DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My grandson, who is 26 years old, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He evidently has had this for some time, which would explain his mood swings and erratic behavior. He is now getting medication and therapy, which are helpful.

Please tell us something about this disease and what the future outlook is for him. — R.F.

ANSWER: People with bipolar disorder do display mood swings, from the pole of depression to the pole of exhilaration. Bipolar disorder used to be called “manic-depressive disorder.” When people with this disorder are in the exhilarated state, they have inexhaustible energy and a diminished need for sleep. They appear to be able to go on and on forever. They are talkative and feel invincible. Impulsivity, along with a tendency to make quick decisions that ultimately prove unwise, is also part of the spectrum.

The other pole, the depressive pole, is the exact opposite. In this phase, people are down in the dumps and have no energy. They can barely drag themselves to work, and sometimes they cannot even do that because they feel so empty and so drained. They sleep much of the time, or they cannot get to sleep or waken in the early morning hours and stay awake. Thoughts of suicide intrude into their consciousness.

All this most likely is due to an imbalance of brain chemicals, chemicals with names like dopamine and serotonin.

Bipolar disorder is quite common. It affects 2 percent or more of the American population. Two percent of a population greater than 300 million amounts to a huge number of people laid low by this illness.

Bipolar is quite treatable. The outlook for your grandson is good. He is in therapy and on mood-stabilizing medicines. By sticking to both, his moods should not be constantly swinging between the two poles. He has good prospects for enjoying a long, healthy, happy and productive life.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I need information about Ewing’s sarcoma. My 13-year-old niece has it. Doctors did a lot of testing on her. I need to know more about it. — W.E.

ANSWER: Ewing’s (U-ings) sarcoma is a family of tumors that spring up from bones and soft tissues. They are most often seen in young people between the ages of 10 and 20. Arm bones, pelvic bones, ribs and spine are the places where this tumor usually arises, but the leg bones, especially the femur, are the No. 1 site for it.

Signs and symptoms depend on where the tumor arises and how large it is. Pain, swelling and tenderness, along with weight loss and fever, are typical signs.

In the past 30 years, changes in the way Ewing’s is treated have greatly increased the chances of a good outcome. A team of doctors takes care of Ewing’s patients, and the team includes a surgeon, an oncologist (a cancer specialist) and a radiation oncologist (a doctor whose specialty is treatment with radiation). When the tumor is discovered early, a favorable result can be expected in 75 percent of cases.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 83 and have macular degeneration. Will I endanger my eyesight by taking Viagra, Cialis or Levitra? My wife thinks this is too dangerous. — E.B.

ANSWER: These medicines for erectile dysfunction are not taboo for men with macular degeneration. Men who take medicines containing nitrates ought not to use them. A few users have noticed transiently blurred vision or have experienced a short-lived blue haze after use. Neither is permanent. NAION, nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, is a partial or complete vision loss, most often in one eye, that has been suggested as a possible but very rare side effect of these medicines. A cause-and-effect relation has not been established.

Your doctor will explain all of this when he or she writes a prescription for one of these drugs.

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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