Warning: E-mail is not a secure format for sending personal health information.
Thank you for your interest in the Dear Doctors column. While we welcome your questions regarding general health topics, please be aware that we can only answer questions of general interest in our column. We cannot provide individual diagnoses or specific advice about individual health issues.
In addition, electronically transmitted information travels though many networks, and many different computer connections. This information is not secure and should not be considered private. E-mail is not a secure format for sending personal health information. Although Dear Doctors editors will never disclose personal health information submitted in e-mail questions, if you send personal health information via e-mail, third parties could intercept your e-mail at a number of points during transmission. If you send personal information through e-mail, there is no guarantee it will remain private.