Dear Doctors: A good friend of our family is on the kidney transplant list and is having hemodialysis. Can you please explain what that entails? My wife and I want to help, but we don't want to bother... more
Dear Doctors: I recently read about a study that found a link between a certain kind of bacteria that lives in your mouth and the risk of developing colon cancer. I would like to know more details abo... more
Dear Doctors: Can you please talk about the idea that the order in which you eat your food has an effect on your blood sugar? I have a friend who never eats sweets unless she can also have some vegeta... more
Dear Doctors: Our 14-year-old daughter has just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her doctor wants her to start using a continuous glucose monitor, and also to consider using an insulin pump. We wo... more
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to our first regular letters column of spring. With the longer days and the gradually warming weather, many of us are spending more time outdoors. Whether it's with su... more
Dear Doctors: I want to start checking my blood pressure to see if the high readings my doctor gets are accurate. I read you should always sit still before getting a reading. Is that true? That never ... more
Dear Doctors: Is there a standard treatment for gastroparesis? I have a mild case of it, along with Type 2 diabetes, and I am unsure how to proceed. One of my doctors prescribed erythromycin, but anot... more
Dear Doctors: Our mom is 76 years old, and she just learned that she has congestive heart failure. She's scared it means she's going to die soon. What happens in congestive heart failure? She was a he... more
Dear Doctors: My husband and I bought a lake cabin for our family to use in the summers. We're doing some remodeling and have learned there's black mold in the basement. What are the health risks of b... more
Dear Doctors: We got an email from a medical center looking for adults with cognitive problems to be in a study about music. What would be the connection? My father-in-law has mild cognitive impairmen... more
Dear Doctors: Our sound machine died, and my husband is shopping for a new one. It made sounds like rain and surf, which helped both of us sleep. The ads for some of the new machines talk about differ... more
Hello, again, dear readers! We continue to receive quite a bit of mail regarding COVID-19. Many of the topics overlap, and because they don't require a full-length explanation, we have collected sever... more
Dear Doctors: I have been following your column for a few years now, and clinical trials get mentioned a lot. I know they are used to make sure that a new drug is safe, but other than that, I'm not su... more
Dear Doctors: I have developed pain in my right hip that runs down my thigh and calf. An orthopedic specialist who looked at my scans says it may be a pinched nerve. But my physical therapist says it ... more
Dear Doctors: My blood pressure is just a tiny bit high. Does that really matter? My doctor said I should think about taking a blood pressure drug, but I’d rather try to bring it down naturally. I jus... more
Dear Doctors: I recently read about a study that says eating late makes it easier to gain weight. I would like to know more about that. I've been having success with weight loss by not eating after 6 ... more
Dear Doctors: I twisted my knee snowboarding. I thought it was just a sprain, but it turns out I have a partial tear in my ACL. My doctor says I need surgery. If I just wait and am very careful, won't... more
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