John Roberts

A patient of mine came in last week suffering from swelling and pain in his legs. He was suffering from a problem that is becoming more common – pooling of blood in his legs causing unsightly enlarged veins. To understand how vein problems develop you need a rudimentary understanding of the anatomy and physiology of…

The cold weather appears to have finally arrived and, in addition to COVID, it’s time to start thinking about the flu. Most people us the term “flu” in a very generic sense, meaning anything from cold symptoms to having a case of vomiting and diarrhea.  The “flu” in this column refers to respiratory influenza. You…

A patient whose mother is having hearing difficulties asked me to write about the best way to purchase hearing aids. I’d like to begin with some background on hearing. It goes without saying that hearing is one of our most important senses. It is critical for our quality of life as well as for safety…

I’m running through my list of suggested topics from readers, and this one goes out to a reader from Sheridan. It’s a common problem, but one of those topics that doesn’t usually come up in casual conversation – constipation. There are three common times in a person’s life when constipation can become a problem. The…

This week I want to address a specific variant of a condition that I’ve been seeing a lot of lately – dizziness. Primary Care doctors in the U.S. see about six million patients a year who complain of “dizziness.”  Dizziness means different things to different people and can be a symptom of many different medical…

I left you hanging last week wondering about the treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). First, a quick review. Recall that acid from the stomach (gastro) is found in the tube that connects the mouth and stomach (esophagus) and goes in a backward direction (reflux). When I see someone complaining of GERD symptoms in my…

I’ve been asked to re-run my columns about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, more commonly known as GERD. That long name translates to: acid from the stomach (gastro) is found in the tube that connects the mouth and stomach (esophagus) and goes in a backward direction (reflux). It’s helpful to know the anatomy when trying to understand…

This week I want to talk about screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). Fortunately, screening for this type of cancer has become more common due to increased public awareness aided by campaigns such as CDC’s Screen for Life Action Campaign www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/sfl/. There were approximately 148,000 cases of CRC in 2020 and 53,000 deaths in 2020 making…

I see a number of people who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel is a very common condition, often as a result of repetitive injury at home or in the workplace. It is one of a number of repetitive strain injuries or “RSIs.” Carpal tunnel symptoms usually include numbness and/or pain in the hand…

By John Roberts I’ve had some questions recently about ovarian cancer so I’ll try and tackle this complex subject. This cancer is frightening because it often has very few signs or symptoms before it becomes very advanced. Recent statistics show about 20,000 women are diagnosed and about 15,000 die from ovarian cancer each year. It…