DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Why don’t you ever talk about the importance of a high-fiber diet? I never hear any mention of foods we can get fiber from. Let your readers know how important fiber is and how important it is to get the recommended daily allowance. — Anon. ANSWER: Fiber is what a former generation […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: We live in the South, where mosquitoes are very bad, even in cool weather. I have a 6-year-old grandson who seems to attract mosquitoes. When he was younger, he’d scratch the bites and make sores. Now he rubs them when they itch. The doctor gave him an ointment to apply to stop […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son plays many sports, including soccer, basketball and baseball. Toward the end of the basketball season, he complained of pain in the left groin. He started the baseball season but had to stop because the pain increased. I took him to our family doctor, who checked him for a hernia but […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m writing you for reassurance. I haven’t seen a doctor in more than 25 years because I haven’t had a sickness that required a doctor. I finally yielded to my wife’s badgering and had an exam. It was thorough and included an EKG. The doctor said he saw something odd on the […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have been coughing for what seems like forever. I have used every over-the-counter cough medicine I can get my hands on. No luck. I feel OK otherwise, but the coughing is getting me and those around me down. What can I do? ANSWER: A cough is a protective reflex that clears […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My daughter is 22 and on her own. She is being treated for a thyroid problem. The plan is to give her a radioactive material. What does this do to her ability to have children? Does it raise her risk for cancer? Must she take special precautions when she’s around others? — […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 43. I am on Lipitor. My father died of a heart attack when he was 52, and his brother, my uncle, died of one at 55. My cholesterol is a bit on the high side. That’s why my doctor put me on Lipitor. I mentioned this medicine at lunch to […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: One of my testicles grew much larger than the other. I only noticed it about a month or so ago. It didn’t hurt at all. I saw the doctor just to play it safe. I’m glad I did. My doctor sent me to a urologist, who said the testicle had to be […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have become quite interested in learning about the danger of concussions in contact sports, especially football. I read all the information I can get my hands on. I have yet to find an answer to a question that popped up in my mind some time ago. Are less-than-concussion-causing head blows dangerous […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am totally familiar with the consequences of high blood pressure, but I have learned nothing about low blood pressure. Please help. — C.S. ANSWER: Normal blood pressure has been set at less than 120 over 80. People who have lower pressures actually appear to lead longer lives. A systolic pressure (first […]