Liver Disease Center - West Hartford, CTWest Hartford 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 West Hartford * Prime HealthCare PC - Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine  Prime HealthCare PC - Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine  Prime HealthCare PC - Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine  Prime HealthCare PC - Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine  Prime HealthCare PC - Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  Eastern Connecticut Gastroenterology Assoc LLC  Daniel Marshall & Oksana Kloyzner MDs  The Carole & Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center  University of Connecticut Health Center Gastroenterology Clinic  University of Connecticut Health Center Gastroenterology Clinic  University of Connecticut Health Center Gastroenterology Clinic  University of Connecticut Health Center Gastroenterology Clinic  University of Connecticut Health Center Gastroenterology Clinic  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Bristol Gastroenterology Associates PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Stone & Goldenberg LLP  Connecticut GI PC  Stone & Goldenberg LLP  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Connecticut GI PC  Stone & Goldenberg LLP  Ashanti Medical Associates LLC  Digestive Disease Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Consultants PC  CT Gastroenterology Associates PC  Grove Hill Medical Center Gastroenterology  Connecticut GI PC  Central Connecticut Gastroenterology LLC  Ralph A Giarnella MD  Bristol Gastroenterology Associates PC  Bristol Gastroenterology Associates PC  Bristol Gastroenterology Associates PC  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  Digestive Disease Center Connecticut  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Gastroenterology Specialists PC  Connecticut GI PC  Klipstein Medical Group  Digestive Health Specialists  Digestive Health Specialists  Gastroenterology Associates of Manchester  Janet B Dickinson MD  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  Middlesex Gastroenterology Assoc  ECHN Health Services  Drs Competiello & Rivera-Competiello  Springfield Medical Associates  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  Litchfield County Gastroenterology Associates LLC  David Delucia & Hector Pun MDs  Ronald A Zlotoff MD  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Eduardo G Mari MD  Naugatuck Valley Gastroenterology Consultants  Broadway Medical Group LLC  ECHN Health Services  Gerald Fette MD  Connecticut Gastroenterology Consultants PC  Connecticut Gastroenterology Consultants PC  Beacon Falls Medical Associates  Beacon Falls Medical Associates  Gastroenterology Center of New England  Martin E Gordon MD  Gastroenterology of New Haven LLC  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Digestive Disease Associates  Melchinger Street Rosenthal & Breier MD  Connecticut Gastroenterology Consultants PC West Hartford, ConnecticutUpcoming Local Events2012-06-17
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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 West Hartford
Nearby West Hartford Hospitals *St Francis Hospital & Medical Center Connecticut Children's Medical Center The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare Hartford Hospital Institute of Living Hartford Hospital University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus Cedarcrest Hospital Hospital for Special Care The Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus Veterans Home & Hospital Rocky Hill Manchester Memorial Hospital Bristol Hospital MidState Medical Center Middlesex Hospital The Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley Campus Riverview Hospital for Children & Youth Rushford Center Connecticut Valley Hospital Rockville General Hospital Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care St Mary's Hospital Gaylord Hospital Masonic Healthcare Center Waterbury Hospital Johnson Memorial Hospital Western Massachusetts Hospital Noble Hospital Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital Mercy Medical Center Baystate Medical Center Shriners Hospital for Children Kindred Hospital Park View Windham Community Memorial Hospital Natchaug Hospital Providence Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts Holyoke Medical Center Hospital of St Raphael Connecticut Mental Health Center Yale-New Haven Hospital Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital Griffin Hospital VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center 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 Liver Disease by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Bruises
- A bruise, or contusion, is caused when blood vessels are damaged or broken as the result of a blow to the skin. The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured blood vessels into the tissues as well as from the body's response to the injury. Treatments include applying an ice pack and pressure to the area by hand.
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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
- Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
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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)
- Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve ejaculation, or both. Impotence can have emotional causes but most often it is due to a physical problem.
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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
- 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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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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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
- Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of the pressure in the pulmonary circulation caused by the constriction of the blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs. Shortness of breath and dizziness are symptoms of pulmonary hypertension. Treatment involves diuretics, blood thinners, calcium channel blockers, and using supplemental oxygen to increase blood oxygen levels.
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Congestive Heart Failure
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting from congestive heart failure may cause the body's organ systems to fail, leading to a weakened heart muscle and fluid accumulation in the lungs and body tissue. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling. Treatments include lifestyle modifications, medications, heart transplant, and therapy.
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Toxoplasmosis
- Toxoplasmosis (toxo) is a parasitic infection that causes flulike symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches and pains that may last from a few days to several weeks. Toxoplasmosis can be contracted by touching the hands to the mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, or anything that came into contact with cat feces. Toxoplasmosis can also be contracted by eating raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork or lamb, or touching the hands to the mouth after contact with raw or undercooked meat.
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Alcoholism
- Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
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Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Intestinal Problems of IBD)
- The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two diseases.
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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
- The hepatitis B virus is a unique, coated DNA virus belonging to the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses. The course of the virus is determined primarily by the age at which the infection is acquired and the interaction between the virus and the body's immune system. Successful treatment is associated with a reduction in liver injury and fibrosis (scarring), a decreased likelihood of developing cirrhosis and its complications, including liver cancer, and a prolonged survival.
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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
- Portal hypertension is most commonly caused by cirrhosis, a disease in which results from scarring of a liver injury. Other causes of portal hypertension include blood clots in the portal vein, blockages of the veins that carry the blood from teh liver to the heart, and a parasitic infection called schistosomiasis.
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Nausea and Vomiting
- Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
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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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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an infectious disease that's transmitted by the bite of a tick infected with the Rickettsia rickettsii bacterial organism. Initial symptoms of RMSF include fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and severe headache. Later symptoms include rash, abdominal pain, joint pain, and diarrhea. Treatment usually involves a tetracycline antibiotic.
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Blood Clots
- Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract and uterus. Risk factors for blood clots include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms of a blood clot depend on the location of the clot. Some blood clots are a medical emergency. Blood clots are treated depending upon the cause of the clot. Blood clots can be prevented by lowering the risk factors for developing blood clots.
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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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