Columns

Q. My toe nails and leg hair don't seem to be growing as fast as they used to. Is this age-related or is it something else?

It could be caused by something harmless, but it is possible that it is a little-known symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). If I were you, I'd go to a doctor for a checkup. (Cliche alert!) Better safe than sorry.

PAD also known as peripheral vascular disease usually strikes the legs, but also can affect the blood vessels to your head, arms, kidneys and stomach.

Q. You can settle a bet for me. Who gets shoulder problems more often, athletes or seniors?

Athletes such as pitchers, tennis players and swimmers are especially susceptible to shoulder problems because of their repetitive overhead motions. However, shoulder problems are most likely to victimize people older than 60. You can deduce that, as a group, old athletes are at the highest risk of shoulder injury.

(Shoulder problems are so common among seniors that I am doing a two-parter on the subject. This is the first column.)

Let's start with some anatomy.

Q. My 4-year-old grandson has begun to stutter. It upsets me and I don't know how to handle it.

It should be reassuring to you to know that about 5 percent of children stutter for a period of about six months. Three-quarters of these children recover before they mature. About 1 percent of adults stutter.

Meanwhile, knowing how to talk to your grandson will help both of you.

Q. All I ever hear about the sun is how dangerous it is. But, when I was a kid, my mother used to tell me to get out in the sun and play. Did my mother give me bad advice?

(I've devoted a lot of space to the dangers of sun exposure. I believe I owe the sun a couple of columns to make up for this. Here's the first one.)

Most public health messages have focused on the hazards of too much sun exposure. Ultraviolet (UV) rays, an invisible component of sunlight, can cause skin damage, cataracts, wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer.