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‘There are so many different therapies and great doctors who want to keep you alive and get you more years,’ says the Thousand Oaks resident

I thought I had a bad summer cold, but it turned out to be the flu. I didn’t know that can happen in the summer. Urgent care offered me an antiviral medication, but since I’m not familiar with those, I said no. I would like to know more about antiviral treatment for the flu.

I come from a large family, and we’ll have a lot of holiday parties. I want to enjoy myself, but I also want to start the new year feeling healthy. My concern is more about drinking alcohol than about eating. I would appreciate it if you could talk about how to handle that part of the holidays.

The ‘bivalent’ booster helps protect against the original strain as well as the omicron variant

It seems like every new health discovery is connected to the gut microbiome these days. I’m 68 years old, and this is new to me. I understand about probiotics, and I even take one, but now I’m seeing ads for prebiotics and postbiotics. What are they? Do I need to take them?

I’m having hand surgery next year to help with carpal tunnel, and I’m not thrilled about having anesthesia. I’ve been reading about surgeons whose patients use virtual reality headsets to need less anesthesia. Does that really work?

'There is still much work ahead to ensure more people at risk can access PrEP,' says Dr. Jessie Clark, professor of infectious diseases

When our grandson first learned his colors, he sang them along with music. We thought he was copying that song for learning the ABCs. But when he got older, he started saying that he “hears” the colors. We have been told this is called synesthesia. How and why does it happen?

My boyfriend has been lifting weights at his gym. He’s working on getting stronger, and one of the trainers there suggested he start taking creatine as a supplement. I’ve never heard of that before. What is creatine, and what is it made out of? How does it affect your body?

I am 84 years old and just got a new doctor. When I asked her about the prostate exam my previous doctor did every few years, she seemed dismissive, saying, “Oh, we don't do that anymore.” Is this a personal choice by the physician? I worry about missing an important diagnosis.