DAWN HARPER
How much can I drink?
Q Recently, you answered a question regarding alcohol units, where you said that a home-poured glass of wine was nearer three units to one. I’m always mindful at this time of year to keep an eye on my units. I think of a glass of wine as a single unit. Please can you explain?
AWe used to say a glass of wine was equivalent to a single unit based on a glass being 125ml and wine being around 8% strength. Today, wines are nearer 13% alcohol and a home-poured glass is likely to be 250ml or more. To calculate your units, look at the percent alcohol figure. This is the number of units in a litre of that fluid, so 12% wine would have nine units in a 75cl bottle.
HELP! I’VE GOT A CHRISTMAS COLD SORE
Q After being under a lot of pressure at work, I’m now run down and I’ve developed a hideous cold sore on my lip. The trouble is, I have lots of festive parties to go to next week. The way it looks at the moment, I can’t cover it with make-up. Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process?
A Ask your GP to prescribe a course of antiviral tablets, which may help speed up the healing by a day, but it’s most effective the sooner it’s started. There’s also some evidence that using topical zinc may reduce the time a cold sore exists, so this is worth a try. Going forward, using an SPF lip balm may help prevent a recurrence.
STRUGGLING TO SLEEP
Q My partner of 30 year
