DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 74-year-old male and have been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease, PAD. I have a complete occlusion of the main artery just above the knee. What, in your opinion, are the chances of getting through the blockage with angioplasty? There is constant soreness in my calf, even at rest. Is […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son plays high-school basketball. He developed a pain in the back of his left ankle. The doctor says it is an inflammation of his Achilles tendon. He told my boy to ice it. For how long? Can he do anything else? — O.T. ANSWER: Usually, two days of icing is standard […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: For the past month, my voice has been hoarse. I thought it was laryngitis, but my throat never hurt. I don’t have and haven’t had a cold. I’m not a smoker, and drink alcohol only occasionally. My wife says laryngitis should be gone by now. Is she right? I’ve been whispering for […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I admit that I’m a very uptight person. Sometimes I can’t control my breathing. I start breathing very fast, and I become dizzy. When I sit and calm myself, my breathing returns to normal and all is well. This happens when I am stressed out. My doctor tells me I am hyperventilating. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My daughter, age 7, began to have brief attacks where she appeared to be in another world. They didn’t last long, and I didn’t make much out of them. She looked like she was daydreaming. The spells increased, so I took her to our doctor, who directed us to a pediatric neurologist. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: This winter my dad complained that his hat was too tight for him. My dad wears hats year-round. He happened to mention this to the doctor when he had his annual physical. The doctor did a special blood test and told my dad he might have Paget’s disease of bone. He sent […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: During my annual physical, my primary-care physician felt a strong pulse while checking my abdomen. A CT scan revealed an abdominal aortic aneurysm enlarged to 5.2 cm. I am told that for men my age (72), this is a rather common affliction, and that the standard treatment is to insert a stent […]

DEAR ABBY: My older brother “Mike” was married several months ago. The family was informed after the fact. Mike and his bride, “Sophie,” didn’t elope. They had planned their church wedding for the better part of a year, and decided to include only a small group of friends while completely excluding the family. Naturally, this […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve been walking five miles on a flat trail. It takes me 35 minutes to walk 2.5 miles, and then 2.5 miles back. I started at the end of October. Recently, I have had to stop because my shins hurt real bad. Would warm-ups help? Or are my shoes the problem? I […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is there any answer for night sweats? I am a man, age 77, and have had this problem for many years. My doctor has no answer. The sweating appears on my neck and upper chest. — J.R. ANSWER: Night sweats bedevil many more people than you might believe. Considerations have to be […]