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"Reader Question: I&amp;#039;m confused about how much water I should be drinking daily; I&amp;#039;ve read stories about women drinking &amp;quot;too much&amp;quot; and suffering from serious health problems as a result. How do I know how much to drink? On Call Response: Forcing too many fluids can lead to potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalance called hyponatremia. So there&amp;#039;s no need to drown yourself with fluids. As the Institute of Medicine (IOM) says, &amp;quot;let thirst be your guide.&amp;quot; To be specific, the IOM says women need about 90 ounces of fluid a day, but men need more, about 125 ounces a day. It doesn&amp;#039;t all have to come from plain water. All beverages count, even those containing caffeine. Foods also contain fluid and provide about 20 percent of fluid recommendations. Remember that when it is hot and if you are exercising, fluid requirement increase so you may need more. After the jump, read about lactose intolerance and white lines on nails. Reader Question: I&amp;#039;m lactose intolerant but want to get most of my calcium through my diet. Is this possible? On Call Response: Yes, but you&amp;#039;ll have to try harder. You don&amp;#039;t have to totally avoid dairy products, but you will have to be more selective. What happens with lactose intolerance is the body does not make enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, which is a milk sugar found in dairy products. If you don&amp;#039;t have enough lactase, too much lactose reaches the large intestine, and bad things happen like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Although dairy products are the best dietary sources of calcium, there are some things you can do to ensure that you get enough calcium and avoid unpleasant symptoms. First, try taking a lactase supplement. These are available over-the-counter and will boost digestion and help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms. Also, be picky about your dairy products. For example, yogurt, especially those with active cultures, contains bacteria that can boost lactose digestion. As for cheese, stick with aged cheddar, Swiss or processed American, They contain less lactose but still are good sources of calcium. Also, heating food helps. Hot soups, cocoas, and cooked puddings are less likely to cause problems. Another trick that can help is to eat lactose containing foods when eating other foods. Other &amp;quot;dairy free&amp;quot; sources of calcium include calcium fortified tofu and enriched rice milk, and green leafy vegetables. Reader Question: My nails sometimes get vertical white lines on them and I&amp;#039;ve heard that this could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency. Is this true? It&amp;#039;s probably not a due to a vitamin deficiency but taking a daily multivitamin is still a good idea. A single white line across the nail is usually due to trauma (even the slightest bang or bump can cause it) and/or picking at your cuticles. If you have a tendency to do this, keep hand lotion in your purse and use it to massage your cuticles when you have the urge to pick. That said, lines on your nails can sometimes be a sign of something serious. First thing to do is check to see if you can feel the line. Indentions across the nail are often a sign of serious illness like a heart attack or a severe infection like pneumonia. Next check the color of the line. A dark band at the tip of the nail can also indicate serous illnesses like cancer or heart failure and multiple white lines across the nails can be caused by arsenic poisoning. If the lines on your nails are indented or dark, talk to your doctor ASAP. I want to hear from you, so e-mail me your questions at dailywd@womansday.com. Disclaimer: Your seeking information on health related topics and/or Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, M.D.&amp;#039;s providing such information herein constitutes neither the solicitation of nor the provision of medical advice, services, care or treatment. Communication with Dr. Fryhofer on this website does not create a doctor/patient relationship. For concerns about your own particular medical condition, you should consult your own medical professional, who can examine and evaluate you. Communication on a website is not a substitute for taking an active role in your own medical care and treatment and being personally seen by a physician of choice in your area. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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