DEAR DR. ROACH: What is heatstroke? I exercised a lot in the heat yesterday, and today I feel dizzy and nauseated, even though it isn’t as hot as yesterday. — L.C. ANSWER: Heatstroke and heat exhaustion have similar names but are different conditions. People who exercise in conditions of high heat and humidity are at […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have always been a proponent of the attitude that “no matter how much you make yourself look younger on the outside, you are still aging on the inside.” I read a recent article on the benefits of the supplement NAD+, which describes the inside anti-aging benefits. It appears that there are […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My question concerns the benefits and risks of taking oral estrogen following removal of ovaries and uterus due to my concerns about ovarian cancer. I have recovered well from having this laparoscopic-robotic surgery. I am a healthy 69-year-old with a family history of ovarian cancer (mother) and breast cancer (mother and sister). […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read with interest your recent column regarding the benefit of a colonoscopy for detecting colon cancer. I am 58 and started experiencing frequent light nausea about two months ago, a few days after getting my first Moderna vaccine. My doctor had me get a blood test. It was generally normal except […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy woman. I recently had a whole-body thermography exam that highlighted my thyroid rather dramatically. Should I get a blood test for my thyroid and/or an ultrasound? — E.D. ANSWER: Thermography is a technique looking at differences in skin temperature. Back in the 1970s, it was found that breast cancer […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: As I seem to be highly prone to urinary tract infections, I’ve been using vaginal Estrace for decades. I’m 82 years old. I’ve developed serious gastroesophageal reflux disease, and note that there’s a connection with female hormones. Two of my health care providers disagree on whether vaginal Estrace is or is not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old polio survivor with severe osteoarthritis in my left shoulder, which is the side also affected by polio. I experience pain in varying degrees throughout the day, but at night the pain often wakes me up. I recently had my shoulder X-rayed. My orthopedic doctor said it was “bone […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am responding to a recent letter from a reader anxious about undergoing a colonoscopy. One of her concerns was a possible perforation requiring additional surgery and a temporary colostomy. You reassured her that the probability of such an occurrence was very low. I have seen this fear often. No doubt, it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Please explain the difference between probiotics and prebiotics? I know they are both helpful for the digestive system, but I’m not sure why. — A.B. ANSWER: Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients, such as fiber, that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Probiotics are the healthy organisms themselves, such as […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband suffers from trigeminal neuralgia. This is often very painful for months at a time, then the pain will stop for a few months before it begins again. He does not want to begin taking an antiseizure medication. Are there any natural remedies? — B.K. ANSWER: Trigeminal neuralgia is a pain […]