Ask the Doctors

Dear Doctor: Melatonin gets mentioned a lot when people talk about the problems they have with getting to sleep. I’ve been thinking about trying it to help me stay asleep, but I’m not really sure that I understand it. What is melatonin, and how does it work? Dear Reader: Getting adequate and high-quality sleep was…

Dear Doctor: I’m not sure I understand what’s going on with the coronavirus variants. What are they, and how do they happen? And what is it that’s so dangerous about the delta variant? If it’s so different from the original coronavirus, shouldn’t we just wait until there’s a new vaccine? Dear Reader: You’ve raised a…

Ask the Doctors by Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: I think I remember reading that when you start exercising more, it changes your gut microbiome. How does that work? I thought it’s what you eat and drink that matter the most. Dear Reader: The way in which physical exercise affects the…

ASK THE DOCTORS by Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: I’ve been riding my bike a lot this past year, and my lower back hasn’t been quite right. I get a pinching pain, and sometimes my left leg gets pins and needles and feels numb. A friend I ride with wonders if it’s…

Ask the Doctors by Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: I’m surprised to learn that the COVID-19 vaccines are not FDA-approved, but are authorized for emergency use only. Why haven’t the vaccines been approved? Also, how is it that the mRNA vaccines got made so fast? It doesn’t seem safe. Dear Reader:…

Ask the doctors by Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: What is surfer’s ear, and how do you fix it? It happened to my sister a few months ago, and the people she surfs with are saying it’s because she won’t wear earplugs. Why would that matter? Dear Reader: Your sister has…

Ask the Doctors by Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: I was 37 years old when I was diagnosed with endometriosis. Now my 22-year-old daughter is having a lot of the same problems that I did when she gets her period. What is actually happening when you have endometriosis? Dear Reader: To…

Ask the Doctors Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Hello again, dear readers, and welcome to full-on summer. We hope you’re enjoying the fun and freedom of the season and are taking care to stay safe. Please make good use of sunscreens and bug sprays, do regular tick checks and be vigilant around swimming…

Ask the Doctors Eve Glazier, M.D., & Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctor: I had a hard time after my son was born. I’d had postpartum depression with my first child, so I knew what was happening. But when my husband started having issues, our doctor said postpartum depression happens to men, too. How? I thought…

Dear Doctor: I work at a restaurant, and when I got sick and short of breath, I was afraid it was COVID-19. It turned out to be hantavirus. My doctor thinks I got it from sweeping out an old storeroom. I’d like to know more about it. Also, how come it took over a week…