DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A Doppler test showed I have a blockage in one of my right leg’s arteries. I have a lot of pain in my right leg. The doctor has not offered any advice except to take pain medication. Is there anything else that can be done? – G.Y.

ANSWER: You have peripheral artery disease – PAD – or peripheral vascular disease, PVD. It’s the same process that goes on in heart arteries – a buildup of cholesterol, fat, platelets and blood proteins that clings to the artery wall and eventually blocks the flow of blood through the artery. In the heart, the result is a heart attack. In a leg artery, it’s pain when a person moves about. The leg muscles can’t get enough blood when they’re asked to work.

Quite often, leg-artery clogging is a sign that heart arteries are also clogging, so the condition has two serious implications. Something can and should be done immediately.

Diet is very important. You must go on a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, and you have to limit your calories if you are overweight. Your diet should mainly consist of vegetables, fruits and grains.

Exercise is important unless your doctor forbids it. Start a walking program, even if you begin with only a few minutes. Walk to the point where you develop pain. Stop, rest, and when the pain goes away, resume walking. Work toward a goal of 30 minutes of walking daily.

You should inquire about medicines. Aspirin might be in order. Plavix is another medicine often prescribed for PAD, as is Pletal.

Angioplasty – the same procedure used for blocked heart arteries – can be used for blocked leg arteries. A balloon-tipped catheter is advanced to the point of blockage, and the balloon is inflated, squashing it. Or the clogged artery can be bypassed with a graft, just as a clogged heart artery is.

The booklet on peripheral vascular disease deals with this subject in greater detail. To order a copy, write to: Dr. Donohue – No. 109, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6.75 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing you about my granddaughter, who is 11 years old. We are African-American. She is light-complected. She has a condition on her neck that we refer to as “black neck.” She was tested for diabetes but does not have it. Nothing we have tried works for her. As she gets older, she is more self-conscious of this, and the other children poke fun of at her because of it. Please advise if you have any thoughts. – C.J.

ANSWER: A tentative suggestion as to what this might be is acanthosis nigricans. It happens in all races and at all ages. It’s a darkening of the skin. It can be seen as a ring around the neck. It can also be found under the arms, on the groin, around the ankles, on the elbows, on the knuckles and in any place where there are skin creases. In addition to the color change, the skin has a velvety texture.

The popular but inappropriate name for it on the neck is dirty-neck syndrome.

A most important aspect of acanthosis is checking for the many illnesses that are sometimes seen in association with it. Insulin resistance and diabetes are two such conditions. Disorders of the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands can also be seen with it. In older people, it can be associated with cancer. In some instances, it is hereditary. Many, many times, it’s something that just happens on its own, without any illness attached to it.

If your granddaughter is overweight, weight loss can improve the skin’s appearance. Obesity is another associated condition.

Have her parents take her to a dermatologist, who can determine whether mine is the correct diagnosis. If it is, Retin-A cream or gel might lighten the skin.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: When I eat asparagus, my urine has the odor of a burning tire. Is this a gene or harmful to my body? – M.P.

ANSWER: It’s not due to a gene, and it’s not harmful. Asparagus contains sulfur compounds that impart an unpleasant odor to urine.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.