DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Do varicose veins run in families? My mother had them, and I’m starting to get them. I’m 43. Not only did she have varicose veins, but her legs were swollen from them. What can I do to stop my veins from getting worse? — L.B. ANSWER: Varicose veins are a family affair […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: The thought of colon cancer makes me cringe. My father died of it. Colonoscopy wasn’t done in those days. I’m interested in learning all the ways to diagnose colon cancer in its early stages. Can you give me the rundown? — N.C. ANSWER: Colon cancer makes everyone cringe. It’s the third most […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please enlighten me on walking pneumonia. I have had a cough and finally consulted my doctor. I don’t feel all that bad, but I don’t feel all that good, either. The doctor had me get an X-ray. He then called to tell me I have walking pneumonia. Pneumonia sounds terrifying. Should I […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I run with two other guys my age. We’ve been running for a year, and it has helped me to keep my weight under control. My friends insist we stretch before we run. They do this for 10 to 15 minutes. I feel this is a waste of time, and I don’t […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Two months ago, I broke out in a shingles rash. I had some pain, but not a whole lot. After the rash left, the pain increased, and it’s still there to this day. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might make. I need some relief from this pain. I didn’t think […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My age is 61. I went through menopause 10 years ago. In the previous three months, I have started having some vaginal spotting with blood. I felt fine, no pain, nothing. I mentioned this to my husband, and he said he was going to forcefully take me to the doctor if I […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have herpes. I am a 28-year-old woman who never previously had a venereal disease. I am shocked to have one now. I have always been careful about choosing my male partners. I can’t believe this has happened to me. Will this affect my chances of having children? What do I do […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I hope you’ll use my letter. I’m writing to warn people about what can happen if they ignore warning signs. One day I suddenly had a pounding, left-sided headache. At first I took Tylenol, which helped a bit. Then I took aspirin and went to bed. The next day, the headache was […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’d appreciate hearing what you have to say about massage. I had practiced my tennis serve for hours every day for more than a week. I developed a pain in my back at the lowermost part of the shoulder blade. I tried everything to get rid of it — Aleve, ice, heat […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: For years, my doctor treated me for arthritis. Now he’s done an about-face and says I have something called mixed connective tissue disease. What happened to my arthritis? I feel like I have wasted years on the wrong treatment. Care to comment? — R.J. ANSWER: Your story is classic for mixed connective […]