ask-the-doctor
I had severe pain last night and went to the ER. I had an ultrasound test. It showed my gallbladder was slightly distended (no stones) and the common bile duct was enlarged. My white blood cell count was 11,000. But my other blood tests were normal. Could this explain my severe pain?
What is considered the first day of a woman’s menstrual cycle? Is it the day some spotting has shown up, or the day of a regular flow?
I have an infection on both of my ring fingers. I’ve been told it is a paronychia. Is it contagious? It’s not a serious infection yet. What should I do next?
I have some moles that I’ve considered removing for a while. I’ve heard that if a mole isn’t suspicious looking or causing any problems, you should leave it alone. Is this true?
Over the past 3 weeks, I’ve developed pain in my ankles, Achilles tendon, knee and elbows. The pain is minor to severe, and it feels like the pain moves from joint to joint. I haven’t changed my routine or had any injuries. So what could cause this?
My daughter is 4’7″, and weighs 132 pounds. She also has high blood pressure and reflux. I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar drinks and fried food. Can you suggest any other changes to her eating plan to help?
I take Metformin 500 mg in the morning and at night for diabetes. After I got a cortisone shot in my shoulder today, my sugar went up a lot. How long should I expect this to last?
I?ve had sciatica for a couple of weeks now. I?d like to exercise, but I don?t seem to get any better or worse whether I do or don?t. The pain is worse at night and first thing in the morning. I?ve had X-rays, but they don?t show anything. Can I exercise 4 days a week to keep on my fitness schedule? My back doesn?t hurt at all ? it?s just the sciatica.
I am 57 years old. My maternal grandmother and mother both had Alzheimer?s disease. There have been some times when I feel like I?m waking up from a fog or mental sleep. I sometimes feel disoriented, or just plain scared (especially when I?m driving). Should I be worried?
Can recent vaccinations cause a false positive elevation in an antibody test for rheumatoid arthritis? I recently had a hepatitis and HPV vaccine and two weeks later, my test came back with an elevated level of 36.