Campus Chronicle

Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Pulse

Dr. Ralph

Why do I have to pee more when it's cold outside? Why is it that you have to urinate more frequently during and after exercise?

I am going to answer both of these questions together with the hope that we get away from this urine fixation. Come on folks; are there some unresolved potty training issues on campus or what?
Peeing more when you go out in the cold is called cold diureses. When you get cold, the blood vessels in your extremities ontract so as to preserve blood flow to the vital organs. This life saving function explains why people survive severe cold even though their fingers, toes, nose and ears have frozen and fallen off. Before things get that bad, this shunting of blood from the periphery to the core essentially increases blood flow to the kidneys and thus increases urine production. Cold diureses is a real problem for parents of young children who want to play outside in the winter. You get them all bundled up in 12 layers, push them out the door and 10 minutes later they are back at the door crying that they have to pee, and you have to take off all 12 layers before they pee on themselves. The same thing happens with adults, so make sure you pee before you put on your winter clothes to go outside.
Increased urination during and after exercise is counter-intuitive and personally not observed. Exercise should induce mild dehydration, which is why people are actually encouraged to drink more before and during exercise. It may be that you are over hydrating before exercise, or you may have a weak bladder sphincter which makes you feel like you have to pee from the increased abdominal pressure associated with tensing abdominal muscles during exercise. (Abdominal tensing occurs with any kind of exercise other than 12 oz. "Miller Time" curls performed at the bar.) Try cutting down on your water intake before exercise and make sure you empty your bladder before you start.

Dr. George

Is the eyeball an erogenous zone? One of my friend's girlfriends is dying to lick his eyeballs, claiming that it would turn him on.

Your friend's girlfriend sounds like she could be "fascinating." A girl like that just begs the question, "What does she do when she's feeling kinky?"
Sexual arousal by eyes is, of course, known as oculophilia. This goes beyond the lover's allure to his or her sweetheart's baby blues. Oculophiles are sometimes singularly attracted to a person based on their eyes; much as others might be a breast man, or a man or woman having an attraction to the butt.
In the most severe cases, an oculophile may practice oculolinctus, or the licking of a partner's eyeballs for sexual pleasure. While this practice is (understandably) rare, it is predominantly a female one; that is, more women want to do it than men. Rarely, women need to lick their lover's eyeball to reach orgasm. Certainly, the act must require a great degree of trust and intimacy. It is said to be somewhat popular among the Gothic faction.
If you are more adventurous than I, bear in mind that direct contact to the front of the eyeball is much more irritating and it's near impossible to control the blink reflex here. More acceptable may be the "side and slide." Keep in mind that the mouth is also a place to transfer irritating foods such as citrus, share bacteria and could potentially transmit the herpes virus. If all that doesn't dissuade you, you have my admiration and happy licking to you!

Dr. George and Dr. Ralph are Emergency Room physicians with the University of Illinois at Chicago's Medical Center.

As with all medical advice, consult your physician before beginning any regimen or if symptoms persist for more than five days

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