DEAR DR. ROACH: A few years ago, despite regular use of sunscreen, I noticed a couple of small, dark patches on my face. I began using a product that contained 2 percent hydroquinone, which the package says is a “targeted skin lightener.” The problem is, those dark patches haven’t changed at all, except that they […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 89 years old and just learned that I have the first stages of bed sores on my buttocks. My dermatologist said that I should stay off of it as much as possible and apply hydrocortisone cream. I have COPD, and I need to sleep sitting up. I wonder if you […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a synovial cyst removed from my spine at the L4-L5 (lower back) in 2008. Ever since that surgery, I wake up in the middle of the night with numbness and tingling in either one or both hands — sometimes several times a night. Sometimes it’s the whole hand to the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your column daily and have confidence in your advice. My question pertains to cholesterol, specifically LDL-P (particles) and how they differ from LDL-C (cholesterol). My cholesterol readings are as follows: total, 176; triglycerides, 170; HDL, 50; LDL, 92. My particle numbers are LDL-P of 1,570, and the SMLD-P was 930, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I just read your column from R.A., concerning rectal pain. I believe what he is talking about is proctalgia fugax. I have this condition and have had it for many years. It is not serious, but can be very painful. It is severe episodic rectal and sacral coccygeal pain caused by muscle […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am fair-skinned and have had sunburns in the past, so I have been diligent about looking for rough, scaly skin patches that might turn into cancer and dark irregular patches that might be melanoma. But I had not read anything about watching for a pore that bleeds, heals and bleeds again. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have peripheral neuropathy symptoms in my feet. I am borderline diabetic and keep it under control by eating right. Also, my legs are weak, and I am doing exercises. I was taking the drug Reglan for a couple of months. During the time I was taking it was when I started […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have taken the same dosage of Synthroid for several years. Since this dose successfully maintains my thyroid level, is it still necessary for me to have my blood work done once a year, or could I either stop having blood work done or have the test performed every other year? — […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. I have seen two cardiologists, and while I feel they have done what they think is right, I believe that because we have had a sudden cardiac death in our family, more monitoring should be done. I have had a stress test, a monitor that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I always have had a low resistance to germs and have caught colds every two to three months. I take adequate vitamins and B-12 shots. Approximately eight months ago, I started taking 50 mg zinc once a day. I feel fine and have not caught a cold since taking zinc. A local […]