DEAR DR. ROACH: For longer than a month now, I have had blood in my stool. Not just a little, and not just with stool. I am losing blood constantly. My doctor said he’s sure it’s a hemorrhoid, which he checked me for and then told me it wasn’t that. I can’t afford to see […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What can you tell me about interstitial cystitis? A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with this. What is the prognosis? She is only in her 30s. — D.S. ANSWER: Interstitial cystitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bladder. Its cause is unknown. Its major symptom is pain, which can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am writing you to ask for some advice. First off, I’m going to be honest: I do drink a lot on the weekends. I have been drinking since age 18, but for the past four years I have been drinking heavily on the weekends — five to 10 pints at the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 68 and healthy. I exercise regularly, but my blood pressure is borderline high. At rest it is 140/90, with a heart rate of 56. I bought a blood pressure cuff to take my readings every morning. On a whim, I took it to the health club to see what it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My neighbor had to change dentists. Her initial exam with the new doctor resulted in full-face X-rays. She objected, but was told they were low-dosage and would present no problems. Six to eight X-rays were taken. She is concerned about radiation. Can you comment on this? Does she need to be concerned? […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read that plastic bottles can be dangerous for your health. Do I need to worry about drinking water from plastic bottles? — D.D. ANSWER: I think you are talking about bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that can have some of the same effects as the female hormone estradiol. BPA has effects […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m concern that my husband might have transient global amnesia. I accidentally found a note that his deceased wife left, which stated that he had this. Could you explain to me what this condition is, and is there some kind of test to determine if he really has this condition? Can it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 46-year-old man, nonsmoker, who has worked in factories on and off for 25 years. I am on Advair and Proair for emphysema. I also take metoprolol for high blood pressure. My dad’s second cousin passed away from emphysema. My liver and heart appear good. At my age, is it […]

How low can blood pressure go? DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve seen a lot of information about high blood pressure and what numbers are good and bad, but I haven’t seen any on low blood pressure. Could you please discuss low blood pressure? What’s acceptable, and what’s dangerous? — M.S. ANSWER: High blood pressure is called […]

Coccydynia is a real pain in the rear DEAR DR. ROACH: I have pain in my tailbone area and have had a colonoscopy and two pelvic CT scans, but nothing was found. Is there a specialist I can see, and do you have any suggestions? — J.B. ANSWER: It sounds as though you may have […]