DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing in regard to my sister-in-law’s problem. She is diagnosed as having tinnitus. I have told her we would get a sensible reply from you. She has gone through numerous tests, but the problem remains. — H.J. ANSWER: Tinnitus (TIN-uh-tiss or tuh-NITE-iss, whichever way you wish) is a constant ringing, […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a veteran. I have a lot of bladder problems. I have to get up six or eight times a night to go to the bathroom. During the day, I’m pretty much OK. I went to a Veterans Affairs medical facility, and they sent me to a practitioner who gave me […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: In 1994, I had a reaction to fish. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told me I wasn’t allergic to fish but to a poison in the fish. Since then I avoid all large fish and eat only farm-raised fish or smaller fish. Is this ciguatera fish poisoning an allergy to […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing to you about my grandson. I am very worried about him. He has started to lose his hair in patches on his head. He has seen a dermatologist, who told him he has alopecia areata and that nothing can be done for it. Do you know of anything that […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a veteran of submarine warfare. At 83, I work out at a gym three days a week and walk the golf course the other days. I am 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 153 pounds. I do 15 minutes of heart exercise on a stationary bike and six different […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve just been told I have high blood pressure. Only the first number of my reading is high. The second one is normal. I always thought that a high first number wasn’t such a big deal, especially at older ages. Has the thinking on this changed? I am 77 and don’t like […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please furnish information on the shingles vaccine. Our primary-care doctor recommends being immunized as a preventive measure for people 60 and older who had chickenpox as children. Most doctors and pharmacists do not recommend getting this injection, which is strange to me. Will you give me the pros and cons of the […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A week ago, my 2-year-old grandson suffered a febrile seizure, which scared the living daylights out of me and my wife. His eyes rolled back, and he became unconscious. After a minute or two, he awoke. Can you give us some information on febrile seizures? He had a temperature of 101 F […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: While my doctor was listening to my heart during my annual physical examination, I saw him wince. He listened for quite some time. Then he looked up and told me I have atrial fibrillation. He put me on medicine, and I have to go back to see him. He said he has […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am always tired and sleep way too much. I have no energy at all. My doctor thinks I might have chronic fatigue syndrome and says nothing can be done for it. Can you tell me something on this subject? — J.F. ANSWER: Chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, is an elusive illness without […]