Alice — Why won’t you answer my questions?

Dear P and Readers,

Thanks for writing in questions, hanging out for answers, and suggesting ways to improve this site. Your questions absolutely are legitimate and worthy of answers, as are most inquiries received. In fact, you can check out the related Q&A Why do you answer dumb questions? to see how all types of questions are considered answer-worthy. The decision to answer a particular question is based on a number of factors, including whether or not a similar query has already been addressed on the site. Additionally, the question must fit within one of Go Ask Alice!’s six topic categories. For specific tips on navigating the archives, take a look at some Go Ask Alice! navigation tips. Here are some more key points to keep in mind when determining how to best find information of interest on the site:

Where to ask questions:
The best place to pose your health inquiries to the Go Ask Alice! site, P, is the question box on the Ask your question page. All health queries sent from this page are read. It’s good to remember that the site isn't a place to get a diagnosis or immediate medical attention. The related Q&A Don’t ‘Go Ask Alice!’ — Get medical attention immediately provides more details on when to seek care from a health care provider.

Responses to your questions:
All submitted questions, comments, and requests — wherever they're submitted — receive a brief "thanks" message, so that you know your submission was received. It isn’t possible, unfortunately, to send individual replies due to the volume of submissions each month. Another factor to consider is that the “question asking” is designed to be completely anonymous. Keep in mind that there are already thousands of answered questions on the site; you may find your answer or part of your answer just by doing a little digging. For more on this, check out the related Q&A Does Alice respond directly to inquirers?.

Increasing your chances of getting an answer:
P, the only way to do this — and given the volume of questions Go Ask Alice! receives, it's far from guaranteed to work — is to check the archive first and make sure your question hasn't been addressed before. This may mean a little bit of searching and reading time, but it could pay off in the way of an answer, other resources, perspective, and more. Searching this and other health-related websites can provide answers or leads to other on- and offline resources, but sometimes it’s best to consult a real, live health professional — especially if you have an urgent or serious health concern.

May you always find answers to your health questions and, if not, Go Ask Alice!.