Dear Doctor: I just started my first post-college job, which I love. Nevertheless, I’ve been feeling really stressed and anxious. My boyfriend says stress can affect your health. What can I do?

Dear Reader: First, congratulations on this major milestone in your life. As for finding it stressful, please know that you’re not alone. Starting a new job is often overwhelming, and with good reason. Virtually everything -- the physical environment, the people, the social culture and the work itself -- is unfamiliar.

Your boyfriend is correct that, over time, stress can result in adverse health effects. Acute stress, which we experience in response to a single event or situation, can make your heart race or send your blood pressure soaring. Some people experience headaches, stomach pain, sweating, nausea and bowel problems. Chronic stress, which is long-term exposure to the cascade of hormonal changes that set off the stress response, can lead to depression, sleep disorders, cardiovascular problems, weight gain, systemic inflammation, a weakened immune system and an increased risk of a range of diseases.

You can learn to manage the stress of this transition. First, recognize that sources of stress can be mental, emotional or physical. By taking a detailed mental inventory of your workdays, you can identify the specific situations that result in distress. On the physical side of things, which is your working conditions, take the necessary steps to be safe and comfortable. Depending on your occupation, this applies to lighting, temperature, ventilation, the ergonomics of the workstation or familiarity with safety procedures. When it comes to mental and emotional stressors, which pretty much everyone has on the job, focus on coping techniques. Deep-breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques have been shown to reduce stress significantly. You can learn about these techniques by reading books or taking a class. If that doesn’t help, seeing a therapist can help.

The next step is to pay attention. Identify the specific triggers that set off your stress response. Maybe it’s a tight deadline, a public presentation, someone’s management style or even interacting with a challenging co-worker. Once you know your danger zones, you can prepare with your preferred coping technique. Afterward, use the technique again to get centered. As with everything, the key here is practice and consistency.

In small amounts, stress is no big deal. But chronic stress can take a steep physical and emotional toll. The sooner you learn to identify and manage it, the better off you’ll be.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)

Dear Doctor: We thought our 4-year-old son had caught a cold at daycare because he had a slight fever, but then he got these weird red spots on his feet. Our doctor said it’s foot and mouth disease. Is it dangerous?

Dear Reader: Your son is among the many children who contract hand, foot and mouth disease every year. Often referred to as HFMD, it’s a contagious viral infection that’s common in children under the age of 5, particularly during the warmer summer months.

Symptoms include fever and those red spots (which are a rash) that appeared on the soles of his feet. Additional symptoms of HFMD often include a sore throat; painful blisters or lesions on the tongue, gums and on the insides of the cheeks; loss of appetite; and a general feeling of discomfort or malaise. The red rash may also appear on the palms of the hands, and sometimes on the buttocks. Although the rash doesn’t itch, it can develop into fluid-filled blisters.

The disease is caused by a variety of enteroviruses, most commonly by one known as coxsackievirus A16. It’s spread through contact with certain bodily secretions from an infected person. These include the aerosolized spray from a cough or a sneeze, saliva, nasal secretions, throat discharge or stool. The fluid contained in the blisters is also infectious.

Considering how babies and toddlers explore the world around them with their mouths and their hands, it’s not surprising that HFMD is common among the younger set. It’s often seen in daycare settings, where it’s easily passed among the group. Since several different strains of enteroviruses cause the infection, it’s possible to get HFMD more than once. However, the good news is that, over time, kids can develop an immunity. Although HFMD is most common in children, adolescents and adults can contract the virus as well.

In the majority of cases, HFMD is not dangerous. The fever lasts a few days, and the sore throat may last a day or two longer. Most patients recover within seven to 10 days without any specialized treatment. In addition to feeling crummy as their immune systems mount a defense against the virus, the tongue and mouth sores can make it painful for patients to swallow. That makes hydration a priority. Offer frequent sips of water and other beverages throughout the day, but steer clear of citrus juices, which can irritate the mouth sores.

It’s rare but possible for a certain form of coxsackievirus to cause someone with HFMD to develop viral meningitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord. Another rare complication is encephalitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the brain. That’s alarming, so let’s re-emphasize that those complications are rare.

Parents of kids with HFMD should alert their daycare provider so they can do a thorough cleaning of the facilities. Meanwhile, be vigilant about family hand hygiene, disinfect all common areas and keep sick children at home until fever and all sores have completely resolved.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)

Dear Doctor: I’ve been gradually losing my senses of taste and smell. As a foodie and accomplished cook, this is disheartening. I’m in great health, and I hope it’s not just “getting old.” I’m 82 and would like to have my taste buds back.

Dear Reader: It may not sound like good news, but you’re actually a few decades late in experiencing a diminishment in your senses of taste and smell. While these types of disorders can occur at any age, they are increasingly common as people reach their 50s and 60s -- and beyond.

Since our senses of taste and smell are closely intertwined, it’s helpful to know how they work in order to understand what may be causing them to decline. In fact, in many cases, a diminishment in the sense of taste actually arises from issues relating to the sense of smell.

Taste begins when a solid or liquid comes into contact with taste receptors. These tiny sensory organs are found in the taste buds on the surface of the tongue, and in smaller numbers along the soft palate, the upper portion of the esophagus and the inner linings of the cheeks. In a series of complex steps, chemical signals are produced and analyzed, and the information is delivered via nerve impulses to the brain. The information that comes from the mouth translates into the five basic tastes -- salty, sweet, sour, bitter and savory, which is often referred to as umami. Receptors in the mouth also provide information regarding temperature, spiciness, fattiness and texture.

The infinite nuances of taste, which we think of as flavor, come to us via the nose. This occurs when chewing and swallowing send molecules through a specialized channel that leads from the throat to the nose, and again to the brain. The resulting nerve signals let you know not only the difference between a bite of raw potato and an apple, but provide the gradations of taste and aroma that make a McIntosh apple different from a Golden Delicious.

Although taste buds and olfactory nerve cells regenerate, the rate at which this happens slows down as we get older. Research suggests that the various environmental assaults that can damage these cells -- such as smoke, pollution, illness and injury -- may have a cumulative effect. Certain medications -- including some common antibiotics, antihistamines, cholesterol and blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, heart meds and pain medications -- can adversely affect the sense of smell, and thus blunt the sense of taste. So can smoking, dry mouth, a sinus infection and certain neurological conditions, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

To learn more about what is happening, consider a visit to an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose and throat doctor. They can conduct taste and smell tests to help pinpoint the scope and severity of what you’re experiencing.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)