Liver Disease Center - Hoffman Estates, ILHoffman Estates Gastroenterologist Doctors for Liver DiseaseType 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 Hoffman Estates * Northwest Healthcare  Northwest Healthcare  Northwest Healthcare  George Zahrebelski MD  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Mark E Dubin MD  Drs Kane, Misawa & Spiess LLC  Drs Kane, Misawa & Spiess LLC  Drs Kane, Misawa & Spiess LLC  Drs Kane, Misawa & Spiess LLC  Gloria J Caruso MD PC  K Krishnankutty MD  Therapeutic Endoscopy Associates PC  Therapeutic Endoscopy Associates PC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine Specialists SC  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Northwest Gastroenterologists  Specialists In Gastroenterology  Fox Glen Gastroenterology  Specialists In Gastroenterology  Joseph Lagattuta MD  Advocate Medical Group Arlington Heights  Riverside Medical  Gastroenterology Group  Gastroenterology Group  Gastroenterology Group  Shahid B Ilahi MD  Gastrointestinal Health Specialists LLC  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Elgin Gastroenterology  Fahey Medical Center  Dyer GI Clinics of Illinois  Eduardo Villa MD  Mohamad Z Sait MD Ltd  Elmhurst Clinic Gastroenterology  Elmhurst Clinic Gastroenterology  Elmhurst Clinic Gastroenterology  Northshore Center for Gastroenterology  Midwest GI Associates  Northshore Center for Gastroenterology  Northshore Center for Gastroenterology  MidWest Digestive Disease Specialists  MidWest Digestive Disease Specialists  MidWest Digestive Disease Specialists  MidWest Digestive Disease Specialists  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Mohammad Bawani MD  Gastroenterology Consultants  Gastroenterology Consultants  Digestive Health Services SC  Digestive Health Services SC  MidWest Digestive Disease Specialists  Gastrointestinal Health Specialists LLC  Digestive Health Services SC  Gerard A Sublette MD & Christopher Boutin MD  Gerard A Sublette MD & Christopher Boutin MD  Evanston Hospital Gastroenterology  North Suburban Gastroenterology Assoc  North Suburban Gastroenterology Assoc  North Suburban Gastroenterology Assoc  North Suburban Gastroenterology Assoc  Thomas G Neumann MD  Evanston Hospital Gastroenterology  Evanston Hospital Gastroenterology  North Suburban Gastroenterology Assoc  Gastroenterology Group  Gastrointestinal Health Associates  Gastrointestinal Health Associates  Gastrointestinal Health Associates  Gastrointestinal Health Associates  John M Wieland MD  Gastroenterology Group  Dharmvir S Verma MD  Naperville Gastroenterology  Associates In Gastroenterology & Liver Disease LLC  Associates In Gastroenterology & Liver Disease LLC  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology  DuPage Medical Group Gastroenterology Hoffman Estates, IllinoisUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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Liver DiseaseRead the Liver Disease article » What is liver disease?Liver disease is any disturbance of liver function that causes illness. The liver is responsible for many critical functions within the body and should it become diseased or injured, the loss of those functions can cause significant damage to the body. Liver disease is also referred to as hepatic disease. Liver disease is a broad term that covers all the potential problems that may occur to cause the liver to fail to perform its designated functions. Usually, more than 75% or three quarters of liver tissue needs to be affected before decrease in function occurs. The liver the largest solid organ in the body; and is also considered a gland because among its many functions, it makes and secretes bile. The liver is located in the upper right portion of the abdomen protected by the rib cage. It has two main lobes that are made up of tiny lobules. The liver cells have two different sources of blood supply. The hepatic artery supplies oxygen rich blood that is pumped from the heart, while the portal vein supplies nutrients from the intestine and the spleen. Normally, veins return blood from the body to the heart, but the portal vein allows chemicals from the digestive tract to enter the liver for "detoxification" and filtering prior to entering the general circulation. The portal vein also efficiently delivers the chemicals and proteins that liver cells need to produce the proteins, cholesterol, and glycogen required for normal body activities. As part of its function, the liver makes bile, a fluid that contains among other substances, water, chemicals, and bile acids (made from stored cholesterol in the liver). Bile is stored in the gallbladder and when food enters the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), bile is secreted into the duodenum, to aid in digestion of food.
The liver is the only organ in the body that can ea... Recommended Reading Related to Liver DiseaseIntroduction to Portal HypertensionPortal hypertension is an increase in the blood pressure within a system of veins called the portal venous system. Normally, the veins come from the stomach, intestine, spleen, and pancreas, merge into the portal vein, which then branches into smaller vessels and travels through the liver. If the vessels in the liver are blocked, it is hard for the blood to flow causing high pressure in the portal system. When the pressure becomes too high, the blood backs up and finds other ways to flow back to the heart, where it is pumped to the lungs, where it gets rid of waste products and picks up oxygen. The blood can travel to the veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices), in the skin of the abdomen, and the veins of the rectum and anus (hemorrhoids) to get around the blockages in the liver. What Causes Portal Hypertension?/h...Other Related Liver Disease ArticlesEmergency Contact for Hoffman Estates
Nearby Hoffman Estates Hospitals *Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital St Alexius Medical Center Streamwood Behavioral Health Center Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Northwest Community Hospital Alexian Rehabilitation Hospital Alexian Brothers Medical Center Sherman Hospital Elgin Mental Health Center Adventist GlenOaks Hospital Provena Saint Joseph Hospital Resurrection Health Care Holy Family Medical Center Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital Central DuPage Hospital Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Glenbrook Hospital Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Condell Medical Center Kindred Hospital Northlake Delnor-Community Hospital Resurrection Health Care Resurrection Medical Center Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Gottlieb Memorial Hospital Chicago-Read Mental Health Center Highland Park Hospital Resurrection Health Care Westlake Hospital Lake Forest Hospital Centegra Northern Illinois Medical Center Shriners Hospital for Children Chicago RUSH North Shore Medical Center Resurrection Health Care Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center Loyola University Medical Center Centegra Memorial Medical Center RML Specialty Hospital Riveredge Hospital Adventist Hinsdale Hospital Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital Edward Hospital John J Madden Mental Health Center RUSH Oak Park Hospital Linden Oaks Hospital at Edward Resurrection Health Care West Suburban Medical Center North Chicago VA Medical Center Provena Mercy Medical Center Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital Kindred Hospital Chicago Central NorthShore University HealthSystems Swedish Covenant Hospital Loretto Hospital Resurrection Health Care Saint Francis Hospital Hartgrove Hospital Kindred Hospital Chicago North MacNeal Hospital CINN Neurologic & Orthopedic Institute of Chicago Methodist Hospital of Chicago Rush-Copley Medical Center Vista Medical Center West Sacred Heart Hospital Kindred Hospital Chicago Lakeshore Norwegian-American Hospital Advocate Bethany Hospital Resurrection Health Care Saint Elizabeth Hospital Chicago Lakeshore Hospital Resurrection Health Care Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center Weiss Memorial Hospital Thorek Memorial Hospital Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Children's Memorial Hospital Saint Anthony Hospital Vista Medical Center East Jesse Brown VA Medical Center John H Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County Resurrection Health Care Saint Joseph Hospital Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital Lincoln Park Hospital 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. |
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Bruises
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Cholesterol
- Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.
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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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Gallstones
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Hemochromatosis (Iron Overload)
- Hereditary hemochromatosis (iron overload) is an inherited disorder in which there is excessive accumulation of iron in the body. Individuals may have no symptoms or signs, or they can have severe symptoms and signs of iron overload. The most effective treatment for hemochromatosis is therapeutic phlebotomy.
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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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Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence)
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Infectious Mononucleosis
- Infectious mononucleosis is a virus infection in which there is an increase of white blood cells that are mononuclear (with a single nucleus) "Mono" and "kissing disease" are popular terms for this very common illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
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Sickle Cell Disease (Sickle Cell Anemia)
- Sickle cell anemia (sickle cell disease), a blood disease which shortens life expectancy, is cause by an inherited abnormal hemoglobin. Symptoms may include bacterial infections, painful swelling of the hands and feet, fever, leg ulcers, fatigue, anemia, eye damage, and lung and heart injury. Treatment for sickle cell anemia aims to manage and prevent the worst manifestations of the disease and focuses on therapies that block red blood cells from stacking together, which can lead to tissue and organ damage and pain.
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Hepatitis C
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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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Abdominal Pain
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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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Pulmonary Hypertension
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Congestive Heart Failure
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Toxoplasmosis
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Alcoholism
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Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Intestinal Problems of IBD)
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Itching
- Itching can be a common problem. Itches can be localized or generalized. There are many causes of itching to include: infection (jock itch, vaginal itch), disease (hyperthyroidism, liver or kidney), reactions to drugs, and skin infestations (pubic or body lice). Treatment for itching varies depending on the cause of the itch.
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Hepatitis B
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Tylenol Liver Damage
- Tylenol liver damage (acetaminophen) can occur from accidentally ingesting too much acetaminophen, or intentionally. Acetaminophen is a drug contained in over 200 OTC and prescription medications from NyQuil to Vicodin. Avoiding unintentional overdoses include reading medication labels, write down the dosages of medications you are taking, do not drink excessive alcohol while taking acetaminophen. In severe cases, a liver transplant may be necessary.
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Portal Hypertension
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Nausea and Vomiting
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Drug-Induced Liver Disease
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Blood Clots
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Encephalopathy
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