High heels, helium, alcohol, all recipes for A&E

Alcohol is clearly top of the list when it comes to health risks but there are several others that might not spring to mind but nevertheless cause problems every year.

Inhaling helium balloons to raise the pitch of your voice is hilarious, of course, until Kevin from accounts goes over the top, does it once too often, displaces too much oxygen from his red blood cells and collapses, banging his head on the boardroom table and ending up in A&E where, due to the sudden increase in admissions, he spends an uncomfortable night on a trolley before being diagnosed with an intracranial haemorrhage and is faced with the possibility of surgery. True story, so do be warned.

Along with alcohol comes sex. Family planning services always see a significant increase in women accessing our unplanned pregnancy services during the New Year, almost always as a result of forgotten or unused contraception.

Remember, too, the horrible accidents that can occur when combining alcohol with high heels. I wrote about these not too long ago.

As the main culprit for most mishaps is booze, then controlled, mindful drinking is clearly advisable. We practise preventative medicine these days, which means stopping problems before they occur. The same applies to hangovers.

Water, water and then more water before, during and after is my best advice, and the more colourless the alcohol, the less severe the hangover: port and whisky can be vicious.

Some advocate taking a milk thistle supplement during the party period as it contains plant extracts that protect the liver. There are some clinical trials published that showed liver enzymes (which can be markers of liver damage) were lower in heavy drinkers who took milk thistle than in those who didn't. However, this maygive a false sense of security that will only encourage more drinking.

Finally, be careful how you get home and use a reputable cab company. In London, about 15 women a month are attacked after getting a lift from an unlicensed and opportunistic cab driver. The police estimate that some 70 per cent of stranger rapes are by unlicensed cabbies. As a sexual health doctor I am often called on to pick up the pieces and the effects of such an attack can be devastating.

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