Dear Drs. Donohue and Roach: For two months, I went around with jaw pain and severe headaches. I was given a diagnosis of temporomandibular joint syndrome and tried many different devices to realign my jaw. None worked.

I switched doctors. The new doctor said I had temporal arteritis and put me on prednisone. The relief of both headaches and jaw pain was almost immediate. You should let your readers know about temporal arteritis and its treatment. I went through hell before the right diagnosis was made.

T.P.

Dear T.P.: Temporal arteritis is also called giant cell arteritis. Note that this is arteritis, not arthritis. It’s an inflammation of larger arteries that strikes later in life, after 50 and more often in the late 60s and 70s. The temporal artery — on the side of the head — gives its name to the illness, but isn’t the sole artery involved.

Headaches are the prominent symptoms. Jaw pain is common. The pain comes on after a short time of chewing. People might have a low-grade fever. They usually feel wrung out and might lose weight.

The cause of temporal arteritis remains unknown.

A catastrophic complication of this illness is loss of sight, which happens when inflammation spreads to the arteries that furnish blood to the eyes. Treatment should begin as soon as the diagnosis is suggested to prevent blindness.

You didn’t mention if you had a biopsy of the temporal artery. It’s often done for confirmation of the diagnosis.

Prednisone, one of the cortisone drugs, is the treatment. Relief comes quickly, but a person may have to remain on smaller doses of prednisone for quite some time. When treatment is urgent, doctors give another cortisone drug, methylprednisolone, intravenously.

Dear Drs. Donohue and Roach: Since I was 18, I have had ulcerative colitis. Now it is am well-controlled. My doctor has brought up the issue of colon cancer and says I should be having colonoscopies. Why, if I’m doing well? Do you agree with him?

R.T.

Dear R.T.: People who have ulcerative colitis are at high risk for colon cancer. The risk depends on the extent of the colitis and its duration. That’s why colonoscopy is warranted. Experts disagree on when to start colonoscopies and how often to perform them.

Dear Drs. Donohue and Roach: My 81-year-old sister lives alone and takes care of all her own needs, including shopping and cleaning her house. She called to tell me she had fallen in her basement and was out of it for a time. She says she’s fine now. I saw her again today, six days later, and she isn’t her usual self. She has a vacant look and takes forever to answer questions. Again I offered to take her to the doctor, and again she refused. What do you suggest?

T.W.

Dear T.W.: She needs to see a doctor soon. She might have a blood clot under the membrane that covers the brain. It’s called a subdural hematoma. Such a clot causes many signs and symptoms. A diminished mental functioning is one of them.

The doctor, I am sure, will want her to have a CT brain scan. The scan clearly shows such a clot. If there is one, it has to be drained as soon as possible.

Write to Dr. Donohue at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

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