DEAR DR. ROACH: My friend is taking care of his 89-year-old mother. She has been drooling for the past two years or so. I read that aging causes muscles used for swallowing to become weaker and causes dysphagia, which in turn causes drooling. Is this true? — G.P. ANSWER: Drooling in older people is a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old Caucasian woman with newly found necrosis of the knee bone, along with a fracture. I do not have diabetes, but I received a month of steroids last November when I had COVID. I also use Adair daily for asthma. I am scheduled for total knee replacement this coming […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old male who has been experiencing an increase in breast size (slightly more on the left than the right) over the past year. I am healthy and have taken no medications for the past six months except sildenafil, on an as-needed basis. I am approximately 10-15 pounds overweight, but […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column, you wrote that there is no risk to family from shedding after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. You failed to mention that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the grandparents could catch COVID and spread it even after being fully vaccinated. Also, according to the CDC, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you explain the difference between the delta variant and the common cold? How is one to know if an illness is the common cold with cough for weeks or the virus! — Anon. ANSWER: The virus that causes COVID-19 — SARS-CoV-2 — is a coronavirus that can cause many different symptoms, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is taking Eliquis 5 mg (half a tab daily). He has had erectile dysfunction for 15 to 20 years and is 78 years old. Since we are in a new marriage, he obtained Viagra in Mexico. His cardiologist would not prescribe it. What precautions should he take or symptoms to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have multiple sclerosis, Addison’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. I am on steroids daily as well as potent immunosuppressive. In November 2013, I received a flu shot, and 10 days later I came down with Guillain-Barre syndrome. I was paralyzed for six months. Half of my doctors say I should take […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My doctor recommended both pneumococcal vaccines for me. He recommended the PCV-13 (Prevnar) first, followed two months later by the PPSV-23 (Pneumovax). He also told me that if I had them in the reverse order, I would have had to wait a full year between the shots, not just two months. Why […]

Wine is not a health food DEAR DR. ROACH: I have read about the benefits of having a glass of wine per day for women, or two glasses for men. Can you please tell me how your health will be affected if you have more? My husband often drinks a bottle of wine a night, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have chronic venous insufficiency. My doctor tells me there is nothing for it but compression socks, and I cannot put them on. — S.G. ANSWER: Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease of the veins, most commonly in the legs. It’s characterized by dilated (varicose) veins, tired or heavy legs, pain and […]