WASHINGTON — You’ve likely heard it since childhood: Don’t scratch that bug bite or rash, you’ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes serious diseases. Whatever the cause, doctors have long warned that ...

Q. I contracted alpha-gal meat allergy while living in Long Island, New York, over a decade ago. An observant primary care physician diagnosed me and sent me to an allergist for confirmation. When I moved to North Carolina, my new doctor requested further testing. The lab had no idea what tests ...

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DEAR HELOISE: To open a bottle of nail polish that’s stuck, place a cup of water in the microwave for 1 minute. Then remove the cup from the microwave and place the bottle inside of the cup. Wait about a minute and remove. Presto! —Marty R., via email DEAR HELOISE: We wear shirts made ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you address Munchausen syndrome and how to treat a person who might have it? What causes the constant talk about real or imagined illnesses, and is there a treatment for it? —- Anonymous ANSWER: Factitious disorder, sometimes called Munchausen syndrome after the ...

Precisely when to win a trick is a problem that often determines the outcome of a hand. The holdup play, so often utilized in notrump contracts, might defeat its purpose unless it is applied at exactly the right time and place. Take this case where West leads the king of hearts against three ...