Harvard Health Blog
Ask Doctor K: a new forum for health questions

One of the things I enjoy most about being a doctor—talking with my patients and explaining the what’s, how’s, and why’s of health and illness—is also one of the most important things I do. Sometimes the conversation and explanation are as helpful to my patients as the diagnosis I make or the treatment I recommend.
I have been fortunate to expand this conversation beyond the bounds of my medical practice. As Editor in Chief of Harvard Health Publishing, I help guide the development of newsletters, reports, and books that offer high-quality health information to the public.
Earlier this year, I was invited to create a column to answer health and wellness questions from people all across the country. It launched this week. Called Ask Doctor K, the column appears every day in more than 450 newspapers, most of them in the U.S. The questions and answers are also posted on www.AskDoctorK.com. You can also follow Ask Doctor K on Twitter and Facebook.
In the column, I will offer clear answers and straight advice to readers’ questions. I plan to talk about new treatments that are available today, or will be soon. I will also focus on proven changes in lifestyle that can keep readers healthy, help them cope with chronic diseases, and improve their quality of life.
If you have a health question that needs an answer, please send it to me via this link, or by email at AskDoctorK@hms.harvard.edu. I can’t offer personal medical advice, since only your doctor knows you well enough to do that. And I won’t be able to answer every question—we’ve received more than 200 question in the first three days. But I will provide clear, general answers based on the best medical evidence available.
I hope you will join the conversation.
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.