. It is also the most common cause of acne scarring.
There is one more deadly complication from zit popping, which is called cavernous sinus thrombosis, a blood clot in the sinus cavity that runs between the sphenoid bone, the large bone at the base of the skull and the temporal bone located near the temple.
The real danger zone for zit popping is an area that some people refer to as the triangle of death, an area stretching from the bridge of the nose to the corner of the mouth to the width of the jaw.
The veins in this area drain into the cavernous sinus and any severe infection in this area can cause cavernous sinus thrombosis. Squeezing spots in this part of your face can cause an infection and start this dangerous process.
Is it dangerous to hold in a sneeze?
The old wives' tale warns us that if you hold in a sneeze, your head might explode. That won't happen, but you can do yourself some harm. The air expelled by sneezes is said to travel at up to 100 miles per hour. Holding in a sneeze can potentially cause fractures in the nasal cartilage, nosebleeds, burst eardrums, hearing loss, vertigo, detached retinas or temporary swelling called facial emphysema.
So it's best to let your sneeze fly, but please cover your nose and mouth.
Why do you laugh when tickled?
Tickling-induced laughter is actually a reflex. Scientists don't fully understand how this works but because you cannot tickle yourself, the reflex seems to require an element of surprise.
Now doctor Billy Goldberg and writer Mark Leyner have solved the problem by compiling hundreds of these questions - some predictable and some wacky - with the answers in a new book, Why Do Men Have Nipples? published by Orion.
Dr Goldberg says he knows from experience that people can't resist asking doctors about embarrassing problems when they're emboldened by a glass of wine at social occasions.
"When you're at a cocktail party, someone inevitably asks what you do for a living. If you say you are a doctor the barrage begins!
"Soon you're looking at someone's mole, consulting someone else on his brother-in-law's painful flatulence, or wrecking your brains over your hostess's strange complaint.
"The sad fact is that one of the medical establishment's great shortcomings is its failure to teach what the public really wants to know about medicine," he says.
The pair have attempted to put that right - check out some of their questions and answers.
Why do men have nipples?
Although females have mammary glands in the breasts, we all start out in a similar way in the embryo. During development the embryo follows a female template until about six weeks when the male sex chromosome kicks in for a male embryo.
The embryo then begins to develop all of its male characteristics. Men are thus left with nipples and also some breast tissue.
Does spicy food cause ulcers?
No, spicy foods do not cause ulcers. However, stomach ulcers can be aggravated by a nice dash of hot chilli sauce. Drinking alcohol, smoking or experiencing stress can also make ulcers worse. Most stomach ulcers are caused either by infection from a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori, or by overuse of anti-inflammatory pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Does wet or cold weather cause a cold?
Many people ask if they can catch a cold by sleeping in front of an open window, getting a chill, sleeping in front of a fan, getting caught in the rain.
The answer is no Cold or wet weather does not cause a cold, but nobody seems to want to accept this. In fact the common cold is caused by a virus. These viruses are everywhere and it's difficult to avoid them.
When you're exposed to someone who has a cold you're more likely to get ill yourself, so be careful about close contact and definitely wash your hands. Not enough sleep or eating poorly also reduces your resistance to infection.
Is it dangerous to pop spots?
It can lead to some complications. Squeezing pimples can actually push the zit-causing bacteria further into the skin, causing more redness and swelling. It is also the most common cause of acne scarring.
There is one more deadly complication from zit popping, which is called cavernous sinus thrombosis, a blood clot in the sinus cavity that runs between the sphenoid bone, the large bone at the base of the skull and the temporal bone located near the temple.
The real danger zone for zit popping is an area that some people refer to as the triangle of death, an area stretching from the bridge of the nose to the corner of the mouth to the width of the jaw.
The veins in this area drain into the cavernous sinus and any severe infection in this area can cause cavernous sinus thrombosis. Squeezing spots in this part of your face can cause an infection and start this dangerous process.
Is it dangerous to hold in a sneeze?
The old wives' tale warns us that if you hold in a sneeze, your head might explode. That won't happen, but you can do yourself some harm. The air expelled by sneezes is said to travel at up to 100 miles per hour. Holding in a sneeze can potentially cause fractures in the nasal cartilage, nosebleeds, burst eardrums, hearing loss, vertigo, detached retinas or temporary swelling called facial emphysema.
So it's best to let your sneeze fly, but please cover your nose and mouth.
Why do you laugh when tickled?
Tickling-induced laughter is actually a reflex. Scientists don't fully understand how this works but because you cannot tickle yourself, the reflex seems to require an element of surprise.