BY PAUL G. DONOHUE, M.D. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have tonsil stones. They are little balls that come from the back of my mouth when I sneeze, cough or gargle. They resemble small pieces of garlic. Aside from being annoying, they are disgusting, because they smell and cause bad breath. I can’t get rid of […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 83 years old and have an enlarged prostate gland. My urologist suggested I take a medicine called Proscar to shrink the gland. Have you heard of any good results from it? — N.C.  ANSWER: I know many men who sing the praises of Proscar.  The prostate is a small gland, […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What causes a normal youth to develop schizophrenia when he reaches the early 20s? How can this condition be corrected? — S.B.  ANSWER: Schizophrenia happens at any age, but the late teens and early 20s are years when it frequently develops. The makings of it have been there from birth, with faulty […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last August, I was admitted to the hospital with what the doctors thought was the beginning of a heart attack. The next day I had a heart catheterization and found out I did not have a heart attack. I had something known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy. I am recovering, but I often hear […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Numerous over-the-counter supplements such as DHEA and herbs claim to stimulate testosterone production. As I am one of many 70-plus-year-olds who lift weights to increase strength and muscle mass before we become too old, do you recommend such supplements? If so, which ones? — Anon. ANSWER: Dehydroepiandrosterone, from this point on called […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you please write about cataracts? My eyes feel like they have dirt in them, and my head aches all the time on top and in the forehead. — B.P. ANSWER: A bit inward from the pupil of the eye is the eye’s lens. It’s a clear, oval-shaped affair that focuses incoming […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My daughter has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). I have no idea what it is. I understand she had it since she was a child. Can anything be done for her now? She’s in her late 40s. — Anon. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please tell me about ADHD. My granddaughter now lives with […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 86-year-old man who is a caregiver for my 90-year-old wife, who has dementia. I try to cope with the many problems my situation entails. The latest ones have aggravated an intolerable itching. I try to resist scratching, but it feels so good that I am overwhelmed and go ahead […]

DEAR ABBY: I return to my hometown at least twice a year to visit my large extended family. When I do, I have tried to make time for my oldest friend, “Judith,” whom I have known since kindergarten. In the past we have gotten together for a few hours here and there — for dinner, […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 80-year-old woman who declares herself an organ donor every time she renews her driver’s license. Is there a cutoff age when organs are not longer usable? — D.W. ANSWER: If more people felt the way you do, the long lists of patients waiting for organ transplants would disappear. More […]