DEAR DR. ROACH: Two years ago, I received the high-dose flu vaccine at my doctor’s office. It resulted in a severe case of SIRVA bursitis in my shoulder. I suffered for three months, taking Tylenol after getting two shots of steroid from my orthopedic surgeon and physical therapy. Since then I have been afraid to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old male disabled veteran. I started work out of high school in a factory where I did hard but not brutal work. Then went to Vietnam, where I injured my knee and had to be operated on. Next, I worked for an airline as a baggage handler then became […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s the difference between a tubal pregnancy and an abortion? Are they the same thing? — J.K.S. ANSWER: The term “abortion” has several meanings medically, but most people think of only one type, the elective abortion. A “spontaneous abortion” is another term for a miscarriage. A “missed abortion” is when the fetus […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Whenever I go to my local VA clinic for a checkup, I’m asked if I want the pneumonia vaccine. I’m 70, and I wonder if that vaccine has proven to be beneficial. Thank you. — L.B. ANSWER: There are two pneumonia vaccines. One is the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, often called by […]