Dear Doctor: Can you explain that study that says having too much sugar in your diet is going to make your body produce more fat? I always thought that the reason you gained weight was that you were e... more

Dear Doctor: My husband was in the hospital for three weeks with COVID-19. He’s home again and seems OK physically, but he’s not the same person. He’s withdrawn and angry, and I think he’s depressed. ... more

Dear Doctor: Our granddaughter’s pediatrician says she has something called arthrogryposis. It’s not something anyone in our family has ever heard of before. What is this condition, and what does it d... more

Dear Doctor: I know what probiotics are, and I’ve heard of prebiotics. Now there’s supposed to be something called postbiotics? What are they, and why do they matter? Sometimes it seems like this whol... more

Dear Doctor: Supposedly it’s bad to get a sunburn -- but honestly, it just happens sometimes. What is the best thing to do to treat it? Our grandmother always gets ice and rubs it on the burn, but tha... more

Dear Doctor: Ever since the pandemic started, people have been talking about “herd immunity” and how they see it happening. Sometimes it doesn’t even seem like they’re talking about the same idea. Wha... more

Dear Doctor: Our sister is a messy housekeeper. She calls it the “hygiene hypothesis,” and says it’s why her kids don’t have asthma or allergies and don’t catch colds often. Does avoiding antibacteria... more

Dear Doctor: Can you please explain about heat exhaustion and heat stroke? We helped out some hikers a few weeks ago who got into trouble in the mountains here on a hot day. We’re seeing a lot of inex... more

Dear Doctor: I’ve suffered from kidney stones since 2017. A parathyroid test came back high, as did my serum calcium. An endocrinologist has ruled out a malignancy and confirmed the diagnosis of hyper... more

Dear Doctor: I am 79 years old and have pain in both shoulders. X-rays show I have arthritis and that it is bone-on-bone. What is happening? Do you think that amniotic injections would help me? I am t... more

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to another yes-we’re-still-talking-about-the-vaccines column. Your questions on the topic continue to fill our mailbox, and we’ll keep answering as many as we can.... more

Dear Doctor: How common are night sweats in men, and what causes them? I tease my husband that he’s having sympathy hot flashes, but he’s not amused. The sweats usually happen between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m... more

Dear Doctor: Even before the pandemic, I had trouble with sleep. It’s hard to fall asleep and to stay asleep. I don’t want to use any pills or medicines. Are there nondrug approaches that can work? Wh... more