Dear Doctors: I was surprised to learn that two of my friends (we are in our mid-40s) take their blood pressure every day. They both say their doctors think it’s a good way to get ahead of potential problems. Do you know if these kinds of at-home readings are reliable?
DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter is going to be a senior in high school next year, so my husband and I have started talking about colleges. She told us that she wants to go to college abroad in London.
DEAR HARRIETTE: There’s a guy I like. We’ve spent time around each other in group settings, and he seems like someone worth exploring. There’s chemistry between us; we flirt often, but part of me is afraid to cross the line. The complication is that we have a mutual friend who can be incredibly nosy and invasive. This friend has a habit of inserting herself into other people’s romances – asking overly personal questions, sharing information that isn’t hers to share and trying to be a mediator when no one asks.
Before playing Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now,” actor Robert Duvall, a U.S. Army veteran, persuaded a Vietnam War helicopter pilot to explain the realities of air cavalry life.
• Do you invest in the stock market? You might be wondering if your portfolio is ecofriendly or supports sustainable business practices. The ESG rating (short for Environment, Social and Governance) gives companies and mutual funds a score. The higher the ESG score, the better on the environmental scale; low-scoring companies are considered less involved in eco-friendly practices and social issues. The website spglobal.com is a free resource that gives you any publicly traded company’s ESG score.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a resident assistant in my last year of college. During my time in my university’s residential life department, I have seen many changes that have negatively impacted their residential staff and made it harder for us to form genuine connections with our residents.
As President Trump continues to bombard Iran, triggering violent reprisals across the Middle East, is he also blasting Republican chances for controlling Congress after this fall’s midterm elections?
Yesterday, I saw a woman trip on the pavement. She immediately turned to her husband and started to complain.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been married to my husband for just over a year now, and I have been starting to get annoyed with how nice he is. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but it’s getting to a point where I am finally starting to see just how much he lets his family, friends and even strangers walk all over him. For example, his sister constantly asks him for favors like rides to the airport at 4 a.m., help moving apartments and last-minute babysitting, and he always says yes, even when we already have plans. He’ll apologize to me for canceling, but he never tells her no. At first, I thought this was just him being kind, and I admired that, but now I’m starting to feel like he is unable to set boundaries.
Dear Doctors: I read your column about dry mouth. One of the recommendations was to use gum or candy that has been sweetened with xylitol.