DEAR DR ROACH: I am very concerned about my grandchild’s growth — or lack thereof. She is 6 years old and has not grown at all this past year. She is 42 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. She is the smallest child in her first-grade class. When they have family activities, some of the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I take Bystolic for blood pressure, and was instructed to take it in the morning. The side effects leave me feeling washed out, drowsy and listless all day. Since blood pressure is lower during sleep and rises slowly near morning, I think it would be better to take it at bedtime, when […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: At what age does menopause occur? I’m 54, and my periods are still the same. I had a blood test and was told I’m not even close to menopause. I read in an old medical book that it occurs between 45 and 55. Is this still correct? My friend said she knows […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your article regarding aortic aneurysms. During a MRI on my mom for a seizure, they found two brain aneurysms — one behind her eye, and another somewhere in her head/brain. She was well into her 80s, and they did nothing about them. A year later, when she was in a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have recently read that Jack Andraka, a teenager from Maryland, discovered a test to determine if a person has early stage pancreatic cancer. He won the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. He used a paper dipstick sensor in blood or urine. He worked for several months with Anirban Maitra, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Three days ago, there appeared an unexplained wet spot at the inside of my husband’s sock, and also near the cuff of his slacks. It happened again during the next two days. We consulted his doctor, who diagnosed it as a leaking lymph node, and said he had no way of treating […]

 DEAR DR. ROACH: What can you tell me about polycystic ovarian syndrome? My 20-year-old daughter was diagnosed with it by her gynecologist after she started to miss her periods and gain weight. I have several questions: Is PCOS curable? How is it diagnosed? Is it genetic? And does it affect fertility? — N.D. ANSWER: Polycystic […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old woman. About seven years ago, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and put on prednisone. I have been weaned off a few times, but I always got sick and had to go back on it. I’m told I now have polymyalgia rheumatica. I was told that while off […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I fell about three months ago and sustained a compression fracture of my T11 vertebra. What can I do? The pain is about the same as it was then. There’s numbness on the outside of my right foot. I have no tolerance for the idea of a needle in my back. — […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother-in-law has been diagnosed with Charcot Joint disease. It was discovered when he broke a bone in his foot and had a soft cast. He is diabetic. His foot has been out of the cast for months now, but he seems to be in constant pain in his feet and legs. […]