Dear Doctors: When I had my annual checkup last fall, the blood test showed I am close to having prediabetes. My doctor said I need to change my diet and get more exercise. I recently read that taking... more
Dear Doctors: A good friend has Parkinson's disease. She has mentioned trying probiotics to her doctor, but he doesn't seem interested in the idea. My friend worries she might alienate him if she gets... more
Dear Doctors: I suffer from chronic back pain, and my doctor told me that the only treatment available is pain medication. Is that because the problem is with my lower back? Are there any other treatm... more
Dear Doctors: My fiance and I adopted a cat, and his mother is insisting that we must give it back. She says you can get toxoplasmosis from having a cat in the house, and if I get pregnant, I'll give ... more
Dear Doctors: I recently developed very bad psoriasis, but only on my scalp. The itch is awful. I'm not interested in the medications advertised on TV because of the side effects. Can you recommend an... more
Dear Doctors: I love decaffeinated black tea and drink a lot of it. Since I don't add sugar or milk, I have always felt it was healthy. Now I'm questioning that assumption because I've heard that the ... more
Dear Doctors: I've noticed that as I get older, jet lag hits me harder. I recently read that timing your meals on the day you fly can make a difference. Do you know if that's true? I'm also curious ab... more
Dear Doctors: I work in a big shop where we make custom furniture. My wife thinks it puts me at risk of COPD and insists I should use a mask. Is she right? I thought COPD was something that happens to... more
Dear Doctors: A dear friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was so advanced, he died just a month later. I recently saw a discussion on television about using AI to detect pancreatic cancer e... more
Dear Doctors: I got a tick bite, and because there's Lyme disease in our area, my doctor put me on antibiotics. It prevented Lyme disease, but I'm worried about what it did to my gut microbiome. How l... more
Dear Doctors: I'm 59 years old and have noticed that my skin is already getting fragile. I know it's a natural part of aging, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I'd like to know what causes ski... more
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to a bonus letters column. We're continuing with mail from readers living with long COVID, and for whom recent research is offering some insights.... more
Dear Doctors: I read that there's a big new study that lists some of the most common risk factors for developing dementia at an early age. I would like to know more about it. How was it done, and what... more
Hello, again, dear readers, and welcome back to the letters column. We hope the first two months of 2024 have been treating you well, and that your Valentine’s Day is looking rosy. Your letters contin... more
Dear Doctors: My father has diabetes and high blood pressure. Sometimes he fails to follow medical care for these diseases. Now his level of creatinine has reached 2.6 mg/dL, which is very high. He is... more
Dear Doctors: Is there anything new on long COVID? I have it, and it hijacked my life. I get tired really easily, can't exercise like I used to and my heart often beats too fast. The worst part is the... more
Dear Doctors: I am a 76-year-old woman not prone to nosebleeds. However, I recently started having heavy ones. Thrombin spray helped, but only for a week. A CT scan was normal. What can be done? A fri... more
Dear Doctors: It's a tradition in my husband's family to start the new year with a dip in the ocean. We live in Maryland, so that means it's freezing cold. I see on social media that doing a cold plun... more
Dear Doctors: My husband and I are ready to expand our family, but I had such bad morning sickness for my whole pregnancy last time that I'm scared. Can you please talk about recent news about what ca... more
Dear Doctors: We might start buying raw milk from a family farm in our area. It seems safe because they have only two cows and test the milk for bacteria. But when I told my dad, he said raw milk is a... more
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to a bonus letters column. We'll begin with the latest data that show this winter is shaping up to be another “tripledemic.” Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus,... more
Dear Doctors: I'm a 36-year-old woman, and recently I began lifting weights to get stronger. A trainer at my gym has been saying that taking a creatine supplement could be helpful for that. What is cr... more
Dear Doctors: My mother and stepfather were married for 42 years when he passed away suddenly. That was a year ago, and she's still struggling. I talked to my doctor about it, and he said it sounds li... more
Dear Doctors: My husband teases me because I love making New Year's resolutions, but I have trouble keeping them. Some on my list for 2024 -- lose 10 pounds, start hitting the gym -- have been with me... more
Dear Doctors: I had been spending a lot of time alone, so I made a point of joining friends at a museum, going on a group hike and volunteering at a book sale. I had been struggling with poor sleep bu... more
Dear Doctors: Each year when we switch away from daylight saving time, I get that SAD thing. I start feeling low and eventually get depressed. Why does that happen? I've read there are special lights ... more
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the monthly letters column. We hope your holiday season and celebrations were both fruitful and satisfying. As a new year begins, it can bring stress from the end o... more
Dear Doctors: I am considering an ultrasound treatment for essential tremor, which has affected my hands and also my voice. Can you please talk about tremor and about how this procedure works? Will it... more
Dear Doctors: I always thought that you get a hangover from drinking too much. But when I have a single mixed drink, or sometimes even just one glass of wine, I wake up feeling nauseated and with a ba... more