DEAR DR. ROACH: During my recent visit with my optometrist, a retinal embolus (a Hollenhorst plaque) was discovered in my right eye. It was stated that this embolus could possibly dislodge, travel to my brain and cause a stroke. A carotid ultrasound didn’t show a problem with the blood flow there. Now I am waiting […]

DEAR DR ROACH: I am a 60-year-old man and suffer from chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. I have had bouts of prostatitis since childhood, but the last few years, it has been almost constant. My symptoms are burning, and I always get the feeling that I have to urinate. I have seen numerous urologists, but […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: If you would recommend one good thing to do in your life to prolong your life and have good health, what would it be? By the same token, if you were to recommend not doing something because it is very bad for you, and there is no health benefit to it, what […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have reached the beginning of osteoarthritis after a meniscus trim from years ago. Can platement-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, or anything else, regenerate cartilage? — E.C. ANSWER: Loss of cartilage is an important part of the complex condition called osteoarthritis, along with osteophytes (“bone spurs”) and inflammation of the synovium (connective tissue […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with appendicitis. I’ve been sick for three days. My surgeon said that although the CT scan showed a ruptured appendix, he wants me to take antibiotics for a week or so, and then come back in six to eight weeks for surgery. I don’t […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I took ibuprofen for my osteoarthritis, but developed hives. Does this mean I’m allergic to all NSAIDS? What other therapeutic options do I have? — J.B. ANSWER: Anti-inflammatory drugs can have many allergic and allergic-type reactions, and ibuprofen is probably the most likely of all to do so. For people with mild […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My partner is 71 and was diagnosed with heart failure one year ago, but one month later, he was diagnosed with an iliac arteriovenous malformation (AVM). He had this repaired, the result being he no longer got winded nor retained fluid. His left ventricular ejection fraction has gone from 39% to 46% […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 76 and have been bothered by sensitive skin, usually dryness on my back and itchiness on my ears. My dermatologist prescribed medications for my itchy back and ears; however, it does not really stop the recurrence of the itchiness. I started to have an itchy scalp, and I do not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: As a 72-year-old man with mildly elevated blood pressure (averaging 135/77), I’m very interested in lowering my blood pressure without resorting to medications. My research reveals that virtually all blood pressure medications have considerable side effects, and physicians often prescribe more than one. My weight is appropriate for my height (184 pounds; […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 79-year-old female. I am in generally good health, but have a question about RhoGAM. When I had my children in the ’60s, I was in the original study conducted to see if my AB negative blood type would hurt my children. I understand that the Rh factor can hurt […]