Beginning approx. 2 months ago while exercising (fast walking/bicycling)I began to get a numbing sensation on the top left side of my head.  The area that seemed to be numb is about the size of a silver dollar.  Without touching the area I can sense that something is there. Recently, I decided to determine if […]

August 2, 2006 
Hi, 
I need help!  I have been having swallowing problems and now experiencing weight loss.  I do not have an appointment with a gastro doctor until August 28, 2006.  I had a barium swallow test done and it showed that my neck bones are pressing on my esophagus.  Is this problem for a gastro […]

I’m a 50 year old male in good health and never been hospitalized. About 6 days ago I was having trouble raising my right arm over my head. I realized I couldn’t even flex my bicep, and I couldn’t raise the arm at all. A week before that my right shoulder was aching near my […]

I am a 47 year old female. Mother of 2 teenage lads. I have been having this pain in the upper right, axillary area for about 1 year now.If you drew a line from my collar bone down then across to under my arm it is in this area I am getting the pain. […]

Dear Dr. Joshua,  
I have been ill since March of 2005, I have explained my symptoms to other doctors that I have seen and have been ignored, or they only treat my current symptom. I have been frustrated and want an intelligent theory instead of drugs. I am 26 now, […]

Dear Dr. Joshua I’m a 27 year old mother of 4. I had all c-sections when giving birth after my daughter was born in 2001. I had my tubes tied 2 months after having my daughter by Cesarean section. The problem I’m experiencing is that after 5 years I’m leaking what i believe is still […]

I am a 47 year old male who has lifted weights as a hobby since teenage. For the past three years I have lifted light weights with high reps due to a shoulder injury (rotator cuff impingement). Since I have been feeling much better lately I decided to give the heavy weights one […]

My mother is 53 years of age, has diabetes, a non smoker, (recently stopped in Feb of 06). She suffers from sever shaking in her hands/arms/neck. Pain in her lower back/neck and now is moving to her legs and feet. She is unable to complete simple house work i.e. dishes/mopping etc. […]

Dear Doctor,
I am 18 years of age and I recently discovered a swelling bellow my left ear that protrudes like a lump or a gland enlarged. I just got my ear pierced on that same side about a month ago and I don’t think that it has anything to do with the piercing. […]

It is just a simple question not to do with a illness but still important to me. I was talking to a friend the other day and she said that if you made out with someone who smokes marijuana that it will also transfer into your system. I just wanted to know if this was […]

I’m an 18 year old female. I am quite concerned about a tender lump that I have found underneath my left ribcage. Its on the side, and continues the shape of my ribcage further down. I’m quite skinny so I can feel it. What is it? I know there is something there because I […]

I am 27 years old, and have been a diagnosed diabetic since age 11. I have been controlled by diet and oral medication until last week when my doctor recommended I begin Insulin. My sugars on the oral medication were never above 12, so I my body must be capable of producing some Insulin […]

“You do the thing you’re scared of - you get the courage afterwards”
-From the movie Three Kings
Hard-Wiring Your Brain to Do the Right Thing
I’ve been suffering from one of those nagging feelings, reminding me of the things I’ve been meaning to do for a long time, but haven’t gotten round to doing. How I should […]

I have had a lump on the side of my head above my right ear for the past few months. I was having some pain, an itching sensation, and irritation in the area. I went to see a doctor who mentioned the possibility of a cyst. He referred me to a dermatologist and a skull […]

Dear Dr. Joshua:  
 
I have a 16 year old son that has a lump, soft tissue, directly behind his left ear in the temporal area. This area is located where an arm of a pair of glasses would press against the head. I only noticed because it was getting bigger, about […]

Hi Doctor: I am a 39 yr old RN and I have an important question to ask you. 
 
In 2002, I had C6-C7 fusion with plate and screws. Now I have a herniation at C5-C6 with radicular pain. My question, is it common for disks above or below a fusion to herniate?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Thank […]

I am a 25 year old female. My period is late by two weeks. I took a home pregnancy test and it came up negative. I am beginning to show symptoms of being pregnant… ie nausea (no morning sickness though) more frequent urination,acne(which would normally occur when I get my period, but I have […]

Dr. Joshua,
I’m 29, and I have a ten-year history of endometriosis, a recent diagnosis of mild PCOS, and a slightly heart-shaped uterus. A laparoscopy in December 2005 demonstrated scattered areas of endometriosis; these were subsequently removed. Although I’m not quite ready to conceive (approaching that point, though), I’m concerned about my chances of […]

Hello Doctor,
I am so glad I found your web site and I can finally ask my question to a professional. Seven years ago I used to be the insertive top in an anal sexual relationship for four times in a week, now I just heard that my ex is HIV positive. And me, 7 years from […]

I am thinking of getting a new GP, this is because I have PCOS, and have had 3 miscarriages and 1 ectopic pregnancy. I now have 2 children, however i have been taken off my pill because my blood pressure went too high, the pill I was on was helping with painful periods, hair and […]

I hope you’ve heard it all because here goes! 3 years ago I started to hear a popping sound in my head and one of my eyes became bloodshot. The sensation was similar to a bloop, bloop, bloop in my head. Around the same time I started to have shortness of breath and occasional […]

What insect causes a round or almond shaped bump then round bruise?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer
It’s not possible to say which insect has caused the reaction, especially as I don’t know which part of the world you are from. It could be any insect that bites.
The most important question is, could it be a serious insect-borne […]

Hi I have a muscle swelling in left side of lower left leg accompanied by a hot tingly sensation and red pin prick rash. I also have sharp pain in tibia when walking or putting pressure on lower leg.It is causing significant distress and making hard to walk.Any suggestions as to what this might be? 
 
I […]

This question and answer have been moved to:
Chronic Back Pain and Spinal Surgery

I had a D & C last May (2005) due to heavy bleeding (month and a half)and on the verge of anemia. I have normal menses all my life. No hysterectomy or anything. All tests resulted in everything being normal, no cysts or any abnormality. I am 51 year old female and know I […]

My son is six years old. A couple of months ago, we noticed two lumps on the back of his neck and one behind his ear. He has no fever or anything like that. He seems perfectly fine, other than the lumps. I took him to the doctor and she told me it’s probably […]

Hello. I am a 21 year old male, white, about 5′10″, around 125 lbs. I am not sexually active. I have experiencing several worrisome symptoms that have been occurring since last fall. Some of these symptoms occur on and off, while other symptoms are more constant. First of all, I […]

Hello i have had a pain under my right rib for about three months now sometimes it feels like a sunburn under my skin sometimes the pain is sharp but it is always there, its never gone. The pain is from right under my rib to all the way down just above my hip i […]

I have an 8 year old son who has a small lump on his right bicep. He is playing tackle football and there was a small bruise above the lump. However, there is no pain associated with the lump. Could this be a sign of cancer? I have made a Dr. appointment […]

My 11 year old girl has selective mutism, a social anxiety condition and has been on Zoloft, Seroquel, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and counseling over the last 6 years with no improvement. Looking up anti anxiety meds on the Internet listed none of these meds, but listed benzodiazepines as the medication of choice for extreme anxiety and […]

How much should I weigh?

Weight is one of the most significant factors that affect your health, and, even more importantly, this is one factor you can actively do something about.
Below you can find a simple calculator. Use it to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Enter your height and weight, then look at the […]

I am a 31 year old woman and have a 8 month old daughter whom I am still nursing up to 3 times a day, but my milk has nearly vanished completely and I have been having abdominal pain quite frequently, like I did early on in both of my pregnancies, and I have […]

Dear Dr. Joshua,  I’m 34 years old. I’ve been experiencing tingling/ pins and needles in my hands - pinky and ring fingers, and a bit up the forearm. It started about 3 years ago, while I was pregnant, and just came on if I fell asleep on my back. The tingling is now constant, worse […]

I have a friend that is seriously damaged from a test that went wrong. He went in for a normal eye check at the eye doctors. When putting liquid eye drops to dilate his pupils, he has never recovered. His vision is some what of a prism effect. He has horrible headaches and there are […]