DEAR DR. ROACH: On Nov. 2, 2020, I had a total right hip replacement. The surgery was successful, and the incision has healed completely. X-rays on the day of the surgery are clear. However, X-rays in April this year show something the surgeon called heterotopic ossification. It feels as if there is something large growing […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: How is preventive medical care handled when an individual is traveling to a remote location? For example, I will be hiking this summer in a remote area with no medical care available (it would take three days to get to a doctor). Can a nonmedical person pick up prescription medication prior to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy man in my late 40s. I was married for 18 years to my first sexual partner. Since my divorce three years ago, I have had two additional partners. These were casual flings. I used condoms and did not catch anything. I was happy to meet a woman who […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: A friend is not getting vaccinated for COVID-19 because she thinks the vaccines could cause permanent fertility issues. Would you please comment on this? — M.S. ANSWER: I can understand why a woman would be concerned about losing fertility. However, this is just not a concern that is borne out by the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I ruptured my Achilles tendon playing basketball seven years ago at the age of 49. I was able to recover and continue playing. My question has to do with others who have suffered from this: Why do so many young people appear to tear their Achilles? I can think of a handful […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a recently diagnosed diabetic. Can you please give me advice on how to reverse it if possible? — H.M. ANSWER: I’m assuming you have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is caused by resistance to insulin. Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, is an autoimmune disease […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you tell me about food poisoning? I often hear the term, but it seems to mean different things to different people. — V.A. ANSWER: Foodborne illnesses are indeed a very large and diverse group. Although the term may refer to toxins in food, such as poisonous mushrooms or heavy metal contamination, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you comment on the lack of a test that truly demonstrates the effective level of immunity an individual has from receiving the COVID vaccine? My wife has lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine over a month ago. Now we learn that her immune system may […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 74 and in good health except for osteoporosis. I’m 5 foot, 3 inches tall and weigh 106 pounds, and have followed a plant-based diet for eight years. I take no medications, walk briskly daily and still work, but my calcium score was 640. What’s happening here? — D.H. ANSWER: Regular […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About two or three months ago, I got a cracking sound in my right ear, and it hurts off and on. This happens several times a day, both day and night. I saw my doctor, who said it was nothing. He told me to take Sudafed two times every 24 hours. It […]