DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother was diagnosed with right frontal lobe meningioma 17 years ago when she was 83 years old. Surgery was successful in that most of it was removed and it was found to be nonmalignant. The doctor told us he couldn’t remove it completely, and that it was a very slow-growing type […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My doctor recently retired, my new one is very concerned about my systolic blood pressure, which was 150. I made quarterly visits to my old doctor, who never had a comment about my pressure numbers. My new doctor wants me on medication, and we agreed I would buy a home blood pressure […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Is it safe for me to get the COVID-19 vaccine or will getting the vaccine make my tachycardia or other symptoms worse? — K.K. ANSWER: The body goes through a complex set of changes to adapt to an upright posture. When changing from reclining to sitting […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I participated in a research study and received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 30. I have lab-confirmed antibodies. Gyms are known to be especially susceptible to the virus spreading, but is it reasonably safe to return to the gym after having the vaccine and taking normal precautions? I haven’t […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 73-year-old male with continued pain in my right foot and ankle for the past five years. I try to stay active by golfing two days a week in season, and I walk 3 miles four times weekly around the neighborhood. The pain started about five years ago after a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was sick for two weeks at home with the coronavirus and made a complete recovery. Why wouldn’t recovering from the virus be at least as good as getting the vaccine? I’ve heard that I’m probably safe for three to eight months. Surely, they don’t expect the vaccine to be good for […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter-in-law has anxiety attacks. It gets so bad that she ends up throwing up. She has seen a doctor, but so far it has not helped. Can you give her any advice? — M.L. ANSWER: Anxiety is something that nearly everyone has felt when confronted by a difficult, unexpected or time-consuming […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently had an EKG that showed first-degree heart block and “inferior infarct, age undetermined.” What does that mean? What should I do to make sure it doesn’t get worse? I will be seeing a cardiologist in a few months to get an exercise stress echo. What is that? — C.P. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About two weeks ago, I received the vaccine for COVID-19. By the next day I had a great deal of pain in the shoulder area where the vaccine was administered. For about five days, I could barely lift my arm. It is still sore but the pain is subsiding, and I can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 76-year-old man who was treated for prostate cancer starting in summer 2017. Following radiation therapy, I was given Lupron injections every six months for two years. It’s been two years since my last injection, but I still experience hot flashes as a result. Will these hot flashes stay with me […]