Hepatitis B Center - Torrance, CA
Torrance Gastroenterologist Doctors for Hepatitis BType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Torrance * Iraj Akhlaghi MD  Nazir U Khaja MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  Robert M Webman MD  Gastroenterology Associates of the South Bay Inc  David O Kim MD  Judy L Law-Torok MD  Osato Medical Clinic  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  Digestive Care Consultants  South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group  HealthCare Partners Medical Group Redondo Beach  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Harbor UCLA Medical Foundation  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Mixed Specialties  Coast Gastroenterology Group  William Essilfie MD  San Pedro Internal Family Medicine  Morris Taub MD  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  Coast Gastroenterology  Coast Gastroenterology  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  LAC / Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital  West Gastroenterology Associates  West Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Long Beach Gastroenterology Associates  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Gastro-Digestive Medical Group  Multi Health Care Medical Group  Western Healthcare  Conrad A Cox MD  Jose Pantoja MD  Robert A Gross MD  Glenn Pasternack MD  Paul Key MD  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Gastroenterology Associates  Yong Tai Lee MD  Martin H Lee MD  B Raymond Lim MD & Myoza T Lim MD  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  California Pancreatic Biliary Institute  Derek M. Dobalian MD  Robert Richter MD  Said Rahban MD  Paul Choi MD  Drs Sial & Cohen  Nicholas Karyotakis MD  Robert Y Uyeda MD  Drs Sial & Cohen  William P Stuppy MD  Jin H Suh MD  Gastro Digestive Medical Group  Frischer Medical Group  Jun-Ichi Ohara MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Enrique Slodownik MD  Matsumoto Internal Medicine  Steven J Weiss MD  Dr Marc A Edelstein  Sadler Medical Group  Talbert Medical Group  Payman?Khorrami MD  Herbert R Kornfeld MD  Pyoung I Kwon MD  Rahbar Medical Group  John D Romm MD & Howard Pitchon MD  Century City Endoscopy  Mitchell J Spirt MD  Federal Medical Clinic  Shahab Mehdizadeh MD  Shahab Mehdizadeh MD Torrance, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-10
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Hepatitis BRead the Hepatitis B article » What is hepatitis?The term 'hepatitis' simply means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis may be caused by a virus or a toxin such as alcohol. Other viruses that can cause injury to liver cells include the hepatitis A and hepatitis C viruses. These viruses are not related to each other or to hepatitis B virus and differ in their structure, the ways they are spread among individuals, the severity of symptoms they can cause, the way they are treated, and the outcome of the infection. What is the scope of the problem? Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is estimated that 350 million individuals worldwide are infected with the virus, which causes 620,000 deaths worldwide each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 46,000 new cases of hepatitis B occurred in the United States in 2006. In the United States, rates of new infection were highest among people aged 25 to 44 years (3.1 cases per 100,000 population) and lowest among those younger than 15 years of age (0.02 per 100,000). This reflects the major modes of transmission of hepatitis B (sexual transmission, illicit drug use, exposure to infected blood) and the effect of universal vaccination of infants. In the United States, there has been a 75% decrease in newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis B during the past decade. This decrease is attributed to increased vaccination and to heightened public awareness of HIV/AIDS and the resulting safer sexual practices. When a person first gets hepatitis B, they are said to have an 'acute' infection. Most people are able to eliminate the virus and are cured of the infection. Some are not able to clear the virus and have 'chronic' infection with hepatitis B that is usually life-long (see below). In the United States an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B. ... Recommended Reading Related to Hepatitis BWhy should travelers see a physician before they leave on a trip?Travelers should see a physician before leaving for a trip if
The goal of a pre-travel medical evaluation is to help travelers protect themselves against (1) common diseases that may be mild but that will disrupt their trip, and (2) less common diseases that may be serious or even fatal. All travelers need to be up to date on routine vaccines they would normally get if they were not traveling. For example, an annual influenza vaccination (flu shot) is recommended if traveling during influenza season. Travelers should also be up to date on te... Emergency Contact for Torrance
Nearby Torrance Hospitals *Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance Memorial Medical Center Del Amo Hospital LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center Vista Hospital of South Bay Memorial Hospital of Gardena Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Hawthorne Campus Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center Centinela Campus Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center Pacific Hospital of Long Beach Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Miller Children's Hospital St Mary Medical Center St Francis Medical Center Kindred Hospital Los Angeles Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus Lakewood Regional Medical Center Marina Del Rey Hospital Community Hospital of Long Beach Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Bellflower Medical Center Community Hospital of Huntington Park Brotman Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center VA Long Beach Healthcare System Downey Regional Medical Center Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Orthopaedic Medical Center Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center College Hospital Cerritos California Hospital Medical Center Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Tri-City Regional Medical Center Miracle Mile Medical Center Olympia Medical Center Los Angeles Community Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center VA Greater Los Angeles HealthCare System East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Los Alamitos Medical Center Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles St Vincent Medical Center Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles White Memorial Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Norwalk Community Hospital Kaiser Mental Health Center Pacific Alliance Medical Center Temple Community Hospital Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital LAC + USC Medical Center LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital Metropolitan State Hospital Barlow Respiratory Hospital USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center La Palma Intercommunity Hospital USC University Hospital Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center Hollywood Community Hospital Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Beverly Hospital Monterey Park Hospital Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Anaheim General Hospital Kindred Hospital La Mirada West Anaheim Medical Center Garfield Medical Center Kindred Hospital Westminster Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Hepatitis B by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
28 articles-
Liver
- The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, and is actually an gland. The liver has a wide variety of critical functions such as manufacturing proteins and metabolizing fats and carbohydrates. The liver also eliminates harmful biochemical waste products from the body (alcohol, drugs, toxins). The liver secretes bile that aids in digestion. Examples of diseases of the liver include cirrhosis, hepatitis, cancer, and fatty liver. Symptoms of liver disease include bleeding, easy bruising, edema, fatigue, and jaundice.
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Cirrhosis (Liver)
- Cirrhosis of the liver refers to a disease in which normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue caused by alcohol and viral hepatitis B and C. This disease leads to abnormalities in the liver's ability to handle toxins and blood flow, causing internal bleeding, kidney failure, mental confusion, coma, body fluid accumulation, and frequent infections. Symptoms include yellowing of the skin, itching, and fatigue.
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Viral Hepatitis
- Hepatitis is most often viral, due to infection with one of the hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E, F (not confirmed), and G) or another virus (such as those that cause infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus disease). The main nonviral causes of hepatitis are alcohol and drugs. Many patients infected with hepatitis A, B, and C have few or no symptoms of illness. For those who do develop symptoms of viral hepatitis, the most common are flu- like symptoms including: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness, tiredness, and aching in the abdomen. Treatment of viral hepatitis is dependant on the type of hepatitis.
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Hepatitis A and B Immunizations
- Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are the two most commnon viruses that infect the liver. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B can be prevented and treated with immunizations (vaccinations) such as Havrix, Vaqta, Twinrix, Comvax, Pediarix, and hepatitis b immune globulin (HBIG).
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Pancreatic Cancer
- Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer has been called a "silent" disease because early pancreatic cancer usually does not cause symptoms.
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Polyarteritis Nodosa
- Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by spontaneous inflammation of the arteries of the body. The most common areas of involvement include the muscles, joints, intestines (bowels), nerves, kidneys, and skin. Poor function or pain in any of these organs can be a symptom. Polyarteritis nodosa is most common in middle age persons. Polyarteritis is a serious illness that can be fatal. Treatment is focused on decreasing the inflammation of the arteries by suppressing the immune system.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Women (STDs)
- Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
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Travel Medicine
- Travelers should prepare for their trip by visiting their physician to get the proper vaccinations and obtain the necessary medication if they have a medical condition or chronic disease. Diseases that travelers may pick up from contaminated water or food, insect or animal bites, or from other people include malaria, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, polio, and cholera.
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Vasculitis
- Vasculitis is a general term for a group of uncommon diseases which feature inflammation of the blood vessels. Each form of vasculitis has its own characteristic pattern of symptoms. The diagnosis of vasculitis is definitively established after a biopsy of involved tissue demonstrates the pattern of blood vessel inflammation. Treatment is directed toward decreasing the inflammation of the arteries and improving the function of affected organs.
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Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usually spread by blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle sticks, especially with intravenous drug abuse. Chronic hepatitis C may be treated with interferon, usually in combination with anti-virals.
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Jaundice
- Jaundice is a yellowish staining of the skin and whites of the eyes (sclerae) with bilirubin, the pigment found in bile. Jaundice can be an indicator of liver or gallbladder disease, or it may result from the rupture of red blood cells (hemolysis).
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Fatty Liver
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver disease ranging from simple fatty liver (steatosis), to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to cirrhosis (irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver). All of the stages of NAFLD have in common the accumulation of fat (fatty infiltration) in the liver cells (hepatocytes).
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Liver Cancer
- Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world and the majority of patients with liver cancer will die within one year as a result. Patients with associated cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis B or C infections, alcohol, and hemochromatosis are at the greatest risk of developing liver cancer. Many patients with liver cancer do not develop symptoms until the advanced stages of the tumor which usually makes prognosis poor. The combination of an imaging study (ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans) and an elevated blood level of alpha-fetoprotein will most effectively diagnose liver cancer, while a liver biopsy can make a definitive diagnosis. Medical treatments, including chemotherapy, chemoembolization, ablation, and proton beam therapy, are not very effective. Surgical removal of the tumor or a liver transplant may be most effective in certain cases.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Men (STDs in Men)
- Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Although treatment exists for many STDs, others currently are usually incurable, such as those caused by HIV, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and HHV-8.
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Drug Abuse
- Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
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The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy (STDs)
- When you are pregnant, many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be especially harmful to you and your baby. These STDs include herpes, HIV/AIDS, genital warts (HPV), hepatitis B, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Symptoms include bumps, sores, warts, swelling, itching, or redness in the genital region. Treatment of STDs while pregnant depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy and the progression of the infection.
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Drug-Induced Liver Disease
- Drug-induced liver diseases are diseases of the liver that are caused by physician-prescribed medications, OTC medications, vitamins, hormones, herbs, illicit (“recreational”) drugs, and environmental toxins. There are three types of liver toxicity; dose-dependent toxicity, idiosyncratic toxicity, and drug allergy. The types of liver disease drugs cause include: mild elevations of blood levels of liver enzymes, hepatitis, necrosis, cholestasis, steatosis, cirrhosis, mixed disease, fulminant hepatitis, and blood clots.
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Steroid Abuse
- Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that are related to testosterone and promote skeletal muscle growth and the development of male sexual characteristics in both men and women. In the 1930s, it was discovered that anabolic steroids could promote skeletal muscle growth in lab animals, which lead to anabolic steroid abuse by bodybuilders and weight lifters.
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Septic Arthritis
- Septic arthritis, or infectious arthritis, is infection of one or more joints by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Symptoms and signs of septic arthritis include fever, joint pain, chills, swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness. Treatment involves antibiotics and the drainage of the infected joint.
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Thrombocytopenia (Low Platelet Count)
- Thrombocytopenia refers to a decreased number of platelets in the blood. There are many causes of thrombocytopenia such as decreased platelet production (viral infections for example rubella, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis C, and HIV); increased platelet destruction or consumption (for example sulfonamide antibiotics, heparin, blood transfusions, and lupus); or increased splenic sequestration (enlarged spleen due to conditions for example liver disease, blood cancers, and more). Treatment of thrombocytopenia depends on the cause.
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Encephalopathy
- Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
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Ascites
- Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is most commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Some of the other causes of ascites include portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and pancreatitis. The most common symptoms include increased abdominal girth and size, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the cause of ascites.
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Optic Neuritis
- Optic neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve, the structure that connects the eye to the brain. The precise cause of optic neuritis is unknown, but it is thought to be a type of autoimmune disorder. Optic neuritis most commonly develops due to an autoimmune disorder that may be triggered by a viral infection.
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Liver Disease
- Liver disease can be cause by a variety of things including infection (hepatitis), diseases such as gallstones, high cholesterol or triglycerides, blood flow obstruction to the liver, and toxins (medications and chemicals). Symptoms of liver disease depends upon the cause; however, common symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, upper right abdominal pain, and jaundice. Treatment depends upon the cause of the liver disease.
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Hemophilia
- Hemophilia is one of a group of inherited bleeding disorders. Hemophilia A and B are inherited in an X-linked recessive genetic pattern and is more common in males. Symptoms of hemophilia include bleeding into the joints, muscles, GI or urinary tract, or brain or skull. Treatments for hemophilia is generally replacement of blood clotting factors.
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Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A is one type of liver disease caused by a virus. Since hepatitis A is a virus, it can pass from person to person from eating or drinking contaminated food or coming into contact with contaminated materials containing the virus. Symptoms of hepatitis A include stomach pain, diarrhea, dark yellow urine, jaundice, and more. There is a vaccine to prevent contracting hepatitis A.
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Fatigue
- Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, drug abuse, and more. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
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Procedures & Tests
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