DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 82-year-old lady who’s very active. I have had stress incontinence since I was in my 40s. I had a hysterectomy, two bladder tie-ups and two collagen implants. Nothing helped for longer than a few months. This year I talked with a nurse practitioner and asked her if there is […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have had sciatica for two and a half months. Even though I am better than at I was first, I am taking forever to fully recover. I have had chiropractic treatments and physiotherapy. My doctor tells me it will go away on its own. Books that I have read say that […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Our grandson is 11 years old, weighs about 135 pounds and is 5 feet 10 inches tall. He plays baseball and basketball, and wears a size 13 shoe. Our concern is foot odor, a very strong smell. Our daughter has tried many things, including some things you suggested in the past. Do […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What causes Crohn’s disease? What is the treatment? My son has it. — F.H. ANSWER: Crohn’s disease is one of the two inflammatory bowel diseases. The other is ulcerative colitis. Both have some common signs and symptoms, but they are quite different illnesses. Inflammation is the body’s response to something that causes […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. He is 59 years of age. Why would he get this disease after all these years? Lately it seems like all we have been hearing is “gluten-free.” What is going on? It seems like an outbreak. — P.S. ANSWER: Celiac disease might start in […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 6-year-old, very healthy, active grandson was just diagnosed as having kidney stones. His pediatrician said it is mostly genetic, but no one else in the family has had kidney stones. A friend told us she heard that stones could be caused by drinking Gatorade. My grandson has drunk a lot of […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have noticed that many packaged cookies, doughnuts, cakes, candy, crackers and whipped-cream toppings contain palm oil, palm kernel oil or coconut oil. Where do these oils come from? What effect do they have on our health? — R.C. ANSWER: Those “tropical” oils come from various parts of the palm tree. Palm […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 77-year-old woman in good health. Twelve years ago I had an Arthus reaction to tetanus vaccine. There was considerable swelling at the injection site. I also had chills and fever, ached all over and just plain felt miserable. I understand that it is wise to have a tetanus booster […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’d like your opinion on the benefits of massage. I’m 42 and play sports year-round at a pretty competitive level. In this past year, I have had to drag myself to keep playing. I felt tired out and ached in many places. Someone suggested massage to me. I tried it. It worked. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Would you address scleroderma, Raynaud’s phenomenon and CREST syndrome? It seems no one knows of these conditions, and not many doctors are familiar with them, either. I had to have two fingers amputated, as they were so badly ulcerated because the diagnosis was missed. There is no local support group, so my […]