DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had a thoracic aortic aneurysm repaired in 2008. Since the surgery, I had several setbacks that brought me to different hospitals. They did CT scans, and, all in all, I have had about six scans in the past two years. I’m supposed to have another CT scan for my operated aneurysm. Should I have it? I wonder how long it takes to see the damage done by all that radiation. I am 63. — J.C.

ANSWER: Everyone must respect CT scans and X-rays, since they are radiating the body. Radiation can give rise to cancer that doesn’t appear until years later. Doctors have to balance the value of the information gained from these procedures against the danger to their patients’ health. Respect for radiation doesn’t imply that we should fear it.

CT scans expose people to much more radiation than an ordinary chest X-ray. These scans furnish information not obtainable in any other way. After repair of a thoracic aortic aneurysm — a bulging weak spot on the aorta wall — a series of CT scans are done in the first year, and then annually thereafter. This is almost standard practice.

All the same, tell your doctor you have had CT scans in addition to the ones for your aneurysm. You wonder about your exposure to so much radiation. Ask if it’s possible to obtain the same information from ultrasounds or MRI scans. Neither of these exposes you to any radiation. I would let my doctor make the decision for me to have the CT scan after discussing it with him or her.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently I had what the hospital doctors called a panic attack.

I would like to know what causes them and if there is a cure for them. Would lack of sleep or medication have anything to do with it? — W.B.

ANSWER: A panic attack is a period of extreme fear in a situation that doesn’t warrant such fear. It comes on suddenly, reaches a peak in 10 or fewer minutes and makes the person want to flee from the situation he or she finds him- or herself in — shopping for groceries, driving a car or walking down a street.

During an attack, some of the following are present: the heart beats fast; sweat breaks out; people become short of breath; they can feel like they are choking; they might have chest pain and believe they’re having a heart attack; they could be dizzy.

The actual attack probably results from an outpouring of body chemicals, like adrenaline. What triggers the release of these chemicals usually is buried deeply in a person’s subconscious. Lack of sleep or medication could make a person more susceptible to an attack.

If you experience a panic attack only once, you don’t have a great concern. If the attacks recur, then you do have a problem that needs attention. Report them to your family doctor, who will get you started on treatment and refer you to a professional who can unearth hidden causes provoking these attacks.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a grandson, 28 years old. He has HLA B-27. Is it arthritis? It supposedly affects his spine and eyes and is disabling. — N.D.

ANSWER: “HLA” stands for “human leukocyte antigen,” genetically programmed markers on body cells very much like an address on a house. They tell the body that these cells belong to it. The “B-27” is another part of the address. HLA B-27 often is found in people with a special kind of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis. It’s an arthritis of the back, and it’s more common in young men. Eye inflammation often is part of the condition.

Most people who have the HLA B-27 marker never develop back arthritis or the eye inflammation. In North America, 7 percent of the population has it. That amounts to millions of people. Only a few of them ever develop ankylosing spondylitis.

The odds are that your grandson will never develop it.

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.

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