DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My grandson wrote down his symptoms. Can you help him? He is 15 and plays soccer. “Dry throat; irritated throat during hard running. Makes me want to puke. During most days, stuffy, itchy nose.” — P. ANSWER: Your grandson doesn’t mince words. He comes right to the point. I bet he is […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What advice can you give to senior citizens with type 2 diabetes? — W.S. ANSWER: People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have similar goals and are given fairly similar advice. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes and often can be controlled with oral medicines and […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had a little trouble breathing, so I saw my doctor, who ordered a chest X-ray. It showed fluid on the right lung. The doctor said he would have to do more tests to find out why the fluid appeared. Could you guess for me what those tests might be? What brought […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am in my 80s and have a problem. I had a car accident three years ago. Since then, I pass gas most of the time, and I can’t hold it in. I am very embarrassed to go out of the house. Please tell me what causes it, or what I can […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently I heard that a number of people died from eating cantaloupe that had a bacterium called listeria. What causes it, and how did it originate? I have been growing vegetables all my life and never heard of it. Does it live just on the outside of fruits and vegetables, or does […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My grandson is 5. He was supposed to start kindergarten this year, but after the first few days, the school recommended that he see a doctor because of his disruptive behavior. He has tics, and has had them since he was 3. He contorts his mouth and lips into peculiar shapes briefly […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please suggest some exercises for my husband, who is having a problem with balance. He admits it’s a problem. He looks like he’s about to fall when he gets out of a chair. He has to grab something to steady himself. This is only one example of his balance difficulty. He’s 78. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have been hoping someone would ask you about my condition, leukopenia. I had numerous blood tests this past summer. My latest one indicates that I have a white blood count of 3,100. I am 61, weigh 138 pounds and am 5 feet 4 inches tall. I exercise daily, mostly by walking. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 71-year-old woman who travels frequently with her husband. I may have missed a column you wrote on hives. I have had them recur now for a number of years. Enclosed you will find a synopsis of my breakouts and the treatments I have gotten from an allergist and dermatologist. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have urge incontinence. I asked the doctor if I could take one of the advertised medicines to relieve it. Another doctor had told me that I only half-empty my bladder. I asked the second doctor what would happen if I took one of these drugs and was suddenly unable to pass […]