DEAR DR. ROACH: Are oral antibiotics ever prescribed to treat chalazions in addition to eye drops and ointment? I have had two this year for, seemingly, no reason. They were treated with tobramycin eye drops, ointment and warm compresses. The first one didn’t resolve with those meds and was excised surgically. That eyelid then became […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: How do I know if I have arthritis? My left leg makes a slight cracking noise in my knee when I walk down the stairs, but no pain. However, when I go for a long drive, I limp when getting out of the car, which kind of goes away and does not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a tuberculosis (TB) skin test for my new job in May, and it was negative. They did a blood test in July. I have a question about a positive T-SPOT blood test for TB. They did a chest X-ray, and it shows nothing wrong. Is there any treatment necessary? I […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Will I continue to test positive for COVID-19 antigens even after I recover from the virus? I tested positive using the free, at-home COVID-19 antigen self-test a week ago, and I tested positive again yesterday. Once you have the antigens in your system, don’t they stay there for a while? — R.L.M. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My sister has asked her psychiatrist for a list of the medications she has been on during the past few years. She would like to try a new one, as she is crying constantly and seems disoriented. He won’t explore changing meds and also won’t give her the list, claiming he hasn’t […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother and both of her sisters had breast cancer in their 30s, with my mother eventually passing after her third bout at age 43. They all grew up in the same house that I grew up in. I’m now a 34-year-old father of three small children. I don’t want to die […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently caught a quick news headline on breast cancer stating that there are now findings of cancer in women who have had breast implants. What can you tell us about these new findings and studies? Any updated information about breast cancer for women with implants would be appreciated by many who […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I used to give blood regularly. While in the Air Force, I was stationed in England for four years in the early 1980s. Sometime in the 1990s, I was told that due to concern about mad cow disease, I would no longer be able to donate. Is that still true? If so, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column concerning the fellow who was reluctant to go to a doctor regarding his prostate. I’m very curious why the PSA is now considered a legitimate test for prostate problems. I distinctly recall a discussion on the radio with a doctor about 25 or 30 years ago, in […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My friend lost hearing in one of her ears after a vertigo and dizziness spell a few months ago, when she also noted tinnitus. Her hearing issues have not resolved, unfortunately. Given some anecdotal reports of issues like this happening after receiving a COVID vaccine, she is wondering whether to get the […]