Q. I am in my mid-fifties and for the first time in my life, I’m seeing signs of “middle-age spread”. Although I lead an active life, I have never exercised on a regular basis. Is it too late for exercise to make a difference? A. Until recently, conventional wisdom dictated that the human body begins

Q. I have always believed that douching was part of good hygiene, but my daughter’s doctor told her not to douche. Who’s right? A. At one time, doctors routinely instructed their female patients to douche; however, that is no longer the case. Studies have shown that there is a higher rate of infection of the

Q. Is it true that everything I tell my doctor is strictly confidential? A. No, it is not, and this can pose problems for both doctors and their patients. When a doctor takes the Hippocratic oath, she swears to reveal nothing that she learns in the course of her work as a physician. As far

Q. What is the difference between being in a coma and being brain dead? When are you considered officially dead? A. A coma is a state of impaired consciousness that can vary in intensity. Doctors gauge the depth of a coma by noticing whether the patient responds to outside stimuli and whether automatic processes like

Q. I move my bowels every three days and I wonder if this is normal? A. Although the advertisements for commercial laxatives would have you think otherwise, there is a wide range of what is normal in terms of how frequently people move their bowels. For some people, moving their bowels once or twice a

Q. I have a friend who told me that she got pregnant while taking birth control pills because she did not know that the antibiotic prescribed by her doctor for a throat infection would reduce the effectiveness of the Pill. Could this be true? A. Yes. Many drugs can interact with the Pill and make

Q. Is the “morning-after pill” safe? Does it work? Is there anything that you can do in the morning after to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases? A. There are several regimens of hormones that can be used within a short period after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy. The “morning-after” pill that is most often

Q. I frequently wake up with pain in my chest. It goes away in a few minutes and it’s not very painful. I think it’s only indigestion, but could it be my heart? Should I call my doctor? A. Chest pain at night could be caused by any of several problems, and although it is